Goa, once an iconic holiday destination, is now experiencing a severe plummet, with the tourism industry and tourists reporting major declines in international visits. A social media discussion suggests that Goa is losing its allure in the midst of increasing competition from other states and foreign holiday destinations in Southeast Asia due to myriad reasons including the monopoly of the “taxi mafia”. With only three international chartered aircraft arriving in Goa on Tuesday (5th October), India’s beach paradise is struggling even during peak season, indicating that the number of foreign tourists visiting Goa is dwindling.
Taking to X, Ramanuj Mukherjee, an entrepreneur highlighted the worrying reduction in international tourists. Mukherjee compared the numbers from 2019 to 2023. Even the data Mukherjee shared suggests that from 5.5 million in 2014 to 8 million in 2023, he noted that while Indian tourists continue to visit Goa, they may hesitate as word spreads of exorbitant pricing and tourism exploitation. “Foreign tourists have already left the state. Russians and Brits who used to visit annually have opted for Sri Lanka instead. Indian tourists still visiting, but soon likely to ditch it as word spreads about exploitation of tourists while there are so many cheaper comparable locations abroad,” Mukherjee said.
Are tourists just a cash cow for the Goa tourism industry?
Quoting Mukherjee’s post, popular X user Madhur shared his snippets of his experience in Goa. “The Placard Guy” said that the taxi mafia in Goa is solely responsible for the dwindling tourist footfall.
Highlighting how the taxi drivers allegedly work like mafias and have maintained complete autonomy, Madhur said: “I went to pick up a friend (from Germany) from Benaulim Beach and I was accompanied by another friend (a local Goan). A taxi guy (in Benaulim) saw us, he stopped us and in no time there were 10+ taxi drivers ready to beat us up. The local Goan friend tried to explain them that this German Lady is a friend, but the Taxi mafias were in no mood to understand. I had to drop the lady back to her stay house and she had to pay ₹1800 to a taxi guy (from that area) just for 37kms. These Taxi Mafias won’t let Goa succeed ever. And sadly, nobody can do anything because they are in huge numbers, they have their monopoly. So… it’s sad to see everyone losing business due to these Taxi Mafias.
One X user Nitin also shared his encounter with rogue taxi drivers and how they justify their rude behaviour saying that otherwise they would lose business. “I faced the taxi mafia yesterday in north goa. I had a few hrs between checkout & drop to MOPA. Wanted to do a little bit of sighteeing before being dropped to manohar airport. i called a few guys whose no was provided by the hotel but all sounded rude & charged exhorbitantly. Then thru google i booked a taxi guy who showed up at the hotel. The local taxi union roughed him up and did not let him leave with us. I was forced to take taxi from the union else i would have been stranded there indefinitely. The irony is they justify being rowdy saying they wud not get any business otherwise. Each 5star hotel is handled by a union who does the same to others.
One X user Sandeep Neel pointed out that Goa’s competitors like Phuket and Bali are much cheaper than Goa despite offering better infrastructure.
One Suraj Balakrishnan emphasised the need for the Indian hospitality sector to alter its exploitative ways as he said: “A much needed wake up call for the Indian hospitality sector. You cannot keep charging exhorbitant prices for average experiences & expect tourists to keep flowing in.”
Notably, while Uber is available in Goa some X users pointed out that taxi unions do not let even the “government approved Goa Miles to operate peacefully.
One Naven Varsneya said: “This is just the start. As more south east countries easing out visa norms, with better infrastructure and food choices at 50% of the cost of Goa, all indian tourist destinations( except mandir tourism) will go through reality check.”
Another X user stressed the substandard transportation infrastructure and taxi unions operating like mafia. “The biggest issue from the point of view of even an ordinary tourist is the transportation infrastructure or the lack of it. The unions have turned into mafias there. You can strong-arm such things for a few months maybe, but in the long run, these are pure regressive policies,” Dr Abhishek Singh posted.
