Karan Sehgal
PANAJI
It is now clear that the number of British tourists is going to significantly decline this season because the arrangements, which were being made to bring them in the wake of Thomas Cook UK’s collapse, have not been successful.
Last month, Thomas Cook’s bankruptcy had sent shivers down the spine of tourism stakeholders in Goa.
Until last year, the tour operator used to send seven scheduled flights every week in season from the UK to Goa with British tourists.
Given that Thomas Cook is no longer going to be operating the flights, the concern was how those British tourists will come to Goa this season. Few stakeholders were trying to make arrangements to bring them through other flights, but their efforts have not resulted in much.
The fact is that it is very difficult to make alternate flight bookings at the last moment. Sources revealed that an operator called ‘TUI’ is about to finalise one extra flight per week from the UK to Goa. With the extra flight, TUI is likely to bring four flights per week compared to three in the
previous season.
However, one additional flight will not be able to make the shortfall caused by the absence of seven flights, which Thomas Cook UK used to send earlier.
Ernest Dias, chief operating officer, Sita Travels and TCI, said, “This season fewer British tourists are expected to come to Goa. The fact that we will have six lesser flights from the UK per week and each flight used to bring 300 tourists should tell you about the impact.”
Savio Messias, president, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), said, “I think the State Government’s Tourism Department should step in to find some solution for this issue. Alternate arrangements can be made using Air India to bring the British tourists to Goa.”
Messias continued, “The government of Sri Lanka guarantees minimum load factor on planes to the charter operators. Our government can also follow similar strategy to help us overcome this problem.”
