Panaji: As Goa’s tourism industry prepares to weather the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for austerity and reduced foreign travel, tourism stakeholders expressed confidence that monsoon tourism will sustain visitor footfalls over the next four months.
Industry representatives also said the monsoon season is likely to witness a revival in the international tourism segment, driven by enquiries from the UK and foreign free independent travellers (FITs).
Hoteliers, airline representatives, international tour operators and event managers, speaking after a stakeholder meeting on Wednesday, said Goa is expected to benefit from ongoing global disturbances as international destination weddings increasingly shift to India.“There is a surge in
monsoon wedding bookings for the rainy season. People are booking at the last moment, but the current trend indicates improved occupancy across most of our properties in Goa. Overall wedding bookings this year have risen by 20%,” an official from Indian Hotels Ltd said.
Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte, who attended the meeting, said the Tourism Department is in the process of setting up a single-window MICE bureau as a nodal agency to promote Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism.
“The proposed bureau will address issues faced by stakeholders. It will provide single-window clearances and streamline procedures to strengthen Goa’s position as a MICE destination,” he said.
Stakeholders also said that the outlook for international charter tourist arrivals remains positive.
“There are destinations in the Gulf where tourists are hesitant to travel. In the past, Goa has benefited from crises affecting other destinations. The state will witness more foreign charter flights this year. From the UK, TUI Airways will operate wide-bodied aircraft. In addition, two charter flights are expected from Poland, along with strong bookings from Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and emerging destinations like Croatia and Romania,” said Goa aviation expert Ernest Dias.
Approximately 28.5 lakh tourists visited Goa between January and March this year, reflecting near-stagnant growth compared to the 28.51 lakh tourist footfalls recorded during the same period in 2025. The arrivals were largely driven by domestic tourists.
