Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Over the last few weeks, groups of domestic visitors are driving numbers up in a tourist season that has witnessed bad times due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While this trend could be encouraging for tourism, stakeholders have opined that a mix of both desi and foreign visitors is important to keep the wheels of the sector rolling.
International flights are yet to commence; hence, foreign visitors failed to land in Goa this year. In the absence of charter arrivals, stakeholders are quick to point out the difference.
Cruz Cardozo, the President of the Shack Owners’ Welfare Society, said that there is a flipside of having a domestic tourist-centric industry in Goa. “Just 30% of domestic tourists are heavy spenders, while another 30% are not so lavish. The rest come to Goa for the liquor which is comparatively cheaper than in their home state. There are also those who come with their rations and cook their own meals by the roadside,” opined Cardozo.
Cardozo said that hotels have attracted domestic tourists by offering packages that include breakfast, lunch and dinner. In such situations, shacks and restaurants don’t benefit that much from these tourists.
Tags: domestic tourists, Foreign visitors, goa
