The Hindu Business Line : 20% dip in Goa tourist arrivals

Growing concerns
Due to the fall in demand for airlines tickets, the number of flights coming to Goa has come down to 25 per day as against 42.
During the winter season there could be further slump in the tourists arrival in the State.
Visa hassles faced by the UK tourists to India, on account of problems of outsourcing of the visas introduced since last year, has been the major cause for decline of UK tourists to Goa.

Prakash Kamat

Panaji, Aug. 5 Faced with a major dip in tourist arrivals over the past several months, particularly foreign tourists, Goa’s tourism industry is poised to debate the need for diversification of its product from over emphasis on beach tourism to other areas such as archeology and heritage.

With the help of The Energy Research Institute (TERI), a prominent environmental NGO, the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) has also planned an ambitious “greening tourism project.” The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), trade and industry body, in association with TTAG, and State Directorate of Tourism are organising a seminar here on tourism on Friday.

Mr Ralph de Souza, President of TTAG, on Monday outlined the growing concerns of the hospitality industry in the State when he said the coastal State has witnessed 20 per cent dip in the tourist arrivals over the past several months.

Much to the plight of the industry, lowering of room tariffs by around 15-20 per cent has failed to arrest the decline. Global recession and inflation are hitting the travel industry hard, Mr de Souza said. Costly air travel has been the worst problem, he added.

Mr de Souza said that the corporate sector has cut down on executive travel, meetings and business conferences in a big way. The fringe benefit tax has also affected the travel segment. The tourism industry is also concerned over the decline in industrial growth. Mr Gaurish Dhond of TTAG said that due to the fall in demand for airlines tickets, the number of flights coming to Goa has come down to 25 per day as against 42 and that during the winter season there could be further slump in the tourists arrival in the State.

As for the chartered segment, Mr de Souza apprehended a decline this year due to the visa problems faced by the potential tourists due to outsourcing of visa issuance system and levy of 60 pound surcharge by the tour operators. Worried by the decline in the international tourist arrivals in the current season too, the tourism industry in this coastal tourist State has decided to petition to the Union Government to extend the provisions of the tourist visa from existing six months to at least two years.

Mr de Souza, said the demand of the industry for extending the tourist visa provisions to two years would benefit the around 35-40 per cent of the repeat customers the Goan hoteliers get from the foreign segment.

Mr de Souza also held responsible the visa hassles faced by the UK tourists to India, on account of problems of outsourcing of the visas introduced since last year, being the major cause for decline of the UK tourists to Goa.

Traditionally, the UK happens to be Goa’s leading foreign market. “Goa is positioned as a long haul winter destination and we compete with other international destinations,” Mr de Souza said and blamed high taxation in the country for making the destination less competitive. He called for rationalisation of taxes.

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