Meanwhile, IndiaToday journalist Shiv Aroor noted that in addition to the taxi mafia menace in Goa, local businesses act like they do a favour on tourists and the ‘system’ acting like the tourists are an “inconvenience”.
Even a Reddit user raised concerns about the decline in tourist footfall in Goa five months ago. The Redditor said that tourism numbers fell to 2017 levels in 2023, and 2024 is most likely going to be worse. The Redditor claimed to have noticed many people who opened restaurants are “shutting down or on the verge of it.”
The post stressed the alleged mistreatment of tourists by the locals and that taxis cost like an aeroplane ticket. It further highlighted poor infrastructure and electricity issues. The Redditor also criticised the behaviour of local people towards tourists.
Goa’s declining tourism, and the obvious Goa bubble.
byu/Taroman23 inGoa
Interestingly, back in 2023, an Investor named Viraj Mehta also raised similar concerns about Goa’s tourism decline to due various factors discussed here. Stressing how Vietnam and other competing holiday destinations are offering much more affordable services despite being better than Goa.
“Vietnam is the new thailand..mass affordable tours with direct flights and good value for money..We losing out to south east asian counties due to high real estate prices leading to such inflated hotel rentals..Cheaper to go to Bali/Hanoi than Goa..Strange..Solution?” Mehta posted.
While in June this year, Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte claimed that Goa witnessed a 150% surge in tourist footfall in the last tourism season with over 1 crore tourists arriving in Goa, the experiences shared by the netizens suggest that it is not a rosy picture.
People are concerned about the diminishing number of international tourists, particularly those from Europe which is traditionally Goa’s crucial market, who are increasingly selecting destinations such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Bali. These destinations have competitive pricing, newer and better infrastructure, and a more diverse array of experiences to offer. There has also been a drop in chartered flights from Russia and Europe arriving in Goa adding to the decreasing count of foreign tourists in Goa.
Another major issue raised in the ongoing online discussion about Goa’s tourism sector is that many tourists are turned off by overcrowded beaches, waste management issues, and pollution in key tourist locations there. Notably, Goa’s roads, transportation system, and general infrastructure have struggled to keep up with increased demand, resulting in a negative effect on the overall visitor experience. Moreover, while popular beaches like Anjuna, Calangute, and Baga are often overcrowded and are also said to be losing their charm as pristine and tranquil destinations, Goa has not essentially diversified its tourism offerings compared to its home and foreign competitors.
Notably, many other countries have embraced wellness tourism, adventure sports, heritage tourism, gastronomy tourism, eco-tourism etc, on a grand scale. Although adventure sports, wellness tourism, and other innovative offerings are not entirely absent, Goa’s tourism remains too concentrated on beach and nightlife tourists, with limited offerings in niche segments. It is, however, pertinent to note that the government has been taking initiatives for the development of niche tourism sectors in Goa to make it a versatile destination beyond beaches. This, however, could help Goa match up to foreign tourist destinations and local competitors only if the tourists are not treated as mere cash cows but with respect. The state government should also look into the issues tourists are facing and come up with an action plan to tackle the same starting with dismantling the monopoly of taxi mafias.
Speaking to Times of India last month, Goa’s Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho admitted that Goa’s taxis are the state’s biggest problem. The minister also stressed that taxi operators are absolutely relucted to change and adapt to new trends. He added that the taxi operators held a grudge against the government for installing meters in taxis. He also revealed that the government is suffering a loss of nearly Rs 100 crore annually because of unpaid TDS and GST since most of the taxi drivers “do not contribute to government revenue”.
As several social media users pointed out, Goa has become an unjustifiably expensive destination, particularly during peak seasons. High accommodation rates and inflated prices for food, transport, and services are driving Indian tourists to more cost-effective domestic destinations, particularly as the Indian government promotes other, less-explored tourist areas such as Lakshwadeep. While there may be an increase in local visitor footfall if they are constantly exploited, the numbers will decline, which will have serious consequences for Goa, given tourism is the mainstay of revenue.
