Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Goa is mostly filled with tourists during Christmas, but this year, it seems that they have given the coastal State a miss, with arrivals of both foreign and domestic tourists dropping by 30 per cent.
Goa is popular for its night-long parties, which begin from Christmas (December 25) and continue till the year end and New Year.
“As far as Christmas is concerned, there has been a drop in foreign and domestic tourist arrivals by almost 30 per cent compared to last year,” said Savio Messiah, President, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG).
Messiah claimed that factors like GST have affected the high-end tourists because of the “high air-fares” and the “high cost of holidaying”.
He said that the situation is likely to improve during the New Year celebrations, with more people arriving in the State. The Goa Tourism Department has, however, said that the tourists have just begun arriving and the number would go up during the coming week.
“Tourists have already begun arriving in the State. We expect more footfall this week. You can see how streets are abuzz with people,” said the State’s Tourism Director, Menino D’Souza.
Beach-shack owners, who recently went through a tough time due to Cyclone Ockhi, are expecting a good season.
Tags: goa
