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Americans Invited to Exchange Vows on Sandy Goan Beaches
- Wed, Mar 09 2011 08:59:29 AM
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Mar 9: Goa will now position itself as a `wedding destination’ amongst American urban couples who are scouting for the exotic location outside their own country to exchange the vows.
Back from his trip to the US, state tourism director Swapnil Naik told reporters that trade representatives have evinced keen interest on adding Goa to the travel itinerary of young urban couples who are looking to celebrate their wedding vows in an exotic location overseas
Naik, tourism minister Nilkant Halarnkar and chief secretary Sanjay Srivastava were on their promotional visit to the West Coast in the US, last week. The director said that the three city tour along the Pacific Coast had road-shows and networking meetings with trade representatives in the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas.
Atlanta-based Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) has also offered support to help market Goa as a vacation gateway in the US, Naik said.
The director said that while Goa is a popular holiday destination with the European traveler especially from the UK, Russia and the Scandinavian countries, because of its beaches, the trend in the US is different.
“The US traveler is drawn to India because of its rich history and cultural heritage. In addition, their interests lie in nature, wildlife, hinterlands and adventure tourism,” he claimed.
Srivastava said that the American trade fraternity has expressed interest on the possibility of promoting Goa as a wedding destination.
AAHOA has invited the state to participate in its annual convention and trade show in mid June at Las Vegas, Nevada. “The visit to the US is a stepping stone to further promotional activities in the region,” tourism minister Nilkant Halarnkar stated.
The minister said that they will also try and visit the east coast during the next visit. Additionally, the city of Cerritos which has a sizable Indian population has offered us a platform to showcase Goa within the region, he added.