Hon’ble Minister for Tourism Shri Rohan A. Khaunte Pitches ‘Plus One Economy’, Bats for New Wellness Investments at FHRAI
Minister invites hospitality industry to invest in wellness infrastructure and create more reasons for visitors to extend their stay in Goa
Varanasi, August 22, 2026: Goa Tourism participated in the three-day 56th FHRAI Annual Convention in Varanasi, with Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Government of Goa, Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, attending the inaugural ceremony as a Guest of Honour and representing Goa at the convention.
The three-day convention, being held from August 21 to 23, is themed Ananta Kashi: Leading the Future of Tourism through Spirit, Culture, Cuisine and Craft.
At the convention, Goa Tourism showcased the State’s distinctive tourism identity through its rich cultural traditions, heritage, local cuisine, crafts and community-led experiences, reflecting the spirit and character that make Goa a unique destination.
Addressing the gathering, Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Government of Goa, Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, presented Goa’s next phase of tourism growth as one focused not merely on increasing tourist numbers, but on extending visitor stays, increasing visitor spend and creating greater value across the destination. He introduced the concept of a Plus One Economy, calling on the hospitality industry to create one more reason for a visitor already in Goa to stay an additional night.
“Sometimes, we need to create more Goa for the tourist who is already here. A village experience, a homestay, a temple visit, a forest experience or a wellness offering can become the reason a visitor stays one more night. The biggest growth story in tourism today is not another million tourists. It is something much smaller, the plus one. One more night, one more experience, one more part of India to be discovered. Multiplied across millions of travellers, that becomes one very big opportunity,” said Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Government of Goa, Shri Rohan A. Khaunte.
Building on this approach, the Minister highlighted Goa’s Tourism Beyond Beaches campaign as a product-extension strategy aimed at broadening the visitor experience into the hinterlands, villages, meditation, spiritual circuits and other experiential offerings. He emphasised that the objective is not to move away from Goa’s beaches, but to build around them and give visitors more reasons to explore the destination and stay longer.
A key focus of the address was wellness tourism, with Shri Khaunte stating that Goa has already notified its Wellness Policy and is now looking at fiscal incentives to encourage investment in new wellness infrastructure and centres in the State. He invited members of the hospitality industry to consider developing wellness products within their existing Goa properties, using their existing land, hospitality infrastructure, customer base, brands and distribution networks.
The Minister noted that a stronger wellness ecosystem could help Goa attract new travel demand, extend visitor stays, address seasonality and increase tourism expenditure, while making existing hospitality infrastructure more productive.
Shri Khaunte also highlighted the importance of creating greater opportunities for young entrepreneurs, local guides, chefs, creators and technology entrepreneurs. He called for stronger collaboration between government and the hospitality industry to provide young tourism enterprises with access to capital, management expertise, technology and markets, while protecting their creativity and local identity.
On connectivity, Shri Khaunte highlighted the Government of Goa’s ₹2 crore performance-linked tour operator incentive scheme aimed at encouraging international charter operations into Goa. He emphasised that increased international charter capacity has a direct impact across the hospitality ecosystem, with visitors contributing to hotel occupancy, restaurants and wider destination spending.
The Minister also emphasised the need for greater integration across the tourism ecosystem, noting that airlines, hotels, restaurants, tour operators and government must work together around the needs of the traveller rather than operate in isolation. He said the next phase of tourism growth would need to focus on building productivity and ecosystems, rather than simply adding capacity.
Drawing from the theme of the convention and Goa’s connection with Varanasi, Shri Khaunte referred to the conversation between Kashi and Dakshin Kashi, and recalled that Goa was earlier referred to as Dakshin Kashi. He highlighted the cultural and spiritual connect between the two destinations and said this shared connection provides an opportunity for greater tourism and cultural exchange between Goa and Varanasi. He also expressed Goa Tourism’s interest in engaging with the people and tourism stakeholders of Kashi to explore opportunities for dialogue, exchange and collaboration.
The Minister further emphasised that Goa’s future tourism growth must create value not only for visitors and businesses, but also for local communities, culture, heritage and the environment, aligning with the State’s broader approach towards responsible and regenerative tourism.
The inaugural ceremony was also graced by H.E. Mrs. Vithaya Xayavong, Ambassador of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to India; Shri Satish Mahana, Hon’ble Speaker, Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly; Shri Ravindra Jaiswal, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge), Stamps and Registration, Government of Uttar Pradesh; Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha; Shriji Huzur Dr. Lakshyarj Singh Ji Mewar of Udaipur, Patron, 57th FHRAI Annual Convention; and Shri Surendra Kumar Jaiswal, President, FHRAI, along with several other distinguished leaders and stakeholders.
