BREAKING NEWS : GOA TO SET UP  ITS OWN TOWN SQUARE IN PORVORIM TO FURTHER BOOST TOURISM IN THE STATE, SAYS DEEPAK NAVREKAR

BREAKING NEWS : GOA TO SET UP  ITS OWN TOWN SQUARE IN PORVORIM TO FURTHER BOOST TOURISM IN THE STATE, SAYS DEEPAK NAVREKAR

BY DEBAJYOTI CHAKRABORTY

NEW DELHI | 9 MARCH 2026

Nestled within the scenic Bardez taluka of North Goa district lies Porvorim, a charming suburban locality that stands as the de-facto legislative capital of the state will soon be scripting history as the government has planned to set up its own Town Square , which will give platform to local artisans, local cuisine and culture and is all set to further  boost  tourism in the state.

Speaking at the sidelines of SATTE 2026, Mr. Deepak Navrekar, Deputy General Manager (DGM) , Marketing & PR of Goa Tourism told www.thetravelandtourismtimes.com that it will be the next hip and happening hub of the state. It will draw a lot of crowd as it will be developed in a modern way highlighting Goa’s heritage art and culture and tourists are expected to mingle at night with food and local artisans, while live music shows will also be played in the backdrop.

“ Under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the central government this much hyped project will be funded and the project has already been approved by the state government ,”he added. Porvorim is considered an upmarket residential hub and lies on the Mumbai- Goa National Highway 66 and hosts the largest shopping centre of the state – Mall De Goa.

Incidentally, Porvorim is the assembly constituency of the present and dynamic tourism minister of Goa, Mr. Rohan Khaunte. He is taking a keen interest in speedy completion of the ambitious Town Square Project. Tourism is one of the key focus areas of Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant.

“Besides the  Goa Tourism department is also undertaking a host of new initiatives like setting up of the Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Digital Museum in Farmagudi, Ponda Taluka is the existing Shivaji Fort,” informed Mr. Deepak Navrekar.

Goa Tourism Department has started the digitization work for the museum and the Fort will be completely restored back. The Digital Museum will showcase the full journey of the Chatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj. It is expected to boost the Spiritual Tourism further as in Ponda Taluka there are a host of temples located.

Under the Ekadasha Tirtha ,  Goa Tourism department has undertaken initiatives to boost Spiritual tourism, yoga and wellness becoming the main focus along with various colourful festivals around the state. There are 11 temples in Goa, which are more than 100 years old and are promoted under the Ekadasha Tirtha.

Goa Miles have connected both Mopa Airport and Dabolim International Airport and  air connectivity to both North and South Goa had vastly improved  after the flight operations  on both the two airports.

After the successful hosting of the Formula 4 Car Racing near the Manohar International Airport recently, Goa is now planning to host India’s first Formula One Car Racing event. “ For the next three years we have plans to continue with the Formula Four Car racing at the 2.064 KM FIA – grade street circuit at Manohar International Airport and upgrade soon to Formula Three Car Racing later. But our ultimate ambitious goal is to host the mesmerizing Formula One Car Race in Goa,” added Mr. Deepak Navrekar.

The Goa Tourism department operates ten hotels, besides 200  more overnight staying facilities added  with about 100 homestays and another 100 under the Goa government’s Homestay and Bed and  Breakfast Scheme 2025 ( launched in October 2025) have come up, besides over 1000 guest houses enrolled under Airbnb.

Even the top hotel companies of the world are also  setting  up luxurious  hotels and resorts throughout the state of Goa.