What is happening in Goa? Fall in foreign tourist arrivals raises alarm bells
Foreign tourist footfall in Goa, which peaked at 8.5 million in 2019, fell to 1.5 million in 2023. While the pandemic years may have played a role in the fall in foreign tourist arrivals in 2020 and 2021, numbers have failed to recover even after restrictions were lifted.
When it comes to choosing the next holiday destination, Goa is one of the very first names that comes to mind for millions of Indians. The same is true for a large section of foreigners as well, who flock to the beach state every year for their holidays.
CREDIT: Pexels
Just three chartered flights so far this season
The peak tourism season is underway in Goa, but this time there is much less buzz on the beaches. So far, only three international chartered flights have arrived in Goa this season, including one that brought 334 Russian tourists on Tuesday. At least two more flights carrying Russian tourists are scheduled to arrive in Goa later this month. However, at the current pace of tourist arrivals, the beach state's hospitality industry is in for yet another difficult season.
CREDIT: Pexels
Fall in foreign tourist arrivals in Goa
This is because, over the past few years, Goa has seen an alarming drop in the number of foreign tourist arrivals. According to Ramanuj Mukherjee, the Co-Founder and CEO of SkillArbitrage, the foreign tourist footfall in Goa, which peaked at 8.5 million in 2019, fell to 1.5 million in 2023. While the pandemic years may have played a role in the fall in foreign tourist arrivals in 2020 and 2021, numbers have failed to recover even after restrictions were lifted.
¡°Foreign tourists have already abandoned the state. Russians and Brits who used to visit annually have opted for Sri Lanka instead,¡± Mukherjee said in a social media post.
Tourism in Goa is down in dumps
¡ª Ramanuj Mukherjee (@law_ninja) November 5, 2024
Foreign tourists have abandoned the state already. Look at 2019 v 2023 numbers. Russians and Brits who used to visit annually have opted for Sri Lanka instead.
Indian tourists still visiting, but soon likely to ditch it as word spreads about¡ pic.twitter.com/RF2TLC2Zvi
Increase in domestic tourism, but..
Interestingly, data shared by Mukherjee showed that between 2014 and 2023 there has been a significant increase in domestic tourists visiting Goa. The number of domestic tourists visiting Goa has gone up from 5.5 million in 2014 to 8 million in 2023.
CREDIT: Pexels
But according to Mukherjee, Indians too are soon likely to ditch it as word spreads about the exploitation of tourists and due to the availability of other, cheaper locations abroad.
Also read: Indian tourists to get indefinite visa-free entry in Thailand: All you need to know
What is turning tourists away from Goa
Many on social media agreed with Mukherjee about how tourists are being exploited by taxi operators, hotels, restaurants, and tour operators. Many also pointed out that things will only get worse for Goa as countries like Sri Lanka and others in Southeast Asia open up for more tourists.
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Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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