Goa Tourism has been felicitated with the prestigious PATWA award in the Best Beach Destination category at ITB Berlin on the second day of the event. The award was given by Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) and was received by Dilip Paruleker, Tourism Minister for Goa, at an awards ceremony attended by luminaries from the global travel trade industry.
The award function was held at the International Congress Centre (ICC) on the sidelines of ITB Berlin. The award has been given in recognition of the positive steps being undertaken by the state government for improving the image of Goa as a safe and attractive tourism destination by implementing the concept of tourist police, proper regulation of beach shacks and watersports, improvement of infrastructure on all beaches, formulation of tourism master plan and new tourism policy for the state, innovative marketing and promotion methods, among others.
Speaking on the occasion, Paruleker expressed his satisfaction and felt that the award will cement Goa’s position as one of the best beach destinations in the world. He further stated that the state government will rapidly ensure completion of all tourism infrastructure works and ensure that Goa becomes a safe and a year round tourism destination. He felt that the award will boost international tourist arrivals in the state as Goa will get positive publicity all over the world. He thanked PATWA for conferring this award on Goa.
