Panaji: Tourists desirous of getting a bird’s-eye view of Goa’s breathtaking natural beauty can look forward to a thrilling experience as the state is all set to launch a seaplane facility in August this year.
The introduction of facilities like seaplanes, heli-tourism and amphibious buses would boost tourist inflow into the state by over 14 per cent, state tourism minister Dilip Parulekar told media persons on Saturday on the sidelines of the first-ever trial landing of a seaplane in the Mandovi river off Panaji. “It is a novel concept in India, which combines convenience of travel with the excitement of water takeoffs and landings. There is no investment by the state government for this service; it will be owned and operated by Mehair (a private aviation company). We are only providing them support to facilitate smooth operations,” Parulekar said.
Goa is the second state after Maharashtra to allow seaplanes for tourism.
“The seaplanes will offer joy rides at affordable prices. A seaplane operation anywhere always creates excitement and attracts tourists by tapping into their curiosity and thrill-seeking instincts,” he said, adding that fares under the public-private partnership (PPP) project would be worked out in consultation with the company before its formal launch.
