RISING numbers of affluent travelers from the Middle East are opting to travel to Goa, India's most famous beach destination attracting 2.5 million visitors annually. Aviation industry data show more airlines have launched frequent flights to Goa from the Middle East in the past five years, to cope with demand. In 2008, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) said a surge in inbound air traffic from just half a dozen daily flights to over 40 a day. “We have hosted increasing numbers of guests from the Gulf in recent years marking a shifting trend in the Middle East towards high-end travel preferences,” said Andrew Mensforth, general manager of Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa. Goa, a Portuguese colony until 1962, is famous for its Indo-Portuguese culture and architecture. Goa's beaches are the greatest attraction for vacationers wanting to enjoy bracing weather, a laid back atmosphere, warm sand and Indo-Portuguese hospitality. The Park Hyatt Resort and Spa, set on 45 acres of lush beachfront gardens, is only a 15 minute drive from Goa's Dabolim Airport. The resort hotel is ideally positioned on Arossim Beach in South Goa offering miles of white sandy beaches perfect for sun bathing and water sports. Featuring a unique village concept with extensive spa facilities, the luxury boutique hotel has one of the largest water slides and pools in southwest Asia and offers activities that include jet skiing, parasailing, and dolphin cruises. The resort's Sereno Spa clientele across the Middle East has expanded to include growing number of women, holidaymakers and business travelers, especially since it was awarded World's No. 1 Spa' and ‘Best Spa in the Asian and Indian Subcontinent' by Conde Nast Travellers Reader's Spa Awards.
