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As tourism in Goa seemingly takes a hit, the state govt has to step in now

Jan 13, 2025 01:14 PM IST

Goa does not offer the same bang for one’s buck as Thailand, Bali, Vietnam or even Sri Lanka as travellers to these destinations will attest

The New Year started on a sombre and yet almost comical note for the tiny beach state of Goa. A post by a Goa settler and some other visitors on social media featuring empty roads in the state’s party belt got the state’s tourism minister Rohan Khaunte up in arms, threatening to file defamation suits against what he calls “anti-Indian influencers”.

Tourists enjoy at the Arabian Sea as the Sun sets for the last time in 2024, at Calangute Beach in North Goa, on December 31, 2024. (PTI) PREMIUM
Tourists enjoy at the Arabian Sea as the Sun sets for the last time in 2024, at Calangute Beach in North Goa, on December 31, 2024. (PTI)

This is somewhat akin to India’s perennial “foreign hand at play” conspiracy theory as many readers would be familiar with and is tantamount to shooting the messenger. The minister was of the view that in fact Goa was a threat to many countries and states and those claiming it was empty on the New Year weekend are part of a larger conspiracy to destabilise the state. In a highly emotional, over- the-top reaction, the minister added that “tourism numbers will never reduce” in Goa, adding that this year had surpassed last year’s, without offering any concrete data to support his claim.

Let me set the record straight for readers interested. Data is not the state’s (or the country’s) forte but anecdotally there is a mountain of evidence to suggest a perceptible drop in Goa’s ability to pull in tourists, not only as a party destination over Christmas and New Year but all the year round. Actual tourist data comes in with a lag and captures only around 70% of the true picture, according to officials.

To understand the kind of beating Goa’s tourism has taken in the last year or so - Khaunte protests notwithstanding - one just needs to speak to a smattering of people vested in the industry and a few facts emerge.

One, the fall seems sharper when compared with 2022 and 2023, which saw a surge in tourists due to, what’s been called, the post-pandemic revenge travel. Two, the drop is the sharpest in the North beach belt, which is the main party zone but a dip is also visible across the state. Patterns are changing and while South Goa and Panjim still attract the discerning tourists, areas like Calangute, Baga and Candolim are less crowded when compared with the past.

Traffic this year around the New Year was nothing like 2022, when party goers from the North took around seven hours to cover short distances of 10 or 12 km to return to Panjim and the centre. By all accounts, December 31, 2024, felt “normal” traffic-wise to almost all residents who ventured to the party zone from Panjim, much to the delight of locals and residents not vested in tourism, many of whom attest to a drop in their quality of life, thanks to a surge in tourism over the years.

Moreover, the drop is the sharpest in the high-end segment, in particular luxury villa rentals have seen what many owners are calling a “dramatic slump”. A majority of these are owned by those who live in Delhi, Mumbai and the other metro cities and are given on Airbnb or other at rates that range from 30,000-3 lakh a night, depending on the size and specs on offer. This has reflected in lower spends at high-end nightclubs and fine dining restaurants, many of which reported far fewer footfalls even in the last two weeks of December. For one, unlike 2022 and 2023, the more popular restaurants in the northern belt did not require you to use your contacts to reserve a table.

Faced with this sobering reality, the state’s inept political class hurled accusations at whoever they could while glossing over some of the more daunting issues that need to be resolved.

To begin with, Goa does not offer the same bang for one’s buck as Thailand, Bali, Vietnam or even Sri Lanka as anyone who has travelled to these destinations will attest. On virtually any parameter - hotel tariffs, restaurant quality and prices, less alluring beaches, lack of cleanliness, stray dogs menace on and around the beaches, professional and well-run water sports operators and activities on offer or shopping - all these destinations beat Goa hollow. Beaches in the state are quite disorganised and shoddily maintained, lacking even the most basic amenities like clean public toilets. Moreover, the Goan culture and vibe that pulled in foreign tourists in the 1980s and 1990s is nowhere to be found, not even in Goan homes.

The pot-holed and relatively unsafe inner roads in particular and traffic jams on highways might be overlooked but it is the deeply entrenched taxi mafia that deters tourists, even those who can well afford it. On this New Year’s Eve, for instance, a bunch of youngsters staying in South Goa who wanted to travel to the North party zone told this writer that they decided not to do so since taxis were quoting fares equivalent to air tickets for a one-way ride. The state’s attempt at breaking the taxi mafia - Ola, Uber and others have failed to penetrate the Goa market despite many attempts - is through Goa Miles, which offers a cheaper and, in some areas, a fairly reliable alternative but is still too small and limited to make any real dent.

But perhaps the single biggest deterrent to pulling in crowds to Goa is the safety record of the state. The chances of a tourist losing his or her life while on a holiday in Goa are far higher than in competing destinations, no matter which aspect one looks at. I’ll narrate just two recent instances.

On December 26, an overloaded (capacity for 12, loaded with 25) boat capsized on Calangute beach, leading to the death of one but deep trauma for several who were rescued by lifeguards. The boat also carried no life vests for children, another violation. Often such accidents take place with non-registered operators and news of drownings in local newspapers are par for the course. At least 105 people have drowned in the state in the last five years, according to official figures, many due to illegal and unethical operators, lack of regulation and safety oversight or both. This despite a private lifeguard service that works overtime and quite efficiently, reducing the numbers that might drown without.

But even more ghastly was the turn of events on the December 31 night at a shack in Calangute where a brawl between a group of tourists and the shack owners and staff took an ugly turn, resulting in the death of one tourist. This was followed by a second incident earlier this month again in Calangute where six employees of a shack have since been arrested on an “attempt to murder” charge. Without going into the details of which side was right or wrong (tourists could also be at fault at times), I’ll just ask this: when was the last time one read of the death of a tourist in Thailand or Maldives in an all-out brawl between hospitality staff and tourists?

At a more macro level, with the boom in land prices, the state needs to restrain the tendency to convert all available land to commercial or residential use. Over development and endless building permits at the cost of cutting down trees, forests and destroying the flora and fauna is a longer-term threat to Goa’s tourism ambitions.

I’ll end by pointing out that in 2011-12 or so, when state politicians and officials could see the writing on the wall, the then Goa government had hired KPMG to draw up a master plan to attract high-end tourists to the state and transform it into a “Bali or a Maldives”. In reality, the exact opposite has happened while the master plan gathers dust. Khanute and company have no one else to blame but themselves.

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