Panaji (Goa)

 Goa seems to be changing its image as a summer vacation destination with the tourism during monsoon season witnessing unprecedented 60 per cent growth during last year as per the data released by the State government.

Goa has been receiving foreign tourists in the summer season while the monsoons have been traditionally lean season due to slack in the international arrivals who come here to be on the beaches. 

The data which was made available by the State tourism department last week has indicated that there was 60 per cent rise in the tourist arrival during the monsoon season between June to September 2017.

State tourism director Menino D’Souza said that tourist arrivals shows a phenomenal  rise in tourist arrivals during the  monsoons  by 60 per cent  as against 22 per cent  for the same corresponding period  in the year 2016. 

He said that Goa saw a total of 19.15 lakh tourist arrivals in the year 2017 as against 11.93 lakh tourists in the year 2016 during the period June-Sept. 

“A total of 18.55 lakh domestic tourists visited the state during the monsoons in the year 2017 as against 11.48 lakh in the year 2016. There was also an increase in foreign tourist arrivals with 60,161 footfalls being recorded in 2017 as against 45,437 in 2016,” he said.

As per the data available from the department, in the month of June 2017,  Goa  saw a record of 30.75 per cent  growth in tourist arrivals, followed by 61.44 per cent  arrivals in the month of July, 71.39  percent in August and 94.55 percent in September.

He said that State’s aggressive  marketing and promotion of Goa as  a 365  day tourism destination with umpteen focus on Monsoon tourism has reigned in footfalls  during the four months  of the monsoons June-Sept. 

“The monsoon time  is now a  preferred season for travel  by  both domestic and foreign tourists.  This increasing attraction to the State during the months  of June, July, August and September can be attributed to  the pleasant weather conditions, scenic landscapes,  endless  monsoon activities and events, monsoon adventure like white water rafting and trekking,  monsoon flavors and a lot more,” he said.

D’Souza claimed that  during the last two to three years,  Goa Tourism  has successfully bridged the gap between   its  seasons May-October and has  turned the off-season during the four months from June-Sept  into a bustling time for tourism stakeholders and the hotel and hospitality industry. 

The tourism department stated that activities revolving around events like Sao Joao, Bonderam, Chikalkalo etc  are drawing thousands of footfalls, and special monsoon packages to  view Goa’s waterfalls, springs etc are going overwhelming responses. 

“Adventure activities like White Water Rafting and trekking expeditions in Goa has added much more excitement to the list of activities during the monsoons in Goa,” he said.