‘So-called influencers sitting outside state, paid to create false narratives': Goa tourism minister
Speaking during the ongoing legislative assembly session, Khaunte said there has been a continuous rise in tourist arrivals in Goa. 'There is no decline in tourism,' the Minister told The House.
During the Question Hour, BJP MLA Michael Lobo asked 'whether the minister is aware of the decline in tourist footfall, especially the international tourists' visiting the state and questioned the methodology to calculate the data of tourist arrivals.
'Goa is not being treated as a favoured destination by some European tourists. The tourists from Europe want to come to Goa, but they want a visa-on-arrival facility. Will this happen? Visa-on-arrival will be a game-changer,' he said. Lobo, who represents Calangute constituency, also called for measures to address issues related to illegal touting, taxis and garbage disposal in the coastal belt.
Rejecting Lobo's claims, Khaunte said Goa's tourism is on a 'strong upward trajectory' due to efforts and initiatives undertaken by the state and central governments.
'Flights and hotels are almost full. We (Goans) can see the growth happening. In the past six months, both airports have seen consistently high footfalls, and hotel occupancy has remained between 70 and 100 per cent all year-round,' he said.
'Many of these so-called influencers are sitting outside the state and are getting paid to create noise and circulate false narratives. But when we presented the official data, none of them countered it. If there is a decline, show the proof. We have nothing to hide… the data speaks for itself,' he said.
Khaunte said Goa recorded 71.27 lakh domestic and 9.37 lakh international tourists in 2019, and in 2024, the footfall surged to 99. 41 lakh domestic and 4.67 lakh international tourists. 'This reflects a 39 per cent growth in domestic tourism compared to pre-Covid levels and a 50 per cent recovery in international tourism. These numbers clearly show that tourism is thriving,' he said.
According to the data tabled by the minister in the House, between January and June 2025, 51.83 lakh domestic tourists and 2.71 lakh foreign tourists have visited Goa. A total of 1.04 crore tourists visited the state in 2024, higher than in 2023 when 86.28 lakh tourists visited. As per the data, 99.41 lakh domestic tourists visited Goa in 2024 as compared to 81.75 lakh tourists in 2023, while the number of foreign tourists rose from 4.52 lakh in 2023 to 4.67 lakh in 2024.
In 2020, when the pandemic hit, 26.71 lakh domestic tourists and 3 lakh foreign tourists visited Goa. In 2021, during the second wave, only 22,128 foreign tourists and 33.08 lakh domestic tourists visited Goa. In 2022, the numbers rose to 1.69 lakh foreign tourists and 70.18 lakh domestic tourists.
The Minister said Goa's post-Covid recovery has outpaced other states, and called on Goans to 'participate in building a positive narrative.'
Acknowledging that the state has challenges 'like every other tourist destination', Khaunte reiterated the state's request to the Centre to facilitate a visa-on-arrival facility.
'The e-visa programme has been incorporated for over 170 countries. The visa-on-arrival facility is currently restricted to a select group of four countries, including Japan, South Korea, UAE and Russia, and is operational only at six designated metro airports. We have raised this matter with the Union Civil Aviation Minister and are planning to take it up with the Home Minister as well. We have also corresponded with the Ministry of External Affairs and are pursuing the matter to ensure that Goa is included as a visa-on-arrival airport,' he said.
The Minister said that Goa has tapped into emerging markets such as Poland, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, 'which previously had limited or no direct tourism linkage with the state'. 'This growth is attributed to targeted international roadshows and sustained global destination promotion, which have expanded Goa's reach and visibility across new geographies,' he said.
In the written reply on tourists' arrivals, the Minister said the tourism department compiles the data from source agencies through different modes – flights, railways, seaport and roadways.
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