TTAG welcomes govt proposal to reduce parking fee for charter flights

NT NETWORK

Panaji

The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) on Monday said that it welcomed the proposal to reduce the parking fee for charter flights announced in the state budget 2021-22.

The move is expected to attract charter flights to the state, said TTAG. “The foreign tourism segment is closed right now. But when it starts we expect competition from neighbouring markets like Sri Lanka, Thailand, Egypt, Turkey and Bali in Indonesia. To compete with them and to attract the charter flights some relief was required and we are pleased that the government has granted it,” said the local tourism industry representative body.

“We expect the concession in parking fee to be implemented in October 2021, when the charter season starts in the state,” said Nilesh Shah, president TTAG.

He added that, concession in parking fees for foreign charters was one of the suggestion made by the tourism industry body in its pre-budget memorandum that the Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant has accepted. 

Shah said that, members of the local tourist trade have also appreciated the launch of a Tourism Trade Support Scheme in the state budget wherein all registered B, C and D category accommodations and travel and tour operators will be provided with interest subvention on working capital loans up to Rs 25 lakhs. The budgetary allocation for the said scheme is Rs 5 crores.

“The scheme will certainly benefit the industry even though the budgetary allocation for it could have been higher,” said the TTAG president.

He said that, the proposal to introduce a support scheme is welcome as it shows initiative by the state to help the local industry during the pandemic. “However the budgeted funds for the scheme is actually lot lower than what was asked by the industry,” said Shah.

The state budget on March 24, 2021 had several proposals relating to tourism. For achieving Swayampurna Goa in tourism the government plans to develop villages by promoting home stays, backwater tourism, and experiential tours.

Model villages are to be developed on unique themes such as tribal, agro, crafts, heritage, etc., which would allow tourists to visit the offbeat locations in the state, according to the budget for which the provision is Rs 5 crores.

 “Hinterland tourism must not be forced on the villagers. It should be people driven rather than government driven because otherwise the proposal will not see the daylight and will not benefit the people,” cautioned TTAG.

The state budget has proposed meters for taxis in the state. TTAG said that, taxi-meter must be implemented as soon as possible and also more app- based taxi services encouraged in the state.

“The local tourism industry continues to be on survival mode during the ongoing pandemic. Till now many hotels, water sport operators, etc, have not started business because of limited customers,” said Shah.

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