MUMBAI, NATIONAL, MAY 24, 2023 (GPN): Taking a cue from the Prime Minister’s `Dekho Apna Desh’ initiative to promote domestic tourism over international travel, a maiden flight carrying top officials from the Goa Tourism Department and industry stakeholders took off from Goa’s Manohar International Airport that cruised to Dehradun in Uttarakhand on Tuesday 23rd May, marking the beginning of direct air connectivity between the two top tourist destinations of the country. Currently, these two destinations, which are a major draw for domestic and international travelers, do not have direct air connectivity and this flight will make Goa the gateway that boosts tourism for both destinations.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard was signed on Tuesday between the top officials of the Tourism Department, Goa, and Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board in the presence of Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and Shri Rohan Khaunte, Minister of Tourism, Goa. The MoU paves the way for a first-of-its-kind tie-up between two states to share their experience and expertise in promoting tourism in their respective domains besides promoting cultural exchanges between the two states.

“Both Goa and Dehradun are destinations that attract a large number of domestic and international tourists during the season. The new air corridor will connect the two tourism hot spots in the country thus giving a fillip to the tourism and related industries in the respective regions,” said Shri Rohan Khaunte, Minister of Tourism, Goa. ENDS