Latest news with #RohanA.Khaunte
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Goa Tourism: Goa intensifies focus on weekday travel, curated cultural experiences for 2025, ET TravelWorld
Advt By , ETTravelWorld Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals Subscribe to our newsletter to get latest insights & analysis. Download ETTravelWorld App Get Realtime updates Save your favourite articles Scan to download App Goa's Department of Tourism is set to launch a comprehensive 20-week monsoon campaign, as Tourism Minister Rohan A. Khaunte chaired a high-level strategy meeting on Monday. The session, held with participation from GTDC, TTAG, online travel agencies, and hospitality leaders, aimed to realign Goa's image during the off-season and define a collaborative roadmap for alongside Director of Tourism Kedar Naik and GTDC MD Kuldeep Arolkar, the Minister emphasised the importance of a united digital promotion strategy . A unified hashtag and themed weekly promotions will anchor the campaign, while hoteliers were urged to roll out targeted weekday and weekend packages.'This roadmap has taken shape after extensive discussions with OTA and airline partners like Airbnb and Agoda,' said Minister Khaunte. 'Despite temporary setbacks following recent events, Goa remains resilient and committed to promoting immersive monsoon experiences.'The campaign falls under the broader 'Goa Beyond Beaches' initiative, which highlights cultural festivals such as Sao Joao and Chikal Kalo. The government plans to shift perception of monsoon from off-season to an experiential travel opportunity for families, solo travellers, students, and women the meeting, stakeholders also discussed addressing misleading promotional content and regulating digital portrayals of Goa. The Minister called for authentic storytelling that reflects Goa's cultural essence and committed to regulatory oversight where UAE was identified as a key international source market, and plans to strengthen market connections and airline-hotel packaging are underway. A follow-up meeting will take place this week to finalise contributions from hoteliers and OTAs. An additional session scheduled for next Monday will focus on restaurant promotion, cultural tourism, and theme-based offerings.'This is not just about filling rooms but curating meaningful travel experiences,' said Khaunte, adding that long-term planning would be undertaken in coordination with the Chief Minister. 'Everyone loves Goa—we just need to ensure the world sees the right version of it.'
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Regular recalibration with stakeholders is required to build a resilient tourism sector: Goa Tourism Minister, ET HospitalityWorld
Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals Subscribe to our newsletter to get latest insights & analysis. Download ETHospitalityWorld App Get Realtime updates Save your favourite articles Scan to download App In a proactive move to reinforce Goa's position as a premier tourism destination, the department of Tourism, Government of Goa , convened a high-level stakeholder meeting at Paryatan Bhavan , Panjim. The meeting was chaired by the minister for Tourism, Rohan A. Khaunte, and attended by key officials including Kedar Naik, director of Tourism; Kuldeep Arolkar, MD of GTDC; Shawn Mendes, OSD to the tourism minister; and leading members of the tourism industry and Goa Tourism his opening remarks, Khaunte emphasised the importance of timely and structured stakeholder engagements, particularly in light of national and regional developments. Referring to the recent Pahalgam incident in Kashmir, he noted, 'As the Hon'ble Prime Minister ensured a swift and resolute response through Operation Sindoor, it was equally important for us, as a tourism-driven state, to evaluate the ripple effects on travel sentiment. Today's meeting was not only about addressing current concerns, but also about building long-term resilience. We are moving from mere policy reviews to dynamic recalibrations that are responsive to ground realities. Goa's strength lies in its people—every Goan is a stakeholder, an influencer, and a tourism ambassador.'Director of tourism, Kedar Naik, underlined the department's commitment to listening, learning, and enabling. 'We are here to ensure that the voice of every stakeholder is heard. From formal hotels to homestays, from digital platforms to community operators—Goa Tourism belongs to all of them. The goal is to ensure that our policies remain inclusive, adaptive, and implementation-ready.'The department also shared encouraging data, with Goa witnessing a 10.5 percent year-on-year growth in tourist arrivals for the first quarter of 2025, rising from 25,80,155 in Q1 2024 to 28,51,554 in Q1 2025. While the month of April saw a marginal dip, the overall sentiment remains strong, and targeted strategies are being deployed to address seasonal and market-specific full-day series of sectoral and plenary sessions reflected the government's emphasis on collaborative governance . From understanding how the previous season unfolded, to jointly preparing for emerging challenges—whether geopolitical, geoeconomic, or geostrategic—the consultations reaffirmed Goa Tourism's commitment to collective foresight and stakeholders were informed that the Chief Minister will soon be chairing an interdepartmental meeting to drive a more coordinated response and lasting resolutions to the challenges at hand.
