Panaji: A travel trade delegation from Almaty, Kazakhstan, arrived in Goa as part of a familiarisation trip to strengthen tourism collaboration and promote Goa as a preferred international destination. The visit coincided with the department’s participation in the three-day Travel & Tourism Fair in Bengaluru.The two initiatives brought together tourism boards, tour operators, travel agents, and hospitality stakeholders from across the country.“Familiarisation visits such as these are an important step in strengthening Goa’s engagement with emerging international markets like Kazakhstan. By experiencing the destination firsthand, travel partners gain deeper insight into Goa’s diverse offerings, from culture and heritage to wellness and experiential tourism, which enables them to promote Goa to travellers from their region effectively,” said tourism director Kedar Naik.Ernest Dias, chief operating officer of TCI and SITA, brought the Kazakh group as part of the state’s engagement with emerging international markets. Kazakhstan represents a promising region for tourism growth, said tourism minister Rohan Khaunte.The delegation will explore several attractions across the state, including heritage sites, spice plantations, and other experiential tourism offerings, gaining deeper insights into Goa’s tourism ecosystem.The department wants to diversify tourism away from the coastline and towards cultural tourism, spiritual circuits, hinterland experiences, eco-tourism, wellness tourism, culinary traditions, as well as opportunities in meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE).
