Panaji: Goa Tourism stakeholders, including hoteliers and airline players, convened in Panaji on Tuesday to discuss strategies for promoting tourism during the upcoming monsoon season.
Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte, who chaired the meeting attended by members of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) and airline partners, said that a collaborative strategy will be worked out to ensure full occupancy during the monsoon season.
Khaunte noted that Goa faces strong competition from destinations like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. He stressed that stakeholders must act decisively to counter this challenge.
“After the Pahalgam terror attack, there has been a disruption in the tourism industry. Although Goa recorded a 10% growth in the first quarter of this calendar year compared to the same period last year, April witnessed a decline,” Khaunte said.
He added that the shadow of the Pahalgam incident continued into May, with many travellers cancelling their plans. “The entire focus is now on monsoon tourism. The industry must come together competitively and collaboratively to offer packages and promote ‘Goa Beyond Beaches’ in the right spirit,” he said.
Khaunte highlighted the appeal of Goa’s monsoon festivals such as Sao Joao, Chikhal Kalo, and Bonderam, along with the trekking trails, which are potential tourist attractions.
“When we speak of competition from Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Indonesia, it’s about pricing and also encouraging tourists to extend their stay in Goa,” he said.
Khaunte also emphasised the need to promote Goa in key international markets like the UAE and Middle East. He said the hotel and airline industries have assured that they will collaborate to curate attractive packages for the monsoon season.
“Our target audience remains the middle-class and upper middle-class domestic tourists, who are also high spenders,” he said, adding that selling room inventory and experiences between June and October must be done strategically.
