Goa Tourism received 1128 charter flights during the peak season in 2013-2014, i.e. from October 2013 to May 2014, carrying a record number of 2.61 lakh passengers. The corresponding figures for the previous year was 996 charter flights carrying 2.15 lakh passengers. This amounts to 13.25 per cent increase in the arrival of charter flights year on year basis. Goa also received state-of-the-art Boeing Dreamliner flights from UK as charters.
Dilip Parulekar, tourism minister, Government of Goa, said, ?I am extremely delighted with this achievement. This is the result of professional marketing and promotional activities undertaken by the Tourism Department by actively involving travel trade professionals and also with the help and support of the charter /tour operators and other professional agencies that have done commendable job in attracting foreign tourists from all over the world.?
The tourism minister also mentioned that the he is optimistic regarding arrival of tourists in the forthcoming season, especially due to the Decennial Exposition of the Holy Relics of St Francis Xavier. He added, ?It will be my endeavour to make Goa as a leading destination of choice for foreign and domestic tourists, while focusing on quality tourists and improving the tourism infrastructure in the state with active support from the chief minister, Manohar Parrikar and union minister for state (tourism) Shripad Naik.?
