Goa's tourism industry today said that 273 more chartered flights had arrived in the State this season, compared to last year, with 50 per cent of it originating from Eastern Europe
As the tourism season is inching closure with seashores getting readied for a wet spell, the industry said there was a healthy increase in chartered flights, reinforcing the fact that Goa still remains a hot favourite amongst foreign tourists.
Official statistics recorded by the Goa Tourism Department reveal that a total of 899 charter flights carrying 1,71,178 travellers from 12 international destinations have landed in Goa since the start of the tourist season in October 2010.
This is a marked rise from the 626 charter flights that flew into Goa in the previous tourist season with 1,37,790 passengers on board.
The just-concluded tourist season saw charter flights from United Kingdom, Russia, Poland, Germany, Norway, Kazakhstan, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Netherlands and Iran fly into Goa, India's popular coastal tourist destination.
Charter flights
Mr Ralph D' Souza, spokesperson for the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), said the State has seen a large increase in tourists from countries such as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Russia this tourist season.
“Statistics recorded show that over 50 per cent of the total number of charter flights arriving into Goa originated from Eastern Europe, mainly Russia and Kazakhstan. In all 435 flights arrived from Russia and 20 from Kazakhstan from a total of 899 flights,” he added.