Home / COMMENT / Hospitality Trends / Goa: a 365 day destination

At par with destinations such as Phuket and Bali in the 60s, the sun-lit state of Goa is now seeing an increase in domestic tourists and foreigners alike.

If there is one destination in India that is patronised by international and domestic travellers alike, it is Goa. This is one of India’s only true international holiday destinations.

With its golden beaches, scenic Portuguese reminiscence of magnificent churches, forts and settlements, Goa offers international tourists a cost effective holiday option. Over the years, the popularity of this coastal state has grown in prominence with an annually growing number of national and international tourists making a beeline for the destination.

Story continues below

Advertisement

COMMENT Comment on this article

However, Goa has a fair share of problems of its own, especially when juxtaposed with other similar destinations across the world.

Goa versus international destinations
In the 1960s Goa was at par with international destinations such as Bali and Phuket, in the number of international visitor arrivals.

Bali and Phuket raced ahead and became popular tourist destinations and hit the 1 million visitors per annum mark by the end of the 60s. Goa reached the same figure in 1990.

Thailand and Sri Lanka have also emerged as preferred tourist destinations. This is likely to bring in more bad news for tourism in Goa. A superficial analysis of the cost of travel to Goa from the UK and Russia, leads us to this.

The UK and Russia are the two countries from which Goa receives maximum tourists. A small exercise of comparing travel cost to Bangkok, Sri Lanka and Goa from the UK and Russia reflects the ease and lower cost of travel to Bangkok and Sri Lanka.

This might not be a determining factor though, but it certainly impacts tourist arrivals. Although, it takes approximately the same time to travel to these destinations, the choice of airlines and the ease of reaching these destinations lie more in favour of Bangkok and Sri Lanka.

Seasonality & Segments
The business for hotels in Goa is seasonal. Tourism seemingly is the most important demand driver for hotels here but MICE is the segment that ensures reasonable business for hotels in Goa.

October to February are the peak months for tourist arrivals, while March to May are the shoulder months, where the hotels host ample conferences and conventions.

June to September are the lean months due to the heat and the monsoon. The average length of stay in Goa is about nine days for international tourists and five days for domestic tourists.