Panaji, Oct 1 (IANS) Britain tops the list of countries sending tourists by charter flights to Goa this year, an industry official said Friday.
According to the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), the number of tourists arriving by the charter flights are likely to go up this year by 15 percent.
‘Last year we had 202 charter flights coming from Britain. This year we will be having nearly 232 charter flights from the country,’ TTAG spokesperson Ralph de Souza said.
‘Generally, one charter flight from Britain carries from 275 to 325 passengers,’ he said, adding that tourists from Germany, Iran, Poland, Estonia and the Netherlands were also expected this tourist season.
‘The first charter flight from Russia will land in Goa on Oct 7, ‘ De Souza said.
‘This year there will be 718 charter flight arrivals, which could rise upto 740. Last year we had only 626 charter flight arrivals. So there is a marked increase. However, in 2007, we received around 758 charter flights,’ he said.
Goa, a popular beach tourism destination clocks nearly 2.5 million tourists annually, with half a million being foreigners.
The state is also sought after by tourists mainly from Western Europe and Russia, who arrive on two week-long tours.
