Better air connectivity will woo foreigners: Khaunte

Porvorim: Improved air connectivity and not visa-on-arrival, will help attract foreigners to the state, said tourism minister Rohan Khaunte on Tuesday. Khaunte told the assembly that govt is working with airlines, the Centre and foreign countries to try and bring in more flights to Goa’s two airports.“Visa-on-arrival is not the game-changer, connectivity is. Improving connectivity should take priority over pushing for a visa-on-arrival policy,” the minister said while speaking on the discussion for grants for the tourism department.Khaunte also said the direct flight between Mopa airport and Gatwick airport will resume before the coming charter season begins. Air India cancelled its Goa-Gatwick direct flight in the aftermath of the tragic accident in Ahmedabad that killed 241 people.“We have spoken to Air India, the chief minister has spoken to them, and they have promised us that most likely they will resume the Goa-Gatwick flight by Sep-end. They had some operational issues,” said Khaunte.He also cautioned travellers against booking hotels operated by fly-by-night operators or on portals that have a sketchy history. “Fly-by-night operators are cheating tourists. We are amending the laws for better enforcement,” said Khaunte.

The minister announced that this year’s World Tourism Day celebrations will be extended into a month-long series of events.GFP MLA Vijai Sardesai contradicted Khaunte’s claims of an increase in tourist arrivals. “Tourists have increased, says the minister, but are these contributing to Goa? Shack owners, taxi owners and hotels say their income is down. Shacks are empty,” said Sardesai.________________‘Excavation at Old Goa halted, CM to decide’Porvorim: Excavation for a tourist facilitation centre at the Old Goa heritage complex could unearth “a lot more” and could create a “sensitive” situation in the state, said tourism minister Rohan Khaunte on Tuesday, citing an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report.Khaunte said excavation has been halted till chief minister Pramod Sawant takes a decision, given the implications that the results of the excavation could have.“The ASI has given us the survey report recently and it says that if you excavate, a lot more will be found. Did you understand what I said? If we dig, we will find a lot of things from the past. Not just cannonballs,” Khaunte said.Excavation at the heritage site initially uncovered Portuguese-era cannonballs and ruins of a Portuguese armoury, leading the ASI to conduct a survey to document the findings. “We are awaiting the CM’s decision. We are in no hurry to do anything,” Khaunte said. TNN