Visa-on-arrival to woo Japanese tourists TNN, Dec 15, 2010, 05.13am IST Tags:Swapnil Naik|Sakhardande|Fr Henry Heras|Ellora caves PANAJI: Sushi could soon be common fare served at beach shacks, restaurants and hotels with the Goa tourism excited about a potential deluge of Japanese tourists in the coming years.
Japan has been granted a visa-on-arrival facility by the Indian government, and Goa is expecting to tap into this market. Tourism director Swapnil Naik, who was part of a state delegation which visited Tokyo recently, said that the focus would be on attracting younger Japanese. "We are focusing on getting all types of tourists from Japan. It has been decided that Goa should not just concentrate on the older generation or the pilgrim tourists, but the youth as well," Naik said. The tourism director says that this is where the beaches and the casinos will come in. "They (Japanese) are also known to be fond of gambling," he said. The Japanese' love for playing golf was also taken into consideration by the Goa delegation. "However, we found out that it is not the only consideration for a holiday. It could be one component of a holiday. There's no need to have a major golf course. Even a small golf course will meet the purpose," Naik said. Japan has an affinity to Buddhism, and its pilgrims currently visit India to travel to places like Bodh Gaya and the Ajanta and Ellora caves. When asked why the state has not tapped into related heritage precincts which could add to the Buddhist trail for a pilgrim tourist, Naik said, "We could create a circuit for such tourists, and have them visit places like Hampi and Badami in Karnataka." While the tourism director said the Lamgao caves in Goa's Bicholim taluka have been added to the heritage circuit in Goa, the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), which is compiling a list of heritage places in the hinterland of the state, expressed surprise. TTAG president Gourish Dhond said, "We have nothing specific with regards to Buddhist sites in Goa. However, we could start developing such a list. We intend to compile a list of such places in the hinterland that will be of interest to tourists." Explaining Goa's Buddhist offerings, historian Prajal Sakhardande said that in ancient times, Rivona was a seat of Buddhism. "Local folklore is that a Buddhist monk Purma resided in a cave at Rivona and on the banks of the Kushawati river in Zambaulim. There are three Buddhist caves at Rivona, including one which was an underground monastery." He added that a statue of Buddha was also excavated at Mushira vaddo, Colvale, by Fr Henry Heras and pointed out that Dharmanand Kosambi, a son-of-the-soil, was a Pali Buddhist scholar who preached in Sri Lanka. He said the two rock-cut caves in Lamgao near Bicholim are structurally similar to those found in Buddhist caves in the Deccan. "The name of the village itself is of Buddhist origin and it means 'abode of the Lamas'," said Sakhardande. Meanwhile, Naik said the next step towards opening the doors to Japan would be 'fam trips'. "We are going to arrange a 'fam trip' (familiarisation trip) for Japanese tour operators soon," Naik said. Read more: Visa-on-arrival to woo Japanese tourists - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Visa-on-arrival-to-woo-Japanese-tourists/articleshow/7101918.cms#ixzz18AtItote