Amid coronavirus scare, Holi weekend fails to sparkle for Goa

Those involved in the tourism business in the coastal state, which is increasingly dependent on the arrival of travellers from within the country, have said they do not expect the crisis to blow over at least until the end of April.

Stakeholders in the tourism sector in Goa have complained there has been a 50% drop in business despite a long weekend along with Holi holidays over coronavirus spreading rapidly and emptying travels spots across the world.

India has reported 44 cases of coronavirus so far even as thousands across the country have been kept under observation. (Yogendra Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Those involved in the tourism business in the coastal state, which is increasingly dependent on the arrival of travellers from within the country, have said they do not expect the crisis to blow over at least until the end of April.

School holiday after that will kick in and might help boost the arrivals, they said.

“Tourism arrivals are down by 50% and this is particularly visible over the weekend when we should have seen a huge spike in footfalls, it being a long weekend,” John Lobo, a shack owner along the Baga beach, said.

Besides domestic visitors, cruise tourism arrivals have completely stopped as well with operators giving Goa stopover a slip. On Monday, Mormugao Port Trust announced it would not welcome more cruise ships until March 31.

While tourism arrivals have been low in general over the course of the season, fear of coronavirus spreading has hit it further.

“We are going through difficult times and there is a likelihood that the same may continue for a long period of time. The recent outbreak of coronavirus has had a great impact on tourism globally,” Sainath Dharwatkar, the president of the Goa unit of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), said.

“In these crises, TAAI both the national and the local chapter is committed to standing shoulder to shoulder with the government in its efforts to control the situation,” he said.

Goa’s health minister Vishwajit Rane had warned against large gatherings while also assuring that the state had the situation under control.

“Mass gatherings should be avoided and don’t take a risk in today’s time. At least for the next two to three months, we should avoid these gatherings and any programmes which involve mass contact of people should be avoided,” he had said.

Goa celebrates its annual spring festival of Shigmo that witnesses street parades organised across the villages and towns of Goa which necessitates “mass gatherings”.

The state administration has, however, advised those showing flu-like symptoms to stay at home as a precaution.

India has reported 46 cases of coronavirus so far even as thousands across the country have been kept under observation.