Goa Tourism Down | Influenced by 450 years of Portuguese rule and Latin culture, Goa did present a somewhat different India to foreign visitors. But nowadays Goa seems to have been fallen from grace. The once thriving tourist hot spot experienced another season ending one month too early – a season that actually never really started. Usually Goa’s foreign tourist season easily carries over into the month of May. But this year in mid April the beaches did no longer show footfalls of international tourists – a trend that already started in 2015. According to local sources not even 20% of the expected international tourists have arrived in Goa this season. For a third year in a row there were not enough takers for Goa flights. As a consequence chartered operators have begun cancelling trips. They now re-deploy aircrafts to other destinations which go full. Goa used to be a stronghold of British and Russians. But numbers for tourists from Great Britain nosedived by 60%. Goa would have lost yet another 20% of the UK market had the local players not lobbied for 3 new landing slots for Thomas Cook. Numbers for Russian tourists went down by 40%. German, Swiss and Swedish charters completely pulled out of Goa. What’s the reason for this dramatic drop?
Things have changed in Goa. Numbers of domestic arrivals went up dramatically over the past years, making the foreign tourists feel unhappy. Crowded and dirty beaches don’t go well with European expectations. National budget tourists come by the busloads now, and stretch the limits of Goa’s carrying capacity. The most visible outcome of this has been the pressure on the beaches on the North Goa coast – most notably, Baga, Calangute, Candolim, Sinquerim and Anjuna – where basic infrastructure is struggling to keep pace with the sheer pressure of national arrivals.
The local government forgot to do the math right. One charter tourist contributes as much as six domestic holidaymakers by staying longer and spending significantly more. Goa’s tourism industry makes far better business with Europeans, because there is less congestion and pressure on the state’s infrastructure. But this seems to be over now. Goa tourism is down and may be heading for some difficult times, also because of “bad” coverage in the media.
Sexual attacks impact India’s tourism business in general. A fatal gang rape in New Delhi in 2016 was sparking many more disturbing news about sexual violence to be published. While numbers of international tourist arrivals dropped by 25% from 2016 to 2017, the number of female travelers dropped an extra 35%. Many women are now choosing not to come at all.
Goa tourism down. By Chili & Chirp | © Hugging Horizons | Visit our page with Asian Travel Destinations.
