Panaji: Arrival of a flight from Russia carrying 120 passengers on October 2 will officially launch Goa’s 2025-26 tourism season, with the government saying that positioning the state as a year-round global destination was its key focus.
The flight from Novosibirsk city in Russia will arrive at the Manohar International Airport in North Goa in the early hours of Thursday.
The state Tourism Department will welcome the international travellers arriving by flight at the Manohar International Airport at 1.30 am, a senior official said. The arrival of the flight will herald the international tourist season in the state, which has already set up its beach shacks to welcome the guests.
Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte said the arrival of charter flights from Novosibirsk will set a positive tone for the season ahead.
“Expanding international connectivity remains a key focus in our efforts to position Goa as a year-round global destination. We are committed to ensuring that every visitor has a safe and enriching experience in the state. This reflects Goa’s readiness to welcome travellers from across the world with warmth and hospitality,” he said.
Sheik Ismail, senior vice president of Concord Exotic Voyages, which is handling the flight operated by Aeroflot, a Russian airline, said that the flight will be carrying 120 passengers.
It is for the first time that a direct flight from Novosibirsk is flying to Goa, adding another destination from Russia to the coastal Indian state, he said.
Novosibirsk is the most populous city in Siberia and the third-most populous city in Russia after Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Ismail said that his company will handle three flights each from Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, and Moscow every week, making nine flights weekly from Russia from this month onwards which may extend till May next year.
Ernest Dias, vice president of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa, said the international tourist season looks brighter this time. Besides the scheduled flights that are originating from places like Novosibirsk, chartered flights will also arrive in the state from there.
Dias said the international arrivals through FITs (Free Independent Travellers) will also be witnessed in the state. Meanwhile, Goa is all set to usher in the season with the tourism department allocating licences for putting up shacks on the beaches.
Cruz Cardoso, president of Shack Owners Welfare Society, told PTI that minister Khaunte has already given licences to majority of the shacks, so that they can be ready for welcoming tourists before time.
Last year, 355 licences were allotted at various beaches across the state, he said, adding that the figure for this year would be clear only at the end of October.
As per the data, a total of 1.04 crore tourists arrived in the state during the calendar year 2024, of whom 4.67 lakh were international.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
