Aguad Port & Jail Complex Wins ‘Visitor Engagement Award’ at IITM Bengaluru 2026 for Its Immersive Heritage Experience

Goa Khabar:  Aguad Port & Jail Complex has been honoured with the Visitor Engagement Award at the India International Travel Mart (IITM) Bengaluru 2026, in recognition of its innovative and immersive approach to destination marketing at one of India’s leading travel trade exhibitions.

The award was presented earlier this week celebrating Aguad’s ability to create a memorable visitor experience by transforming its exhibition space into a realistic recreation of the historic Aguad Jail.

Moving beyond the conventional tourism booth, the stall was designed to resemble a prison cell, offering visitors a glimpse into the atmosphere of the 400-year-old heritage site before they even travelled to Goa. Complete with authentic jail-inspired elements, the installation invited visitors to step “behind bars” and engage with Aguad’s rich history through a fun, interactive, and memorable experience.

One of the biggest attractions at the stall was the mugshot photo experience, where visitors posed inside the recreated jail cell holding themed placards featuring messages such as “Prisoner No. 1612,” “I Survived Aguad Jail,” “Sentence Served: 30 Seconds,” and “Arrested by History.” Hundreds of visitors enthusiastically participated, capturing and sharing their photographs on social media, sparking conversations around Aguad’s fascinating heritage and inspiring many to include the destination in their Goa travel plans.

The exhibition also reflected Aguad’s commitment to sustainable and digital-first visitor engagement. Instead of distributing printed brochures, visitors and travel trade professionals were encouraged to scan QR codes for instant access to digital brochures and destination information. Travel partners also received the complete trade information deck directly via email, ensuring seamless access to all relevant details while significantly reducing paper consumption as part of Aguad’s green initiative.

Throughout the four-day exhibition, Aguad showcased its diverse offerings, including the Historic Jail Museum, Heritage Walks, art exhibitions, waterfront restaurants, Solita Cruises, and boat transfers. Strong visitor footfall at IITM Bengaluru resulted in meaningful interactions with travel enthusiasts, tour operators, travel agencies, MICE planners, and tourism professionals, generating significant interest in Aguad as a distinctive heritage destination in Goa.

Savio Mathias, VP – Operations and Business Development, Aguad Port & Jail Complex, said “We are honoured to receive the Visitor Engagement Award at IITM Bengaluru 2026. Our objective was to bring a small piece of Aguad to Bengaluru by recreating the experience of the historic Aguad Jail. We wanted visitors to be curious, interact with the space, and leave with a desire to experience the destination firsthand in Goa. The overwhelming response to our immersive stall, coupled with the appreciation for our digital-first engagement approach, has been truly encouraging. We thank IITM, every visitor, and our travel partners for making this recognition possible.”

This recognition further reinforces Aguad Port & Jail Complex’s position as one of Goa’s leading heritage tourism destinations and reflects its continued commitment to bringing history alive through immersive storytelling, innovation, and sustainable visitor engagement.