Spectacular Goa set to allure visitors at EXPO2020 DUBAI

Goa is famous as the Beach Capital of India. Its natural beauty, unique heritage and a delectable mix of cultures, along with mild year-long weather, make Goa one of the most attractive tourist destinations in India. Besides being an attraction to the tourists, Goa is rapidly rising as a preferred destination for numerous startups and IT-based industry.  

At the EXPO2020DUBAI, the Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board seeks to showcase the following focus sectors of the state, besides tourism:

• Agro & food Processing
• Knowledge based industry
• IT/ITeS and Startups
• Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology

“The state has a clear opportunity to emerge as a top start up hub in the country. Goa is attractive not only to entrepreneurs, investors and innovators from Goa but also to those across the country and beyond. We invite those who want to make Goa their base and place for their business options. I assure you that we will make all efforts to make Goa the perfect ecosystem for start-ups”. – Chief Minister Pramod Sawant

Manohar Ajgaonkar, Minister Tourism, Government of Goa

Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board (IPB)

Goa IPB is the state’s single window and investment promotion agency dedicated to creating a business-friendly ecosystem in the state. The mission of IPB is to empower communities and create socio-economic development opportunities by encouraging investment in various sectors around Goa. IPB has also taken up initiatives such as Ease of Doing Business, a national-level program of the Government of India in line with the Doing Business framework of the World Bank. Under this program, IPB has been instrumental in bringing about various regulatory reforms in the state to simplify the way business is done as well as making government services online on a continued basis. The CEO of IPB will be at the Expo as part of the government delegation and will be available to meet with those looking to Goa as the new investment destination. Enquiries may be sent to ceo-ipb.goa@gov.in.

Destination Startup

Goa has a thriving network of incubation centers and accelerators across the state helping startups and other bootstrapped businesses by providing access to state-of-the-art facilities, mentorship as well as providing opportunities to obtain funding. In addition to the existing infrastructure, the Government of Goa further aims at creation of 500 innovative, technology enabled start-ups and building sustainable services and solution-oriented start-ups in Goa by providing requisite assistance and support in next 3 years, targeting generation of employment for at least 6000 Goans. The government has planned to provide requisite assistance and support for developing technology & innovation hubs, centres of excellence, R&D labs and incubation centres in the next 3 years.; to create an eco-system that makes it easy for Goan students to acquire technical skills required for employability and professional growth in the start-up space.

“We are delighted to announce that Goa received the Safe Travels Stamp from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Goa joins the ranks of leading destinations to be stamped safe, including Dubai, Portugal, Barcelona, Turkey, Victoria, Ontario and counting.
The Safe Travels Stamp is embraced by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). It recognises the efforts of Goa Tourism to enforce numerous safety protocols validated by WTTC.
It rewards our efforts to ensure a safe resumption of tourism activities in the state. As of today, Goa is the first and only state in India with such distinction. Yes, Goa has reopened for tourism, and we are eager to welcome you back!”

Manohar Ajgaonkar, Minister Tourism, Government of Goa.

Government Support

In addition to being home to various startups, Goa is also a leading destination for the pharmaceutical industry, shipbuilding and, agro and food processing industries. The Government of Goa is also eyeing to bring in investors in other sectors such as Information Technology (IT), electric vehicles, knowledge-based industry, R&D centres and financial services, pharmaceuticals & bio-technology, integrated educational hubs, Light engineering, Aviation, Aerospace and Defence and entertainment.

Electric Vehicle is another thrust area for the government. The chief minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant recently launched Goa Electric Mobility Promotion Policy 2021 in order to encourage and promote the usage of electric vehicles. Dr. Sawant shared about the incentives that the state has planned for the adoption of electric vehicles.

The state also offers a wide range of fiscal and policy incentives for businesses under the Tourism Policy 2021, IT Policy, Start-up Policy and the Umbrella Scheme of the Industries Department. In addition to these, there are other special incentives and subsidies for the Goan diaspora investing in the state.

