Even in non-peak season, starred hotels witness 70% occupancy in Goa

Times of India | 2 weeks ago | 15-06-2022 | 10:03 am

PANAJI: While the tourism industry has had a good run over the past six months - after a prolonged, bleak period due to the pandemic - the monsoon doesn't seem to have affected the fortunes of certain segments of the industry. Starred hotels have been reporting a room occupancy of 70-80% in the first month of the rains, with prospects looking bright for July as well. This appears to be a nascent trend during non-season periods, when occupancy at hotels otherwise ranges between 50 and 60% or even less due a drop in footfalls. When matched with a similar time in the pre-pandemic period, stakeholders say the level of occupancy recorded this month was never so good. "Bookings this time around have been very encouraging. A 70% occupancy for the monsoon season is indeed good. The summer has not ended for the northern parts of India, so people are choosing to travel to Goa, and room tariffs being on the lower side have boosted the growth in footfalls," said Ralph de Sousa, president, Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The other reason for Goa witnessing a rise in footfalls, de Sousa said, is because Southeast destinations - where Indian tourists are known to flock - are yet to fully open up for travellers.

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The Indian Express | 1 week ago | 23-06-2022 | 11:40 am

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The Indian Express | 1 week ago | 16-06-2022 | 02:40 pm

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Times of India | 2 weeks ago | 16-06-2022 | 04:22 am

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Times of India | 2 weeks ago | 15-06-2022 | 08:41 am

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Times of India | 2 weeks ago | 15-06-2022 | 02:40 am

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Panaji: Apprehensive tourism stakeholders, led by the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), have petitioned chief minister Pramod Sawant to take up with the Centre the matter of issuing e-visas to citizens of the UK and other nations that have been excluded so far. Goa did not receive charter tourists last season, while another category of travellers — free, independent travellers (FITs) — largely avoided visiting India after the UK was excluded from the list of countries eligible for Indian e-visas. “We want the chief minister to take up the issue with the Centre. If UK citizens continue to be ineligible for e-visas, footfalls from the country will be negligible for yet another season,” said TTAG president Nilesh Shah. After Russia, the UK has been the biggest market for the state and receives repeat tourists. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has drastically changed the scene. “While growth in the domestic segment has been overwhelming, we are concerned about foreign arrivals. Last season, after receiving a schedule of UK charters, it was cancelled when the country figured in the list of at-risk nations,” a tour operator said. With most of the repeat UK guests being senior citizens, hotelier Savio Messias said they find it troublesome to travel to the Indian embassy in London for visa formalities. Recently, a couple that was on the cusp of booking a trip to India cancelled after realising the arduous process involved in obtaining a visa. “A trip to London involves an overnight stay for them and would cost almost as much as one of their flights to India,” he said. A tour operator said British visitors are the second-most numerous non-SAARC travellers to India and that it is sad to lose so many guests because British passport holders are no longer eligible for e-visas. Shah said that besides this issue, tourism stakeholders also requested the CM to stop harassment of tourists by the police. “We also complained about the prevalence of touts. You find them at beaches, outside casinos, and at other tourists areas badgering tourists. This has to be stopped,” he said. The issue of security of tourists was also discussed as even a small incident can affect the image of the state, he said.

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