Panaji, 24th April 2025 — The Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, convened the 21st Empowered Committee Meeting on Marketing and Public Relations under the chairmanship of Tourism Minister Rohan A. Khaunte. The meeting was attended by Tourism Secretary Sanjeev Ahuja (IAS), Director of Tourism Kedar Naik, GTDC Managing Director Kuldeep Arolkar, TTAG President Jack Sukhija, COO of Travel Corporation of India Ernest Dias, Bigfoot Museum Founder Mahendra Alvares, GTB Board Member Mark Mendes, representatives from Mopa Airport, among others.
The committee conducted a thorough review of ongoing and planned marketing initiatives, with a strong emphasis on maximizing impact, ensuring efficiency, and fostering year-round engagement across diverse tourism segments.
During the meeting, the need to restructure and streamline roadshows and trade shows—both domestic and international—was emphasized to enhance return on investment. It was unanimously agreed that all such engagements must align with clear performance benchmarks and measurable outcomes to ensure optimal utilization of public resources.
Discussions also centered on two high-potential tourism verticals: MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) and destination weddings. The state aims to tap into the growing business travel segment while simultaneously enhancing its positioning as a premier wedding destination, leveraging its scenic beaches, heritage venues, and robust hospitality infrastructure.
A significant step towards transparency and accountability was the presentation of post-audit reviews by agencies responsible for executing previous roadshows and trade shows. These evaluations identified outcomes, challenges, and key learnings, which will inform future strategies and execution frameworks.
The committee further deliberated on the proposed airline incentive scheme, previously introduced in the Goa Legislative Assembly. The scheme, designed to strengthen scheduled and chartered connectivity from emerging international markets, proposes a performance-linked disbursement model based on actual passenger headcount. This approach aims to ensure responsible investment while driving inbound tourism in a targeted and value-driven manner.
The meeting placed special focus on incentivizing emerging markets, especially in light of changing geo-economic dynamics and shifting trends in domestic travel influenced by political and geographical aspects across India.
As part of its long-term strategy, the committee introduced “Vision 365”—a roadmap for year-round global market engagement. This initiative focuses on deploying KPI-driven marketing efforts in high-potential international markets, sustaining continuous engagement with trade partners and consumer segments, and maintaining a consistent communication cycle to ensure Goa’s visibility across travel seasons.
Speaking on the occasion, Tourism Minister Rohan A. Khaunte said, Goa’s tourism roadmap must be strategic, performance-driven, and future-ready. With targeted investments in connectivity, smarter marketing, and year-round engagement, we are positioning Goa not just as a seasonal getaway but as a global destination with diversified tourism experiences and sustained economic impact.
TTAG President Jack Sukhija stated, The committee meeting has emphasised the need for result-driven planning in Goa tourism’s marketing and promotion. By emphasising measurable outcomes, stakeholder alignment, and smart incentivisation, we’re building a resilient tourism ecosystem. As industry partners, we look forward to supporting these forward-looking initiatives that aim to streamline marketing and promotion efforts.
COO of Travel Corporation of India Ernest Dias said, Last year’s focused international outreach and participation in key global travel fairs have begun to yield measurable results. We’re already witnessing a notable uptick in charter flight operations for this season, indicating renewed confidence among our overseas partners and travellers. With continued strategic engagement, we can further strengthen Goa’s position as a preferred international leisure destination.
Airport Director at Goa International Airport, Dabolim, George Varughese, added, Our collaborative discussions on the airline incentive model are timely and essential — especially for penetrating emerging markets, expanding destinations, and diversifying inbound traffic. With Goa’s growing international visibility, infrastructure readiness will be key to unlocking its full tourism potential.
The Department of Tourism reiterated its commitment to evidence-based planning, enhanced stakeholder collaboration, and smart tourism investments to reinforce Goa’s position on the global tourism map.
