Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Aug 23: The Goa government has approved the demarcation of 1 lakh square metres at Ambaulim in Quepem as an Investment Promotion Area (IPA) for an eco-tourism project featuring cottages and a wellness centre.
The project is expected to strengthen Goa's high-end luxury tourism segment and generate employment for around 100-125 people over the next five years.
Secretary (Industries, Trade and Commerce) Santosh Sukhadeve said Goa's strong hospitality heritage, coupled with its appeal as a leisure destination, offers significant opportunities in eco-tourism as well as sun-and-sand, heritage and cultural tourism.
Sukhadeve said Goa is among the few destinations in India witnessing consistently rising occupancy rates in star-category hotels.
"This project will result in increased footprint in the high-end luxury tourism in Goa," he said, adding that the project was expected to boost foreign exchange earnings as a majority of customers were likely to be from overseas.
He also said the project would increase demand for banking services and locally sourced consumables and facilitate various corporate social responsibility activities, contributing to the development of the locality and its residents.
The Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board had received an application from R Silva & Sons to establish the eco-tourism project at Ambaulim and recommended that the government demarcate and notify the proposed site as an IPA. The board subsequently granted in-principle approval for the project.
The government then invited objections to the proposal, directing that written objections be submitted to the Director of Industries, Trade and Commerce (DITC) within one month of its publication in the Official Gazette.
Goa-IDC Managing Director P Pravimal Abhishek was appointed to hear the objections, as the DITC director also holds charge as Chief Executive Officer of the Goa Investment Promotion Board.
Following the hearings, the director submitted a report to the government. The objections were rejected as invalid, after which the government directed the Industries Department to declare the proposed area an Investment Promotion Area.