Goa plans to develop 'Western Circuit' for tourism Seeks co-operation from Maharashtra, Gujarat, MP and Chhattisgarh By Mayuresh Pawar | Panaji After reaching a saturation point with beach tourism, Goa is now contemplating on developing circuit tourism and a `Western Circuit' involving neigbouring states in the region is currently being worked upon. The state government plans to include Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. According to Elvis Gomes, Director of Goa Tourism Department, circuit tourism will further boost tourism and economy of the respective states. Packages tours for this circuit will be created with Goa as the starting and ending point of the tour, according to Gomes. The idea is to provide a different product and also channel the large number of tourists, both domestic and international visiting Goa to the other states.
"We will seek co-operation from the other four states once we finalise the concept," Gomes told Travel Biz Monitor. Apart from the tour operators in India and abroad, this circuit will also be sold by the state tourism boards of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. "Goa is too small a place for long packages of seven days or more. Hence, we have thought of creating a circuit including other states catering to the long holiday segment. While, the concept of the `Western Circuit' is in the planning stage we are planning to float a package tour of 25-days through these five states," informed Gomes. The package tour for the proposed `Western Circuit' will cover destinations focusing on segments like ecotourism, adventure tourism, heritage tourism, beach tourism, wildlife tourism etc. The state is also focusing on developing eco and adventure tourism, exploiting and exposing its forested and hilly regions for the same. http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?aid=2583&sid=36&snam e=Top%20Stories ~(^^)~ Avelino
