Goa expects a flood of tourists

Last year, Goa had a 55 per cent growth in tourist inflow during monsoon and it expects to improve on the figures this year. The Goa Tourism department is upbeat about this. The Tourism department has published this surge of tourists in 2016 between June and September - this period used to be known as lean season by the industry. However, aggressive marketing and promotion, has changed the picture.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 28 June 2017.

Goa is known the world over as a beach destination because of its 105-kilometre-long beach which attracts lakhs of visitors, both domestic and foreign. The growth in monsoon tourism has got a boost because hotels offer special packages and the number of monsoon activities have also increased. Goa Tourism Development Corporation has introduced activities like trekking, white water rafting, monsoon festivals, special monsoon cuisine, trips to picturesque locales, biking, waterfall visits and others to woo visitors.
The introduction of new train services like Tejas and the Maharajah Express are also helping to bring in more tourists from neighboring states. A recent survey by a website has declared Goa as India's most popular monsoon travel destination among Indian travelers for 2017.


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Independence Day weekend in Goa to be a costly affair

Indications are there that a holiday in Goa, a tourist hot spot, for the extended Independence Day weekend could prove to be an expensive affair. Mumbaikars usually make up the largest chunk of weekend holidayers to Goa and they will have to shell out four times the regular fare to land in Goa on August 12 or 13.
The normal airfare from Mumbai to Goa is Rs 1,500 but, it will cost upwards of Rs 8000 on August 12 and 13. Similarly, the return fare will be in the region of Rs 6500 for journeys on August 15 and 16.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 9 August 2016.

Not only flights bit even bus fares are at a premium. The bus fare from Bengaluru and Mumbai to Goa usually costs between Rs 700 to Rs 900 for a seat in an AC bus - it will cost Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000. Those travelers from regions like Mumbai who decide to drive down to Goa, getting a suitable accommodation would be tough. Hotels that could accommodate last minute travel plans, the charges could be in the region of Rs 12,000-33,000 per night per room.
Flight tickets to Goa from any of the metros are priced three to four times their regular fare for the extended weekend starting August 12.


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Goa is marketing itself as a destination for casinos and liquor

Francis D'Souza, the Deputy Chief Minister of Goa has indicated that the coastal state is a place for liquor and casinos along with other tourist attractions and has maintained that the casino industry is generating revenue for the government.
This has been reported in news18.com dated 12 June 2016.

As the Deputy Chief Minister of Goa has said - Goa is a place for liquor, sun, sand, dance. It is also known for casinos, pilgrimage tourism, honeymoon destination, hinterland tourism and as Electronic Dance music (EDM) destination. He was interacting with reporters on the sidelines of national summit on `Smart Cities in Era of Digital India' organized by Goa government.
While responding to a question on branding the coastal state as a casino destination, he said that Goa is not known just for one thing. Casino is not the only reason for tourists to visit the State. There are several other attractions for tourists to come to Goa. Drug trade and prostitution have given a bad name to the state but these cannot be removed overnight.


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