Goa hosts 1st Travel Agents Meet 2026
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The GTDC will also be organising a dedicated trade show in Gujarat to further strengthen engagement and will introduce awards for the overall top-performing travel agent in India, along with recognition for the best-performing regional toppers.
The Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), a Government of Goa undertaking, organised the 1st Travel Agents Meet 2026, bringing together key stakeholders from the travel and tourism industry to strengthen collaboration and align strategies for promoting Goa as a diverse, experience-led destination.
The meet was attended by the Minister for Tourism, Rohan A. Khaunte; Chairman, GTDC Kedar Naik; Managing Director, GTDC Kuldeep Arolkar; General Manager, GTDC Gavin Dias; Deputy General Manager (Hotels & Marketing) Deepak Narvekar, along with all General Managers of GTDC. The event witnessed participation from 55 travel agents, OTAs and NTS operators, along with other stakeholders from the travel trade in Goa.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Tourism Khaunte said, “Travel agents are our long-term partners in shaping Goa’s tourism growth story. As we move towards promoting quality tourism and diverse experiences beyond our beaches, collaboration with the travel trade becomes central to presenting Goa as a holistic, experience-rich destination. Our focus remains on balanced tourism growth that benefits local communities, strengthens livelihoods, and enhances visitor satisfaction.”
Addressing the gathering, Chairman, GTDC Naik highlighted the pivotal role played by the travel trade in shaping destination experiences and market perception. “The Travel Agents Meet will now form a regular feature in our calendar as an annual outreach programme of Goa Tourism. We will also be organising a dedicated trade show in Gujarat to further strengthen our engagement in that key source market. Commencing this year, GTDC will introduce awards for the overall top-performing travel agent in India, along with recognition for the best-performing regional toppers. This structured recognition will honour measurable contribution and sustained partnership in promoting GTDC and Goa,” he added.
“Through continued engagement with the travel trade, GTDC aims to strengthen the collaboration of GTDC Residencies and its New Tourism Service, partners and destination experiences. Such interactions help us remain responsive to evolving traveller expectations and market dynamics,” said Managing Director, GTDC, Arolkar.
“This meet has been extremely encouraging for the travel trade. We are excited about the renewed focus on Goa Tourism hotels and new tourism services, and we will actively promote GTDC properties and tourism offerings in a much bigger way across our markets,” expressed Bipin Shah, Owner of Travel Shopee.
Srikant Sammath, State Coordinator, Goa – Tour Operators Association of India (TOAI), also appreciated the initiative and emphasised the importance of coordinated trade efforts. He remarked, “With structured coordination among tour operators across India, Goa can witness increased business transactions and stronger market penetration. Platforms like this help align the trade with the vision of the Government.”
As part of the programme, seven prominent tour operators were felicitated, including the President, Vice President and Goa Coordinator of the Tour Operators Association of India, representatives of Goa-based online travel agents, and NTS operators, in recognition of their contribution to promoting Goa as a preferred destination. The felicitation ceremony was facilitated by General Manager, GTDC Gavin Dias, along with Senior Managers Vishesh Naik and Pravin Faldessai, while Deputy General Manager Deepak Narvekar announced the names of key travel agents during the felicitation proceedings.
The meet also facilitated an interactive exchange between GTDC officials and members of the travel trade on emerging markets, evolving traveller preferences, and collaborative promotion opportunities. Goa Tourism’s hotels, new tourism services and destination experiences were showcased, with a focus on strengthening global visibility through trade partnerships.
The Travel Agents Meet 2026 served as a platform for dialogue, exchange of perspectives and strengthening collaboration between Goa Tourism and the travel trade.
