GTDC organizes first Travel Agents Meet in 2026

The 1st Travel Agents Meet 2026 was organised by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), a Government of Goa initiative, and brought together important players in the travel and tourism sector to improve cooperation and coordinate plans for marketing Goa as a diverse, experience-driven destination.

Along with all of the GTDC general managers, the meeting was attended by Rohan A. Khaunte, the minister of tourism; Kedar Naik, the chairman of GTDC; Kuldeep Arolkar, the managing director of GTDC; Gavin Dias, the general manager of GTDC; and Deepak Narvekar, the deputy general manager of hotels and marketing. 55 travel agents, OTAs, and NTS operators participated in the event, along with other Goan travel industry players.

Minister of tourist Khaunte spoke at the event and stated, “Travel agents are our long-term partners in shaping Goa’s tourism growth story. Working together with the travel industry is essential to showcasing Goa as a comprehensive, experience-rich destination as we work to promote high-quality tourism and a variety of experiences beyond our beaches. Our goal is still to grow tourism in a balanced way that improves livelihoods, helps local communities, and increases visitor happiness.”

In his speech, GTDC Chairman Naik emphasised the critical role that the travel industry plays in influencing consumer perception and destination experiences. As a yearly outreach initiative of Goa Tourism, the Travel Agents Meet will now be a regular event on our calendar. He continued, “ To increase our presence in that important source market, we will also be hosting a special trade fair in Gujarat. Starting this year, GTDC will recognise the top-performing regional toppers and present awards for India’s overall top-performing travel agency. This formal acknowledgement will honour quantifiable contributions and a long-term collaboration in advancing GTDC and Goa.”

Through sustained interaction with the tourism industry, GTDC hopes to improve partnerships, destination experiences, and the cooperation of GTDC Residencies and its New Tourism Service. “These exchanges enable us to stay adaptable to changing consumer demands and market conditions,” stated Arolkar, Managing Director, GTDC.

“The travel industry has greatly benefited from this meeting. We will aggressively promote GTDC properties and tourism offers in a much larger way across our markets since we are thrilled about the increased attention on Goa tourism hotels and new tourism services,” said Bipin Shah, owner of Travel Shopee.

The Goa-Tour Operators Association of India (TOAI) State Coordinator, Srikant Sammath, praised the initiative as well and underlined the significance of concerted trade efforts. He said “Goa can see increased business transactions and stronger market penetration with structured coordination among tour operators across India.” Such platforms aid in bringing trade into line with the government’s agenda.

Seven well-known tour operators were honoured as part of the program for their efforts to promote Goa as a popular travel destination. These included the President, Vice President, and Goa Coordinator of the Tour Operators Association of India, representatives of online travel agencies based in Goa, and NTS operators. Along with Senior Managers Vishesh Naik and Pravin Faldessai, General Manager GTDC Gavin Dias oversaw the felicitation ceremony. During the event, Deputy General Manager Deepak Narvekar revealed the names of important travel agents.

Additionally, the meeting allowed GTDC officials and travel industry participants to engage in a dialogue about new markets, changing traveller preferences, and joint marketing potential. The hotels, innovative tourism offerings, and destination experiences offered by Goa Tourism were highlighted, with an emphasis on enhancing international exposure through trade alliances.

The tourism Agents Meet 2026 provided a forum for discussion, viewpoint sharing, and enhancing cooperation between Goa Tourism and the tourism industry.