Panaji: After a brief ban on the bikini in its ads, the Goa government is returning to the swimsuit to hook tourists.

State Tourism Director Swapnil Naik told PTI that three models have been signed for a new tourism campaign for Europe - two of them will be in bikinis.

The models are: Former Miss Russia Svetlana Stepankovskaya, Indian model Alisha Pekha and Bollywood actor Mahima Chaudhary.
     
Stepankovskaya and Pekha will be shot in two-pieces.

A few months ago, the state government, confronted with a dizzying series of rapes and murders, some of them involving foreigners, had decided to ban swimsuits for ads because they promoted "the wrong image" for the state.

Mr Naik says there's no u-turn because these ads will be seen only in Russia and the United Kingdom.
 

Tags: bikinis in Goa, Goa, Goa rape, Goa tourism