Is Goa Tourism in Going Gone Mode? A Recent Visit Does Not Give Confidence, but I Have Hope

Goa tourism has been in the news recently but for the wrong reasons.

A social media post, using data shared by the Tourism Department itself, discussed the precipitous fall in tourists to the city-state. It was widely supported by the netizens but also raised the ire of the Goa government, which filed a case.

Goa is not ordinary. Indians are emotionally attached to the place. So it will rake emotions. But what exactly is the truth?

I visited Goa for an alumni get-together and kept my antennas up to catch all signals. What did I find? Mostly, it was not good.

1. The fare.

Well for a Mumbai — Goa ticket bought two weeks before the travel, it was INR 12K, with a stopover. And reaching at 9 PM. With a 6K return flight at 1;30 AM, it was total INR 20K+.

High cost of travel? You judge.

Does it affect inflow? Of course, if the cost to land in itself is 30% of your budget. Not only did it discourage people from coming in, but their spending while at Goa was reduced.

Now there is an alternative airline that operates between Goa and a few other cities, beyond the duopoly. Did not try, but others can (https://fly91.in/)

2. Taxi fare

There are no standard app taxi services (like Ola, or Uber) available at the Manhar International Airport. Or across Goa.

Reason — well we can speculate, opposition by the taxi unions. Now that is the case in every city where they enter there is resistance. Not just in India, but across the globe. It needs political and administrative will to address it.

The result? A bunch of boards proclaiming the prices for the nodal points (and I am sure they are the recipe for adding “extra” for each journey, stating one is away from the “point of drop). But let us just stay with this.

A summary here.

A back-of-the-envelope calculations show these rates. I leave your views on the rates.

Now, the Goa government has also started an app-based service — “Goa Taxi”.

I did not use it, but fares are no less.
Local cab drivers say that the drivers are not local, so they do not add any value to tourists. And they all pay local touts, and police remain silent when any transgressions happen.

1. Toll at airport

Manohar International Airport has a toll rate of INR 200 for pick-up. But the time limit is 5 minutes.
But the pickup point, even at 9 PM was a little bit of a mess with poor signages. So I found it a little difficult to find my cab, and my time became 6 minutes. And the parking toll became INR 500. Wow.

The Airport is squeezing the cabs at every opportunity.
I mentioned the entry toll (and I assume it applies to drop too).
The parking is steep, so cabs avoid it and wait at faraway locations for a call.
But they can’t wait in the 4 KM road built by GMR, as they are hooted away. So the wait is a little bit of cat and mouse game, as the alternative route has been blocked.
I also heard that there was a 160 rupees toll for the 4 km road, which was withdrawn after massive protests.

So the mantra is if the environment is making moolah, why not the airport?

Some quick points talking to folks:

1. There is a drop in tourists for sure, and folks are concerned.

2. Corruption and tourist harassment are endemic. Well, much happens as Tharki Indian males look for hiring girls, and get fleeced, But overall the environment is bad.
The government is now concerned, and taking action.

3. The cab is expensive, and with no Uber Ola tourists are paying through their nose. Well, many manage to rent two-wheelers, but folks with families struggle. And at least Manohar International Airport is adding to “grab culture” right at the point of entry.

4. I have not availed, but friends said that the water sports are running with no control whatsoever. They are continuing even after dusk, and with limited safety measures. And now I read a mishap, and at least media reports suggest that authorities are extremely lackadaisical at the best, or compromised at the worst.

1. There seems to be underlying discontent about outsiders, especially the budget Indian tourists. The issue is complex, but between the bad name of a place and the bad name of a disparate set of visitors, we know which of the entities will be suffering long-term damage.
And yes, with foreign tourists falling in numbers, this does not auger well.

So is all doom in Goa? Not at all. It of course remains the charm that many Indians dream about. What it needs is a course correction, and that starts with political leadership that needs to invest.

I know that in today’s India, many sub-nationalists are asking the ones complaining to “get lost”, but I am sure they are not making a living out of Goa tourism.

Goa remains a national treasure, and we all need to work to keep it alive. And as I said, I found great strides too. One is Goa International Airport, where I spend hours while coming back.

Have a look at the Gents’ Toilet, for example. It is a palace by itself.

As they say, if you want to say the quality of a home, start with the toilet.

The Old Goa Airport starts right there.