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Desi Travellers Ruling the Tourism Industry of Goa, Male dominated Tourism is on the rise in the state

Domestic Tourists have captured the tourism industry of Goa during the past few years and the foreigners seem to be disappearing from the scene. The
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Domestic Tourists have captured the tourism industry of Goa during the past few years and the foreigners seem to be disappearing from the scene. The report claims that Desi travelers have increased tenfold during the past two decades and the numbers of the foreigner have been drastically dropped down except for the Russian tourists, wherein most of them come seeking an employment in the state.

The drop into the English tourists have surely affected the quality of tourism in the state but the increase in domestic tourism has substantially substituted that loss. According to the Economic Times report, the real growth story in Goan tourism industry comes from the patronage of domestic tourists. From 6.8 lakh domestic tourists in 1985, over 68 lakh Indians traveled to Goa in 2017. This year, the number is expected to cross 70 lakh, which is five times the state’s population.

“The millennials’ need to travel has led to an increase in demand for Goa,” said the senior official attached to MakeMyTrip travel portal, who is responsible for the Goa market. “There are all types of travelers — from honeymooners and backpackers to people looking to party or just to get some fresh air. They are also experimenting with different options: villas, apartments, hotels.” 

If you take a look at the trend into the Foreign tourists against the domestic travelers flocking into to Goa the increase is drastic. The graph shows the foreigners traveling to Goa from 2.5 Lakhs in 2008 has just gone up to 8.9 Lakhs in 2017, while during the same period the numbers of domestic tourists had boomed from 20 lakhs to 68 lakhs.

Goa offers much more options compared to other states in India for the domestic tourists who mainly plan the short trips to the state compared the foreigners who come for the longer period.

The tourism in the state has taken a completely new route to attract the domestic tourists into the states that include, yoga retreat, writers’ workshops, entrepreneurship beach camps, cooking classes, bird watching and even a weekend to “make your fiance love dogs”. 

“No other place in India offers such diversity as Goa does. To do backwaters and the beach in Kerala, you need six-seven days. In Goa, it gets done in two-three days,” says Robin Pinto, head, Oyo-Goa market. 

FOREIGNER TOURISTS COMING ON TOURIST VISAS DOING BUSINESS IN GOA

How The Domestic Tourism has Affected this tiny state?

Everything comes with the price, and tourism is no different. The inadequate infrastructure and not proper garbage management have put Goa into the complete mess. The population is hardly 1.5 million deals with the five times of its population and it is needless to say that this has led to a serious crisis.

The beautiful beaches have turned into the garbage zones with the stink spread across everywhere. The report further states that though the government has banned drinking on the beaches to save it from getting into the mess the Shacks on the beaches serving the Alcohol.

Another thing that has come into the light is the orientation of the tourists coming into the state. The ET reports says that despite Government has many plans for the tourism development in the state, the major chunk of domestic tourists comes for the offshore casinos and due to that, it has become male-dominated tourism destination like Thailand and Bangkok.

According to the famous fashion designer and now a writer too, Mr. Wendell Rodricks says that Goa has a choice, either to become a male-dominated tourist destination like Bangkok or become, like Singapore, a place for family holidays. It is our government’s fault that it has not yet outlined what kind of tourists it wants to attract.

The plans of the government or the tourism department are bleak about what kind of tourists they are looking for, and until unless some visionary comes on the helm of the tourism industry, the things will keep moving directionless. What is your opinion on this??

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