Goa Tourism Wins Best Emerging Destination for Spiritual Tourism at ITM Amritsar 2026
Amritsar, September 07, 2026: Goa Tourism was recognised as the Best Emerging Destination for Spiritual Tourism at India Travel Mart (ITM) Amritsar 2026, marking a significant recognition of Goa’s growing spiritual and wellness tourism offerings. The three-day travel mart, held from September 5 to 7 at Amritsar, brought together tourism boards, airlines, hospitality players, travel agents, tour operators and other industry stakeholders from across the region.
The award recognises Goa Tourism’s efforts to showcase the State beyond its established beach identity and highlight its emerging experiences in spiritual, wellness, heritage and experiential tourism. Goa Tourism presented its diverse offerings at the mart, including wellness experiences, heritage walks, cultural attractions and opportunities for travellers to discover the quieter and more reflective side of Goa.
Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, said, “This recognition as the Best Emerging Destination for Spiritual Tourism is a proud moment for Goa and reinforces the direction in which we are taking our tourism sector. We have launched the Ekadasha Teerth Yatra, bringing together eleven significant spiritual destinations across Goa into a curated journey that allows visitors to experience the State’s faith, history, culture and living traditions. Through initiatives such as these, we are creating new reasons to visit Goa and inviting travellers to experience the deeper soul of our State. Our participation at ITM Amritsar has helped us take this message to the North Indian travel trade and strengthen our connect with an important domestic market.”
Director of Tourism, Shri Kedar Naik, said, “The award is a welcome recognition of Goa’s growing potential in spiritual and wellness tourism. At ITM Amritsar, we had the opportunity to engage closely with travel agents and tour operators and understand the evolving interests of travellers from Punjab and the wider North Indian market. Goa offers a distinctive combination of heritage, nature, culture, wellness and spiritual experiences, and we look forward to working with our trade partners to bring these offerings to a wider audience.”
During the three-day event, the Goa Tourism delegation held interactions with members of the travel fraternity and participated in B2B meetings with tour operators, travel agents and destination management companies. These engagements provided an opportunity to promote Goa as a year-round destination and build stronger trade connections in the North Indian market.
Goa Tourism’s participation also highlighted the State’s diverse tourism experiences, from heritage walks and cultural traditions to nature, adventure, wellness and gastronomy. The focus was on encouraging travellers to explore destinations and experiences beyond the popular coastal circuit and discover Goa’s distinctive cultural and spiritual character.
The successful conclusion of ITM Amritsar 2026 further strengthened Goa Tourism’s engagement with the travel trade in Punjab and neighbouring markets, while the award added further momentum to Goa’s efforts to diversify its tourism offerings and promote emerging experiences to domestic travellers.
