The beginning of a New Year May See a Spike in Tourist Inflow in Goa

With the number of events and parties have lined up during the year-end222 in Goa, the boost in tourist inflow seems to be inevitable in the state. The gradually declining tourism scenario in the state will find some solace with the upcoming music events like Sunburn and Klassique scheduled to take place in Goa this month-end.

We may call it to decline in tourism or sluggish season due to the drop in the foreign tourists for various reasons, but if you take a look at the overall tourism inflow is concerned, there is hardly a drop of the small amount of percentage compared to the last year.

The report published by news agency IANS, Goa is expecting a better occupancy rate and the tourist footfall in the new yearend and the events like Sunburn and Klassique which is scheduled to take place later this month will help in boosting the tourist footfalls into the state.

Goa is being one of the most sought after tourist destination in the country witnessed the tourists coming down from all the part of world but what contributes more to the stakeholders in the tourist flow coming down from the rich countries like UK and US and due to the recent fall down of one of biggest player in the travel industry Thomas Cook, there remained a constant decline in tourism this year.

According to the reports, the decline in foreign tourists was as much as 30 per cent. “The upcoming festivals such as Sunburn and Klassique will surely help in improving the scenario by the new year,” said the TTAG secretary Jack Sequeira.         

Goa was poised for slightly better occupancy and tourist footfalls in the New Year, Sequeira said. “The season has become unpredictable. Foreign traffic is down by as much as 30 per cent. Domestic traffic is down too with many Indians choosing OYO and Airbnb type accommodation,” he said.

Sequeira, however, believes musical events, like Sunburn Klassique scheduled in the last week of December, could help shore up numbers and bookings in January looked healthy. “When there are some events, it (tourism arrivals) picks up. Christmas is not looking good but the New Year is looking better. That has been the trend for four-five years,” he said.

Goa is regarded as one of the top beach and nightlife tourism destinations in the country. Thousands of youngsters and music lovers have thronged Goa in the past to participate in electronic dance music events, he added.

Although Goa seen a growing number of Russian tourists to the state during the season but most of them do not generate much revenue to the stakeholders as they either come with the budget package and live in the rented places. Many of them also come searching the employment in the state as there is a huge demand for the white skin in Goa from all the businesses related to tourism.   

According to the reports, Russians have topped the list of foreign tourists in the coastal state for the last couple of decades. In 2018, nearly 300,000 Russians arrived, most of them between October and March. 

The Source: IANS