(MENAFN- Live Mint) As the peak tourist season is set to begin soon in Goa, the beaches, shacks, restaurants, and hotels are ready to welcome both domestic and foreign tourists .
Even before the winter tourist season begins in full swing, foreign tourists have already started arriving in Goa.
Two chartered flights from Russia carrying more than 500 passengers arrived in Goa on Wednesday.
The foreign tourists were accorded a warm welcome by the Goa tourism department at the Manohar International Airport located at Mopa.
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The arrival of the chartered flights heralded the international tourist season in the coastal state as the southwest monsoon has already withdrawn from the state.
According to a report by news agency PTI, a flight from Moscow carrying 349 passengers landed at 9 am on Wednesday followed by a flight from Russian city Yekaterinburg which had 210 passengers onboard.
While welcoming the international travellers, Goa tourism minister Rohan Khaunte had said that it was for the first time that beach shacks were set up much before the arrival of tourists, which was not the case in the past.
Goa has always been a preferred tourist destination, he added.
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Last season Goa witnessed more than 1 crore visitors.
The minister also said that Goa is famous as a beach destination, but is now also gaining popularity for its hinterland due to the campaign of regenerative tourism introduced by his department.
Tourists, including international travellers, want to explore the greener Goa, along with their plan to spend days on the sunny beaches, he added.
To enhance the tourism experience in Goa, Manohar International Airport (GOX) on Friday launched GOX Pass, an exclusive passenger privilege program.
GOX Pass unlocks exclusive offers at over 34 esteemed partner outlets throughout the state.
"This innovative initiative promises discounts of up to 50 per cent on a diverse range of leisure, shopping, dining and wellness experiences across Goa," Manohar International Airport said in a statement.
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