New Delhi, Dec 25: Goa will witness the highest ever tourist inflow at 20 lakh this year as against 16 lakh last year, recording an impressive 25 per cent increase.
"The tourists arrival in Goa would cross two million mark this year," director of Goa Tourism N Suryanarayana said here.
Out of the total inflow by December end, 17.5 lakh would be domestic tourists while the rests 3.5 lakh foreign tourists.
Out of the total overseas inflow in 2003, the highest 1.2 lakh came from the UK, followed by Russia at 45,000, Germany 28,000, and the rest from Scandinavian, Gulf and South-East Asian countries.
He said "the feel good factor that prevailed for the tourism industry happened to be the major contributor".
Suryanarayana said the aggressive campaign to promote Goa as a '365 days on a holiday', since last two years, also paid dividends.
The tourism industry contributes over a one-third (33 per cent) towards the state's domestic product and absorbs more than half of the workforce (55 per cent) in Goa.
Bureau Report