GOA TOURISM- THE FLAGSHIP INDUSTRY

Tourism is one of the prime industries in Goa and contributes to over 16.43% of state GDP and supports over 35% of jobs and livelihood opportunities in the state. Goa is increasingly placing its emphasis on the development of Responsible and Sustainable tourism in the state. In line with this objective, brand Goa seeks to diversify its identity to nature, wellness, culture and heritage to encourage the tourist to experience the “Unexplored Goa” whose heart is in the hinterlands. The pandemic has brought about a behavioural shift in travellers with a significant focus on health, wellness, and safety which is omnipresent in Goa. It is worth mentioning in this context that Goa was the first and only Indian state to receive global recognition from WTTC (World Travel & Tourism Council) in the form of “Safe Travels Stamp” being issued to the tourism department of Goa.

The following schemes are in force to facilitate the tourism industry:

• Tourist Trade Support (Working Capital Interest Subvention) Scheme 202. The scheme is designed to support the tourism industry which has been adversely affected due to pandemic. Hotels/ accommodation units and tour and travel operators are covered under the scheme.

• International Charter Support (Waiver of landing charges) scheme 2021.The scheme has been introduced to kickstart charter arrivals and reduce the burden on chartered flights by bearing a part landing fee of the international charters.

• Tourist Village Scheme 2021. The scheme envisages the development of model villages in the State for promoting rural, art, culture, heritage, and other unique attractions. The budget allocated is for the development of essential tourism infrastructure in the villages. Experiential tours in the village would provide tourists an immersive experience.

• Tourist Guide Certification Scheme 2021

The scheme aims to increase the base number of Tourist guides trained through an advanced curriculum in the state in the near future.

The state government is on its way to forming the ‘Goa Tourism Board’, an apex body for planning, policymaking, strategizing and overseeing the implementation of various tourism programs and initiatives in the State to be headed by Hon. Chief Minister. The Board will have equal representation from Government and private sector, making it investor-friendly and showcasing the development of tourism infrastructure in the state.

You name it and Goa has it all. Pack- up and visit Goa to experience the magic of the sun & sand in all its glory!

The government of Goa is looking forward eagerly to welcoming you to the Goa Pavilion at EXPO2020DUBAI between January 14- January 20, 2022.

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AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Goa tourism has won accolades on multiple forums over the years. Notable recognitions are given below.

• Ranked number.1 in the “Best performing state in Tourism” category by India Today

• Goa in list of top 10 Best Winter Sun Locations of the World

• Best state for adventure tourism category at National Tourism Award 2019

• Destination leadership award 2019 at the 6th edition of the WTTCII-Hotelivate State Ranking Survey 2019.

●Goa was the first and only Indian state to receive global recognition from WTTC (World Travel & Tourism Council) in the form of “Safe Travels Stamp” being issued to the tourism department of Goa.

Goa can be the next StartUp Hub say Investors

Goa continues to be an ideal place to work and live in according to the country’s top investors. The beautiful sunny state has much to offer for professionals and start-ups.Here is what the top investors and business leaders have to say:

 “Goa can be the most preferred StartUp hub in the country. The cost of living is considerably lower in comparison to the metros, the quality of life is much better, and one is able to attain a sense of balance. The state is setting up new infrastructure in terms of an airport and better road connectivity and future seems bright in Goa.” –Tej Kapoor, Partner, RZ Capital.

“Goa has a well-developed education system. It has the potential to develop a talent pool of skilled professionals.”- Anurag Agrawal, Partner at Aavishkaar Capital.

“Goa is a tourist hub. The state has immense potential in the culinary industry. The state has a vast skilled workforce in the hospitality sector, many of whom are working beyond the state. Now is an opportunity for some of them to return and start a venture of their own. The pandemic also saw the emergence of foodpreneurs across verticals. I forecast that the next 2 years will witness an even bigger boom in foodpreneurs.”- Parixit Pai Fondekar, Founder of FIERCE Kitchens, India’s only culinary incubator.

“The state is moving in the right direction. The three pillars that you need for a start-up ecosystem to evolve and mature is Government’s support and policy which is in place, infrastructure which includes colleges, incubation centres and accelerator programs and the third is angel investors. Goa has all these three pillars in place.”- Mahavir Pratap Sharma, Former Chairman, TiE India Angels and RAIN (Rajasthan Angel Innovators Network).