'Goa tourism has bounced back': Minister says hotels are almost full, foreign arrivals at...

Goa's tourism sector has rebounded sharply post-COVID, with hotel occupancy reaching up to 100% and tourist arrivals exceeding pre-pandemic levels, according to Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte.

Presenting official figures during the Goa Legislative Assembly session on Thursday, Khaunte dismissed claims of a tourism slump raised by Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, saying, "Flights and hotels are almost full with tourists coming to Goa. We Goans can see the growth happening."

Between January and June 2025, Goa welcomed 57,12,758 tourists. Domestic arrivals through Goa Dabolim International Airport at Vasco totaled 34,64,490, while Manohar International Airport at Mopa received 22,48,268. International arrivals stood at 3,25,835, split between 1,15,645 at Dabolim and 2,10,190 at Mopa. Khaunte reported consistently high footfalls at both airports and year-round hotel occupancy ranging from 70% to 100%.

Khaunte stressed the accuracy of the data, which is collected through the Tourism Information Management Enterprise (TIME) software, mandatorily used by all hotels across the state. "Every hotel is using the TIME software. This data is real, transparent, and consolidated through technology," he noted.

In a comparative analysis with pre-COVID statistics, the minister said that in 2019, Goa received 80,64,400 tourists, including 71,27,287 domestic and 9,37,113 international. By 2024, the total climbed to 1,04,09,196, with 99,41,285 domestic and 4,67,911 international tourists. This marks a 39.48% growth in domestic tourism and a 50% recovery in international tourism. "Goa has bounced back stronger than ever. These numbers clearly show that tourism is thriving," Khaunte stated.

Condemning what he described as false narratives, Khaunte said, "They take money to create noise and circulate false narratives. But when we presented official data, none of them countered it. If there is a decline, show proof. We have nothing to hide, data speaks for itself."

Highlighting Goa's expanding global outreach, he cited new tourist markets such as Poland, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, supported by targeted roadshows and marketing campaigns. "Goa is now linked to several parts of the world," he said.

Khaunte added that international arrival data from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) will soon be formally included. "Tourism in Goa is moving in the right direction," he added.