Tourism ministry wary of Russia-Ukraine conflict: Shripad Naik

PANAJI: The Centre is keeping a close watch on the fallout of the current Russia-Ukraine conflict on the country's tourism, Union Tourism Minister Shripad Naik said today.

However, the impact on tourism should not be much, he said.

"I think effect will not be much. But, right now we can't say anything. We can say something only next month (when the tourist season starts picking up)," Naik told reporters here on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony of Goa Governor Mridula Sinha at Raj Bhawan.

Currently, it is off season so it is difficult to predict what would be the fallout of the crisis between Ukraine and Russia on the country's tourism, he said.

Fighting between Ukrainian military forces and Russian- backed separatists in eastern Ukraine has already claimed at least 2,200 lives, according to UN figures.

The Russians top the list of tourists visiting Goa annually.

The state government statistics tabled on the floor of the House during the recent Assembly session revealed that around 1.62 lakh Russian tourists arrived in Goa during 2013 calendar year, as compared to 1.45 lakh Britons.