Goa Sees 10.5% Increase in Tourist Arrivals in Q1 Amid Growing International Connectivity
Panaji:
Jan to March saw a robust 10.5% year-on-year growth in tourist arrivals, with 28.5 lakh domestic and international tourists visiting the state, up from 25.8 lakh visitors in the first quarter of 2024, said the tourism department on Monday.
The tourism department attributed the sustained momentum to stronger international air connectivity and new tourism attractions in the state. At the same time, the department acknowledged that the April to June period is likely to see a slowdown in bookings.
While April generally sees a dip post-Easter, May traditionally performs strongly due to school holidays and domestic leisure travel. However, current regional uncertainties have cast some unpredictability over forward demand, said department officials.
'The department has convened meetings with representatives from hospitality, transport, travel services, and alternate accommodations to review May to July booking patterns and collaboratively identify steps to mitigate any potential slowdown,' said tourism director Kedar Naik.
The department said that during the Oct-Dec quarter, Goa saw a growth of 38% in domestic and international arrivals. For the entire 2024, domestic tourists increased by 22%, while foreigners increased by 3%.
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Goa received 9.9 million domestic tourists and 460,000 foreign tourists in 2024, as against 8.2 million domestic tourists and 450,000 foreign tourists in 2023.
"Our Q1 success is not accidental — it is a result of deep partnerships, strategic planning, and consistent market outreach," said tourism minister Rohan Khaunte. He said that the department is working to integrate alternate accommodations into the formal ecosystem to get a clearer picture of tourist footfalls.
The steady tourism numbers will provide some comfort for the state as the sector contributes 16.4% to the state's economy. To arrive at the tourism statistics, the tourism department claims it spoke to online travel aggregators, airlines, airports, hotels, shack operators, taxi operators, and international charter operators.
To ensure that the state remains a year-round destination, the department is trying to appeal to conscious travellers, digital nomads, and off-season domestic tourists — with monsoon travel packages gaining traction in Middle-Eastern markets.
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