The General Manager and Managing Director of GTDC (Goa Tourism Development Corporation) has rubbished the news spread on social media about the crash landing of the Hot Air Balloon claiming it is the false and malicious news. According to Mr. Gavin Dias, GM of GTDC, the Hot Air Balloon flight landed safely and released the images to the Goa Prism Digital Media.
Due to increase in the reach of the electronic media, spreading any news regardless of its authenticity on the social media platform has become very easy and anybody can upload any images without the proper knowledge and many a time it becomes the blunder. Something similar seems to have happened in the case of Hot Air Balloon landing in the fields of Shiroda, Goa. According to the sources, due to the change in the air direction, GTDC’s Hot Air Balloon landed in the fields in Shiroda. People came out of their house amused not knowing what happened and in the bargain, some social media crawlers spread the news of crash landing.
Based on the information collected by Goa Prism from the GTDC’s senior authorities, “The hot air balloon which had taken off from Assolda in Curchorem had four members on board and it landed safely in Shiroda,” said the General Manager of GTDC Gavin Dias. He rubbished the news spread on the social media about the crash landing calling it false attempt to malign the image of GTDC’s services which is operating successfully in the state of Goa.
In a statement issued today evening, Goa Tourism Development Corporation has reiterated that the agency operating the hot air balloon service “Camping Retreats India” maintains the highest safety standards and have never compromised on the safety of hot air balloon flights both in India and in Goa. “During the last two years of this service in Goa no untoward incident has ever occurred and every flight and landing has been safe and successful and the rides have been a delightful experience for all tourists who have availed of this adventure activity,” said Mr. Dias.
Mr. Dias further added that “Today’s hot air balloon flight which took off from Assolda also landed safety. The landing site though new on account of wind change followed all routine procedures and has evoked unnecessary criticism.” “The GTDC has strongly condemned the spread of false and unverified news,” he added. According to Mr. Dias, the hot air balloon service has trained pilots and more than a 100 rides have already created a buzz for Goa on the adventure tourism map resulting in an increasing demand and bookings from both foreign and domestic tourists to experience hot air balloon rides and Goa’s hinterlands from atop.
He appealed the people of Goa to not to fall prey to the wrong information spread on the social media by non-authenticated sources. “Pls correct these forces or ask them to contact me. I personally ensure that nothing like this ever happened or will happen pls bring to my notice if there is negative publicity by someone against our very successful service of HOT AIR BALLOON,” he said.
The Technical officer Mukesh Yadav also said that there is no exact point of landing for the flight of the hot air balloon and it entirely depends on the direction of the wind at that particular time. He said that the pilot and controller inside the balloon only controls the height of the balloon and each day it lands at different spots. This time it drifted away and landed in Panchawadi, he said.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of GTDC Nikhil Desai, due to whose efforts these services have started in Goa said that “GTDC has identified 15 spots in the surrounding areas of Assolda and any open field is landing spot for the balloon and it was perfect and smooth landing on Monday too.” According to Mr. Desai, GTDC has conducted more than 300 flights and there has been no untoward incident. There were four members onboard along with the pilot and the controller with two passengers being foreign tourists. Although the officials agreed that when the balloon landed in the fields of Panchawadi in Shiroda villagers had gathered in large numbers to witness the landing of the hot-air balloon for the first time.
IMAGE SOURCE: GTDC
