It being customary to begin a New Year with expectations, the tourism stakeholders will possibly have another issue to worry about – that of social media turning the spotlight on Goa, but while doing so, giving it negative publicity.
The headlines on the newspapers on the first day of the new year were definitely not what the tourism industry would want to read.
While local papers focused on the death of a tourist in a scuffle between a group of visitors and shack employees, the national media highlighted social media posts of Goa being deserted for the New Year celebrations.
Neither augurs well for the industry, and as the State empties itself out of tourists who had come to ring in 2025, one question that does lurk in the back of the mind is whether there was a drop in the numbers in the peak season. It’s a question of 'were they here or weren’t they here?'
Social media tells us they weren’t, but even a stroll through the tourist hotspots tells us they were here.
Social media tells us they weren’t, but even a stroll through the tourist hotspots tells us they were here.
For the last few days, there were tourists every which way you turned. They were strolling on foot, riding on two-wheelers, driving in four-wheelers and being driven around in six-wheelers.
The Exposition of the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier brought busloads of pilgrims from some southern states to Goa. Yet, when one sifts through the news, the worry that appears to be in the minds of the tourism stakeholders is that the peak week, that has just ended, saw less tourists than the earlier years.
One reason bandied for the drop in number of tourist is the exorbitant rates of the flight tickets to Goa and that of the hotel rooms. It is no secret that in the last week of the year – the peak week for tourism – prices do rise.
And, while there is reason to believe that Goa has overpriced itself, it is also possible that the infrastructure in terms of hotel rooms and restaurants has increased to more than required.
Or, it could well be a combination of both that is leading to the conclusion that there were less tourists.
One reason bandied for the drop in number of tourist is the exorbitant rates of the flight tickets to Goa and that of the hotel rooms. It is no secret that in the last week of the year – the peak week for tourism – prices do rise.
As per comparative figures between destinations that are being put out on the media, it makes economic sense for domestic tourists to seek a foreign holiday instead of flocking to Goa as flight and hotel rates are comparable to certain holiday spots abroad.
This can be substantiated by the fact that tourism professionals and tourists that GT Digital spoke to in the past week did raise the issue of high air fares, hotel room rates as also taxi fares.
Pertinently, one hotelier admitted doing better this season after having brought down the rates.
Tourism is perhaps the most fickle of industries, and currently, it is a major contributor to the Goan economy in terms of earnings and employment. Any bad publicity can have a cascading negative effect, and in recent months, Goa has been receiving this quite often.
In fact, if Goa really did see a fall in numbers in the peak week, then it is entirely possible that it could be because of how certain posts on social media have portrayed the State, and that is something that the industry has to tackle as it could lead to further erosion of numbers.
If Goa really did see a fall in numbers in the peak week, then it is entirely possible that it could be because of how certain posts on social media have portrayed the State, and that is something that the industry has to tackle as it could lead to further erosion of numbers.
Given that it plays such a major role in Goa’s economy, any slight rumblings can have a ripple effect on State finances, personal earnings and employment opportunities. Tourism, therefore, requires to be managed with all possible professionalism.
It is, however, not enough to only rubbish the figures and videos of deserted streets that are being put out on social media.
The industry and the State government has to turn more pro-active to reclaim the status of 'preferred destination'.
There’s an entire year before the next New Year Eve arrives, ample time for the tourism stakeholders and the government machinery to make the changes that are required to turn tourism around.