The Department of Tourism, Government of Goa – project of the development, operations, and maintenance of a Convention Centre/5 (Five) Star Hotel Facility at Rua-de-Ourem Creekside, Panaji, will be executed by M/s Golden Peace Hotel & Resorts Pvt. Ltd; stated a prese release.
The project, which is coming up as part of fulfillment of the Goa State Budget assurances for 2025-26; has been approved by the Cabinet.
The project, undertaken under the Swadesh Darshan scheme – Coastal Circuit II, will feature world-class, state-of-the-art amenities, positioning Goa as a preferred destination for national and international conferences, business events, and exhibitions, creating new avenues for economic activity and employment opportunities. The Convention Centre will comprise an exhibition hall, a restaurant, auditoriums, seminar rooms, conference rooms, a board room, a business lounge, and a terrace restaurant. It will also include an entrance plaza with an open-air theatre, beautifully landscaped areas, and gazebos.
The Convention Centre will have the capacity to accommodate 1,300 people, while the Exhibition Hall will be able to host up to 1,500 people. Additionally, boardrooms and other modern facilities have been thoughtfully considered to drive the development of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) tourism in the state.
The development work is expected to be completed by December 2026, and the state-of-the-art facilities will be operational and available from January 2027.
Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism convened the 21st Empowered Committee Meeting on Marketing and Public Relations, under the chairmanship of Minister for Tourism, Rohan A. Khaunte. The meeting was attended by the Secretary Tourism Sanjeev Ahuja, IAS, Director of Tourism, Kedar Naik, Managing Director of GTDC, Kuldeep Arolkar, TTAG President, Jack Sukhij, COO of travel Corporation of India, Ernest Dias, Bigfoot Museum Founder, Mahendra Alvares, GTB Board Member, Mark Mendes, representatives from Mopa Airport amongst others.
The committee conducted a thorough review of ongoing and planned marketing initiatives, placing a strong emphasis on maximizing impact, ensuring efficiency, and fostering year-round engagement across diverse tourism segments.
During the meeting, the need to restructure and streamline roadshows and trade shows—both domestic and international—was emphasized to enhance return on investment. It was unanimously agreed that all such engagements must be aligned with clear performance benchmarks and measurable outcomes, ensuring optimal utilisation of public resources.
Discussions also centered on two high-potential tourism verticals: MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) and Destination Weddings. The state aims to tap into the growing business travel segment while simultaneously enhancing its positioning as a premier wedding destination, leveraging its scenic beaches, heritage venues, and robust hospitality infrastructure.
A significant step towards transparency and accountability was the presentation of post-audit reviews by agencies responsible for executing previous roadshows and trade shows. These evaluations helped identify outcomes, challenges, and key learnings, which will inform future strategies and execution frameworks.
The Committee further deliberated on the proposed airline incentive scheme, previously introduced in the Goa Legislative Assembly. The scheme, designed to strengthen scheduled and chartered connectivity from emerging international markets, proposes a performance-linked disbursement model based on actual passenger headcount. This approach aims to ensure responsible investment while driving inbound tourism in a targeted and value-driven manner.
The meeting placed special focus on incentivizing emerging markets, especially in light of changing geo-economic dynamics and shifting trends in domestic travel influenced by the political and geographical aspects across India.
As part of its long-term strategy, the Committee introduced “Vision 365”—a roadmap for year-round global market engagement. This initiative is focused on deploying KPI-driven marketing efforts in high-potential international markets, sustaining continuous engagement with trade partners and consumer segments, and ensuring a consistent communication cycle that maintains Goa’s presence across varying travel seasons.
Khaunte, stated: “Goa’s tourism roadmap must be strategic, performance-driven, and future-ready. With targeted investments in connectivity, smarter marketing, and year-round engagement, we are positioning Goa not just as a seasonal getaway but as a global destination with diversified tourism experiences and sustained economic impact.”
Jack Sukhija stated: “The committee meeting has emphasised the need for result-driven planning in Goa tourism’s Marketing and promotion. By emphasising measurable outcomes, stakeholder alignment, and smart incentivisation, we’re building a resilient tourism ecosystem. As industry partners, we look forward to supporting these forward-looking initiatives that aim to streamline the marketing and promotion initiatives.”
Dias shared his thoughts, stating: “Last year’s focused international outreach and participation in key global travel fairs have begun to yield measurable results. We’re already witnessing a notable uptick in charter flight operations for this season, indicating renewed confidence among our overseas partners and travelers. With continued strategic engagement, we can further strengthen Goa’s position as a preferred international leisure destination.”
Airport Director of Goa International Airport, Dabolim – George Varughese said: “Our collaborative discussions on the airline incentive model are timely and essential — especially for penetrating emerging markets ,expanding destinations and diversifying inbound traffic. With Goa’s growing international visibility, infrastructure readiness will be key to unlocking its full tourism potential.”
