Goa tourism department has sought expression of interest for bidders to set up sea plane, helicopter and ropeway services in Goa. The chosen bidder will also prepare a technical feasibility report.

The helicopter services will take off first at Ela Goa in Old Goa and Sinquerim in Calangute and will be later extended to popular tourist haunts of Colva, Tiracol, Mollem and Santa Monica in Panaji.

The ropeway services will operate on the route from Reis Magos to Panaji and Reis Magos to Aguada. A tourist joint on the coast of Salcete will also be identified to set up the ropeway service. In case of the sea plane services, the tourism department will rely on the chosen bidder to narrow down on the suitable area.

"We have been receiving several proposals from interested parties to set up these facilities in Goa. So we decided to issue an expression of interest," tourism director Swapnil Naik said on Wednesday. "In case of helicopter and sea plane services, for the bidder to be eligible he has to have five years of experience in running the services in India. If not, the company can tie-up with a foreign company with similar years of experience," Naik added. A licence from the directorate general of civil aviation in the country is also necessary.

"The bidder for ropeway services will have to possess at least ten years of experience in setting up such facilities," Naik said. The technical feasibility report prepared by the bidders along with their proposal will then be forwarded to the high power state task force on tourism for its final nod. The state government will play the role of a facilitator in setting up of the services.

Murari Shetye - TOI