US-based stakeholders study Goa’s tourism potential

PANAJI - After playing a holiday home to European tourists for nearly four decades, Goa is now in the cross-hairs of the American tourism industry.

A 34-member delegation of the Atlanta-based Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) which met tourism trade stakeholders and government officials on a two day visit, Thursday said that Goa had the potential to become a prime holiday destination for tourists from the US.

“With 90 percent of the total charter flights arriving in the country landing at Dabolim airport, Goa is one of the most sought after holiday destinations. The beautiful landscape, coupled with the warmth and friendly attitude of the Goan people, make this a truly wonderful place to be in,” Pushpendra Bansal, executive director of the Atlanta-based Lords Inn Hotels, told reporters here.

The Lords Inn group already has 10 hotels spread across India.

Shiv Aggarwal, president and CEO of American Management Services, which is responsible for setting up the first South Asian mall, The Global Mall, in the US said that he was keen on investing in the entertainment sector in Goa, which is one of the most sought after beach tourism destinations in India.

“I am keen on partnering with local associates or working on a PPP model to create entertainment complexes in Goa. Water or theme parks, indoor roller skating and ice skating rinks, bowling allies, malls, spas and movie theatres are areas which are of interest to me,” he said.

The delegates of the AAHOA, which represents 10,000 members owning more than 20,000 hotels across the US, were in Goa for the last two days exploring investment opportunities in the state and interacting with various state government officials and the travel and trade industry representatives.

The AAHOA also represents a share of over 45 percent of the entire US mid-scale hotel industry, with a property value of $128 billion.

AAHOA chairman C.K. Patel said that since most of the organization’s members were of Indian origin, setting up businesses in their home country was their way giving back to their roots.

“Since most of our members are Indians, we have been extremely keen on setting up business ventures in the country we are proud to be part of. Over the last five years we have opened dialogues with Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Karnataka. Our members have set up 14 projects in these states over this 5 year period. This year we travelled to Goa to explore opportunities within the region,” he said.

Known for its beaches, Goa annually attracts 2.4 million tourists, nearly half a million of which hail from European countries.