Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the state’s Tourism Minister
Apart from support to the state exchequer, nearly 1,500 locals are engaged in various departments on this new airport and are undergoing training outside the state.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the state’s Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte have so far held a series of meetings with concerned officials for quality tourism demanding upscaling infrastructure and skilling manpower to match international standards.
Goa’s only existing airport in Dabolim witnesses airside congestion as it is also shared by the Indian Navy. As Mopa will only handle the civilian traffic, the state will be better positioned to enhance connectivity for which Rs 2,615 crore has been spent on this project.
1,500 local youths are recruited at Mopa airport
According to Khaunte, increased footfalls from the second airport at Mopa will offer a plethora of employment and tourism opportunities for Goa which needs to be tapped by the stakeholders. Almost 1,500 local youths are recruited at Mopa airport and have been sent for training. Sources informed that there may be more engaged in the nearest future.
In order to provide facilities to tourists visiting Goa, Sawant on Friday announced the state’s first helicopter service, telling that this could support connecting it with neighboring cities for medical emergencies as well as expand the bouquet of tourism offerings.
“Goa is beautiful when you look at it from an aerial view. I am happy that this service will help tourism,” the Chief Minister told after the launch. He added that even people of Kolhapur, Shirdi (both in Maharashtra), and Belgaum (Karnataka) can avail the benefit by taking permission from the airports and reaching Goa by avoiding the road route.
“Around eight million tourists visit Goa
But they don’t prefer to visit the hinterlands and other sites due to the long distance. But now they can opt for this service and explore the tourist places,” he said.
Sawant said that to promote eco-tourism, hinterland tourism, and exploring wildlife sanctuaries of the state, the helicopter service will play a major role. The Goa Tourism Minister further said that he was committed to providing ‘clean and safe’ tourism to tourists visiting and to monitoring the activities and has decided to launch a mobile app.
“I am focusing on providing clean and safe tourism, which is likely with the involvement of stakeholders,” Khaunte said.
He has warned of a crackdown on illegal body massage operations and harassment of travelers by touts while calling for an integrated surveillance system on the state’s popular beaches to rein in such menace. “If we want to show Goa as a destination of sand, sun, and sea and permit people to enjoy a memorable time, then we will have to tackle all the illegal activities taking place on beaches,” he told.
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Khaunte said that a Tourism Convenience Centre would be in place to facilitate tourists. “This will help them enjoy the moment on beaches without any stress,” he said.
Experts in the tourism industry are of the opinion that the Mopa airport will help draw more tourists and thus the new development will play a role as a catalyst for the coastal state’s economy to grow.
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