NT Reporter
Panaji
Goa welcomed 76.9 lakh tourists between January and September, with a marginal increase of 0.76 per cent in footfalls over the 76.32 lakh tourists during the corresponding period in 2025.
Domestic travellers powered the tourism count during the first nine months of the year even as the number of foreign tourists decreased due to global disturbances.
The government on Saturday stated that 74.22 lakh domestic tourists visited the state from January to September this year, recording an increase of 1.7 per cent from 72.96 lakh tourists in the same period of
2025, while international visitors fell to 2.68 lakh from 3.4 lakh tourists, indicating a year-on-year (y-o-y) fall of 20 per cent.
Officials said that the arrival figures show continued resilience in the domestic tourism market. “The trend reinforces the importance of continued engagement with domestic and international tourism markets, strengthening charter and scheduled flight connectivity, and developing targeted campaigns that respond to the preferences of travellers from established and emerging source markets,” said the Tourism Department.
Commenting on the latest numbers, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte said: “Goa’s tourism performance in the first nine months of 2026 reflects the continued confidence of travellers in our destination.”
He said that the focus is on building a tourism ecosystem that goes beyond seasonal numbers. “By promoting Goa’s spiritual and cultural heritage, wellness experiences, hinterland destinations, adventure offerings, and community-led tourism, we are working to encourage longer stays, more meaningful visitor experiences, and a wider distribution of economic benefits among Goans,” he said.
The state’s foreign charter season kicked off early this year with the first flight from Ekaterinburg, Russia, landing on September 30 at Dabolim Airport. Around 144 charter flights from Russia, Kazakhstan, and the UK are expected between October and March 2027, bringing in nearly 25,920 foreign tourists.
In 2025, tourist arrivals for the first time crossed the one crore mark, with a total of 1.08 crore footfalls comprising 102.84 lakh domestic travellers and 5.17 lakh foreigners.
Tourism Director Kedar Naik said the arrival figures provide valuable insights into the changing dynamics of Goa’s tourism sector.
“The growth in domestic visits demonstrates the continued appeal of Goa across different travel periods,” he said, adding that the department will continue to work with airlines, tour operators, travel trade partners, and industry stakeholders to “strengthen connectivity, improve destination visibility, and develop market-specific promotional initiatives.”
