Goa, U’khand ink MoU to promote tourism, culture

PANAJI: The Goa government inked an agreement with Uttarakhand on Tuesday to promote tourism and exchange of expertise in the sector.
Goa’s tourism minister Rohan Khaunte flew to Dehradun on the maiden direct flight from Goa to the Uttarakhand capital, where he announced that the two states would engage and encourage tourists to visit each other’s states.
Khaunte also made a fervent pitch that Goa should not be looked at as a purely party destination, but should also be appreciated for its spiritual and wellness tourism.
“Our coming together through this MoU will be about cultural exchange, and this will enable our people to come together and give the tourist a different experience to explore. We are talking about exchange of expertise,” said the tourism minister.
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Khaunte were present for the MoU signing.
The MoU will pave the way for cultural exchange between the two states, showcasing local cuisines, folk art, and handicrafts through various cultural exchange programs, roadshows, festivals, and events.
Furthermore, the MoU also includes a provision for human resource development. Both the states will work in collaboration and ensure the exchange of knowledge and expertise in the field of tourism, including training and capacity building for tourism professionals.
Khaunte has led a delegation that consists of government officials and industry representatives. He flew on IndiGo’s maiden direct flight from Manohar International Airport, Mopa to Dehradun’s Jolly Grant Airport. The direct flight reduces the earlier travel time from seven hours to less than three hours.
Khaunte was welcomed at the Dehradun airport by Uttarakhand government officials, airport officials and IndiGo ground staff. The flight from Dehradun to Goa was flown by Parra resident Captain Sasha Saldanha.
Khaunte expects the direct flight and the MoU to boost spiritual tourism as well as long haul tourists who visit either of the states.
“With this MoU, we talk about connecting the Arabian Sea with the Ganges and the Himalayas. We have contrasting features in terms of tourism and that is beneficial for both. We have so much diversity that our one life is not enough to see what is there in India,” said the tourism minister.
He said that in the post pandemic period, tourists have begun to look for diverse experiences, particularly spirituality, wellness and yoga, adventure, eco-tourism and work-ations.
“In the last one year, we have been exploring hinterland tourism, eco tourism, wellness and spirituality and adventure tourism instead of just talking about sun sand and sea,” said Khaunte.