New Delhi :
After the Indian media reported that Goa and India have been struck off the safe destination list by the Russia government, the Russian Information Centre rebutted the claims and said the statement was misinterpreted. The Russian Govt never struck off India’s name from the list.
Ekaterina Belyakova, head of the centre, said "Our statement did not have any information regarding removal of India from the list of safe countries or including India in the list of unsafe countries as was mentioned in several reports and headlines published in the Indian media.”
The Russian centre operates from Goa and offers a helpline to thousands of Russian tourists in India. It is also one of the busiest centres across the country.
Earlier in the day, a news created panic saying Russia has dropped India and Goa from the list of safe destination by Russia after a review.
The centre also clarified that the Russian govt is making efforts to scout new safe tourism destinations for travelling Russians, like Cuba, South Vietnam and southern China and that the statement may have been misinterpreted.
It also said the officials never discuss about India or Goa. It can be said with the new developments across the globe Goa can be alternative tourist destination for Russian rather than Egypt and Turkey.
Russians top the list of foreign tourists to Goa`s beaches followed by people from Britain as three million visit annually and half a million Russian.
Goa`s conventional tourist season starts in October and winds up in March, when the mild winter sun works as a good break for travellers from Russia, Britain, Germany and other European countries, from the harsh winter.
