Panaji, March 23 : The Goa government will build a full-fledged golf course under the public private partnership (PPP) model to promote niche tourism, the state Economic Survey (ES) Tuesday said.

"A site for setting up a golf course under public private partnership (PPP) mode is being identified," the survey, which was tabled in the assembly, said.

Goa's efforts to move away from cheap backpack tourism to niche, up-market tourism has found support from the central government. Tourism secretary Sujit Banerjee, who was in Goa on a western region tourism conference earlier this month, had endorsed the idea.

Earlier attempts to start a golf course at a plateau overlooking the picturesque Arambol beach, 45 km from here, had evoked stiff opposition from civil society groups.

Goa presently has two mini golf courses run by two five star resorts - the Taj and Ramada - and an 18-hole golf course owned by the seven-star Intercontinental resort.(IANS)