Goa airport to issue E-Tourist visas to 31 new countries: The facility is now available for citizens from nearly 75 countries, while the Union Government plans to extend this to 150 by 2016. The Goa International airport is set to issue E-Tourist Visas (ETVs) to 31 new countries enlisted for this facility granted by the Union Government recently, a move that will boost tourism during monsoon.

The airport at Dabolim has already made adequate arrangements for catering to citizens from 75 countries, availing of ETV facility. As on June 8, as many as 16,875 ETVs were issued at the Dabolim airport, it said.The tourism ministry is expecting a good footfall of  foreign tourists during monsoons (June-September) as the new trend has set in of foreign tourists arriving to the state as  free independent travellers (FITs).

Charter arrivals, however, registered an increase from Ukraine (129 flights) followed by Iran (42 flights). The state also witnessed a successful season as far as cruise  liners were concerned.A total of 25 cruise liners anchored at MPT bringing  24,131 tourists from Europe as against 17 in 2014.

State tourism minister Dilip Parulekar said, “Goa  tourism is looking forward to the new season 2015 commencing in September. And new initiatives such as hot air balloon, amphibious vessel and seaplanes will also begin operations and will be a major attraction in the coming season.

New Countries:

Tourists from Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Belgium, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, Malaysia, Mongolia, Mozambique, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Surinam, Sweden, Tanzania, East Timor, Turks and Caicos Islands, the UK, Uruguay and Venezuela are eligible for ETVs under the new visa policy.