'Fake propaganda' or 'government in denial', debate continues over tourism in Goa
For more than a week now, an online debate has been raging over the state of tourism in Goa, with many arguing that international footfall is on the decline, while others counter, saying all is well. Goa Minister Rohan Khaunte on Wednesday termed the controversy a false propaganda against tourism in Goa and claimed that they have "successfully" exposed it with data.??
'Exposed propaganda'?
¡°We have successfully exposed the propaganda by providing supporting figures on the arrival of tourists in the state,¡± he said.??
The minister was responding to a viral social media post last week that triggered the debate over the state of affairs in Goa, which some claim is turning tourists away from the beach state.??
How it started
Ramanuj Mukherjee, the Co-Founder and CEO of SkillArbitrage, had shared data from 2014 showing how the number of foreign tourists arriving in Goa has seen a decline in recent years.??
The post went viral on social media, and many blamed the taxi mafia and exorbitant prices charged by hotels, resorts, and tour operators for the decline in tourism there.??
However, Goa Tourism denied the claims and questioned the authenticity of the data shared by Mukherjee. The tourism department has also filed a complaint against Mukherjee for posting inaccurate information about tourist footfall in the state.??
Mukherjee, meanwhile, has refused to back down on his allegation and, in a new post, said Goa tourism has a problem known as the ¡°Tragedy of the Commons.¡±??
What Goa Tourism said?
Earlier, in a statement, a spokesperson for Goa Tourism said the state has experienced a robust resurgence in domestic tourism, with 2023 witnessing over 8 million domestic visitors.??
While acknowledging that tourism in Goa had suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the spokesperson said the state has since recovered and is on track to surpass pre-pandemic figures.??
On the allegations of Goa becoming unaffordable for tourists, the spokesperson said the state, like any other tourist destination, is governed by market forces, and at times the air and hotel components make the beach paradise expensive, leaving potential tourists seeking alternative options.
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