In a major step towards integrating Artificial Intelligence into tourism and hospitality, Goa is poised to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in AI Hospitality in collaboration with Pacific Link College, Canada. This visionary project aims to redefine how hospitality is experienced in the state – enhancing tourist satisfaction, streamlining operations and creating future-ready jobs for Goan youth.
The initiative was recently discussed in detail during a series of meetings between the delegation from Pacific Link College and Minister for Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, Rohan Khaunte.
The delegation, led by Tarun Khullar (CEO and Director-Board Member BCIBN) along with Roshan Worth (Head of South Asia), Rick Pasin (Head of Academics) and Aaron DPenha (Campus Director), presented their comprehensive plan to establish the Centre of Excellence in AI Hospitality in Goa. They expressed their interest to work closely in collaboration with startups, industry, incubators, academia and ecosystem influencers.
“With this collaboration, we’re not just imagining the future of tourism – we’re building it,” said Khaunte. “The Centre will empower Goan youth with cutting-edge AI skills, while positioning Goa as a lighthouse state for AI-powered tourism.”
The Government of Goa facilitated engagements between the Pacific Link College team and key stakeholders from industry and academia to align vision, training needs, and operational goals. In follow-up discussions held on September 8, 2025, two sites were identified as potential locations for the Centre.
The vision of the CoE in AI Hospitality is to skill youth in AI applications for hospitality (from service automation to customer experience design), support entrepreneurship in AI-enabled travel tech solutions, enable collaborative research and curriculum co-development with Goan institutions and integrate AI tools to offer personalised, efficient and immersive tourist services in Goa.
The project is part of Goa’s broader AI Mission 2027, which seeks to foster innovation across governance, industry and entrepreneurship. By embracing AI in Hospitality, Goa’s hospitality sector can deliver smarter, more memorable experiences that encourage longer stays and return visits – while opening new avenues for skilling, employment, and investment.
The proposed Centre of Excellence is expected to commence operations following MoU formalisation and infrastructure development in the coming months.
