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Goa sees 1.08 crore visitors in 2025, but foreign charter arrivals decline: Data
The statistics showed that a bulk — 1.02 crore — were domestic tourists, while 5.17 lakh were foreigners, representing an increase over the 1.04 crore total tourists received last year
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Panaji: The Goa Tourism department has said that the state saw 1.08 crore tourist arrivals, both from within the country and abroad, between January and December 2025.
However, the number of foreign tourists arriving via charter flights continues to fall further, official statistics released on Saturday said.
The statistics showed that a bulk — 1.02 crore — were domestic tourists, while 5.17 lakh were foreigners, representing an increase over the 1.04 crore total tourists received last year.
“As per 2025 data, Goa recorded 1,02,84,608 domestic tourists and 5,17,802 foreign tourists, aggregating to 1,08,02,410 total arrivals,” the department said in a statement.
The number of foreigners arriving via charter flights has continued to decline, reflecting a trend that began in 2017.
In 2024, charter arrivals stood at 266 flights and 58,680 tourists. As of 2025, Goa received 189 charter flights, bringing in 40,336 foreign tourists, with operations split between Dabolim and Mopa airports.
In 2017, Goa received 1,024 charter flights carrying 2,49,374 foreign tourists, which gradually declined to 799 flights and 2,16,738 tourists in 2019. The introduction of Manohar International Airport (Mopa) was reflected in data from 2023, when charter operations were recorded at both airports, with a total of 356 flights and 72,795 tourists.
However, travellers arriving via scheduled international flights have increased.
In 2024, the total rose to 1,546 flights carrying 1,95,990 tourists. As per 2025 data, a total of 1,784 international flights operated through Dabolim (643 flights) and Mopa (1,141 flights), carrying 2,35,798 foreign tourists.
As regards those arriving by cruise vessels, the department said there was a “significant increase” from 2023 onwards, with 52 vessels and 58,603 passengers, followed by 50 vessels and 66,555 passengers in 2024.
“As per 2025 figures, 37 cruise vessels called at Goa, bringing in a total of 51,510 passengers, comprising 10,086 foreign tourists and 41,424 domestic tourists,” the department also said.
“Our focus remains on promoting quality tourism, diversifying markets, and advancing Goa’s vision of Regenerative Tourism, ensuring that tourism growth translates into long-term benefits for local communities, the environment, and the economy,” Khaunte said.
Tourism stakeholders, however, said that the ongoing season has been lacklustre for several categories of hotels.
“This has been a very subdued season, especially the peak week between Christmas and New Year, which I would say has been the worst season since Covid. Some hotels, especially starred hotels that host weddings, have done okay and, on the contrary, have seen growth of 8–10% over last year. But among our members, there isn’t a single hotel that could report an occupancy of over 80% during the month of December,” said Jack Sukhija, president of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), an industry body.
“Foreign tourist arrivals have completely fallen and are today less than half of what they were pre-Covid. This is largely due to foreign tourists no longer being able to get what they originally saw in Goa in the form of hospitality and peace and quiet,” he said, adding that many of Goa’s long-standing issues — ranging from permissions and overcrowding to cleanliness — are yet to be addressed.
The department said it “remains committed to promoting quality tourism, diversifying source markets, strengthening infrastructure, and advancing its vision of Regenerative Tourism, ensuring balanced growth that benefits local communities, preserves the environment, and enhances visitor experiences.”
