Apart from Russians, a distinct Kazakh flavour will be added to Goa's tourism this season with several charter flights already booked to ferry tourists from Kazakhstan.
A delegation of travel agents from Kazakhstan were here to take a first hand view of the facilities the state had to offer to their tourists, Goa Tourism Development Corporation Deputy Chairman Lyndon Monteiro told reporters Tuesday.
"They are also holding talks with the tourism ministry. Flights to and from Almaty, in Kazakhstan and Goa have already been booked between November this year and May the following year," Monteiro said.
Tourism director Swapnil Naik said the first charter flight scheduled to land in Goa on Oct 14 was from Russia.
"The signs are good. We are looking at the possibility of a normal season. Last year we saw around 650 charter flights arrive in Goa. We could see the same number again," Naik said.
The coastal state of Goa, known for its sunny beaches and fun-seeking lifestyle, annually sees nearly two million tourists arrive in the state, nearly half-a-million of whom are foreigners. Tourists from Russia and Britain top the list of countries sending tourists to the state.