Allow chartered flights in Goa from safe places: Tourism body
Ahead of the Goa Assembly's budget session, an apex tourism body here has urged the Pramod Sawant government to allow chartered flights in the state from "safe destinations" to boost tourism. The budget session of the Goa Assembly will be held between March 24 and April 16. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will present the budget on March 24. Here are the details.
Trade bodies suggest forming travel bubbles with various countries
The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), in a memorandum to Sawant on Tuesday, said various trade bodies have suggested forming travel bubbles with Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, other CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries, the UK, Poland, and Finland for these commercial flights. Under an air bubble pact between two countries, special international flights can be operated between airlines and their territories.
Provide landing and airport fees waiver to foreign airlines
"We have proposed that chartered flights be allowed to land in Goa from safe destinations and bubbles be formed," TTAG president Nilesh Shah said in the memorandum. "The State Government should also provide landing and airport fees waiver to foreign airlines and operators of chartered flights for one year from March 1, 2021," he said.
TTAG suggested ways to increase state revenue
It also claimed that there are 5,000 to 7,000 unregistered service apartments, guest houses, and homestays in Goa that do not pay any taxes, while a number of hotels, shacks, and cruises are operating without a license. "They need to be brought under the tax net to increase the state's revenue so that law-abiding and legitimate businesses are not overburdened," the memorandum said.
Restrictions on international passenger flights extended until March 31
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation last week had extended the suspension of international commercial passenger flight services till March 31. Scheduled international flight operations were suspended on March 23 last year due to COVID-19. During the suspension, special international flights have been allowed under the Vande Bharat Mission since May last year and under bilateral "air bubble" arrangements with select countries since July.
