PANAJI: Recession, swine flue and domestic issues have affected tourist flow into Goa.  If you go by the figures available with the Foreigners Registration Office at the Goa police headquarters the number of tourist arrivals in the state is on the decline.

Citing many reasons for the decline, the superintendent of police, FRO, Mr Tony Fernandes said many countries have come up with schemes, tour packages and other  attractive incentives to woo foreign tourists. These countries have streamlined Temporary Landing Permit for the tourists who come by charter flights.
The countries like Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Indonesia and others issue TLP on arrival and have developed tourism at virgin beaches, besides offer travel schemes and packages, he informed.
He said in the recent past the immigration department introduced some strict measures for visitors after the Mumbai 26/11 attack, which contributed some extent to the decline in charter flight in Goa.
Observing that tourists come to Goa mostly by flights, Mr Fernandes informed that  in  2007, 31,175 domestic tourists and 1,87,410 foreigners  arrived  by charter flights totalling to  2,18,585 tourist arrival. In 2008, 29,914 domestic tourists  and 1,87,132 foreign tourists totalling to 2,17,046 arrived by charter flights. In 2009, 44,710 Indian and 1,51,406 foreign tourists arrived by flights totalling to  1,96,116 tourists.
He said the state government  collected huge amount by issuing TLPs. Each TLP fetches $40 to the government and added that in  2007 authorities  collected $1,66,880, $1,91,280 (2008) and $1,76,800 (2009).
The SP is empowered to issue TLP to foreigners, mostly newly-married couple or a group of crewmembers and to those who come with proper documents like passports, travel documents, programmes, hotel stay and return tickets. A  TLP is valid to 7-14 days, but the SP is authorised  to extend the TLP validity to 60 days on humanitarian grounds.
The tourists who apply for TLP have to surrender their passports at the immigration office of the Goa police and collect while returning to their countries. They also have to furnish the details of their stay in Goa.
But travellers from some counties like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Taiwan, Algeria, China and stateless persons are  denied this temporary landing facility, he said.