Goa Tourism: Centre to forfeit Rs 100 crore for 5 lakh free foreign tourist visas

NEW DELHI: The free visa facility for foreign tourists will be issued and available till March 31, 2022 or till the issuance of five lakh visas, whichever is earlier.

The total financial implication for this would be ₹100 crore, the government said.

Top Union Home Ministry officials are deliberating with all stakeholders on the expected date and modalities for opening up of the country for foreign tourists.

A formal announcement allowing foreign tourists to visit India may come within the next 10 days, an official from the Home Ministry said.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the Centre would soon permit charter flights to Goa, and added that the state government would soon decide on starting tourism-related activities.

The chief minister said that the tourism industry should be revived, and for that, not just casinos, but all tourism activities should restart. “The Goa government is interested in starting all tourism-related activities, and soon, we will take a decision to start them,” he said.

On Saturday, Sawant announced that casinos, massage palours, spas and other activities could resume from Monday, provided they follow Covid norms and up to 50 per cent the capacity.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an online interaction with tourism stakeholders, government officials, BJP party workers and others, Saturday said that very soon foreign tourists will be allowed to come to Goa, like before, prior to the Covid pandemic, and once the entire state has taken both the vaccine doses, even the foreign tourists will feel safe to come to Goa, without having to worry about getting infected by a taxi driver or a waiter at a restaurant, Modi said.

“The central government is taking steps to welcome foreign tourists back. The government has decided to give 5-lakh foreign tourists free visas. Travel and tourism stakeholders will be given loans up to Rs 10-lakh with a 100% guarantee by the government. Tourist guides are being given the facility of taking a loan of up to Rs 1-lakh. In the future too, the Central government will be ready to help those to take up the tourism sector forward,” the Prime Minister said during his interaction.