Goa Foreign Tourist Arrivals Halve to 500,000 by 2025 as Domestic Visits Top 10 Million
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 16
Goa Foreign Tourist Arrivals Halve to 500,000 by 2025 as Domestic Visits Top 10 Million
2 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 16
Around 500,000 foreign tourists visited Goa in 2025, down from nearly 900,000 in 2017, even as domestic arrivals rose from 6.8 million in 2016 to more than 10 million last year.
Higher airfares, lengthier visa processing and increased five-year visa fees have weakened demand, while the loss of Air India's direct Gatwick-Goa route made trips less convenient for some European visitors.
Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Thailand are drawing travelers away with cheaper packages, easier on-arrival visas and cleaner, more tourist-focused offerings, according to tourists and local industry executives.
Goa's hotel and tourism businesses say the shift hurts spending because foreign visitors typically stay longer and spend more on excursions, transport and restaurants than domestic package tourists.
State officials and industry groups are now targeting Poland, Scandinavia and newer Asian and African markets, but Goa faces a tougher fight to regain overseas travelers.
Is Goa's booming domestic tourism inadvertently killing its long-standing international appeal?
As global conflicts disrupt travel, is Goa's dream of regaining European tourists already over?