Goa saw an increase of more than 10% in tourist arrivals in the first three months of 2025 compared to the first quarter of last year, according to the estimates by the state tourism department.
A tourism department statement on Monday said Goa witnessed 10.5% year-on-year growth in tourist arrivals for January to March 2025, registering a footfall of 28.51 lakh visitors, compared to 25.8 lakh visitors from January to March 2024.
Tourism department officials attributed the increase in tourist footfall to several strategies, including “strengthening promotion in core and emerging markets, expanding international air connectivity and diversifying tourism offerings”.
An official said strategic aviation partnerships have helped. “Air India Express, which already had direct connectivity to Dubai, now connects Goa directly to Kuwait and Abu Dhabi. This was supported by sustained engagements with Gulf carriers and efforts to tap into transit markets in Middle Eastern aviation hubs,” the official said.
Officials said the state has entered new markets through targeted campaigns and presence at travel and tourism events, including World Travel Market (WTM) in London, ITB Asia in Singapore, the Tashkent International Tourism Fair, and the recent Arabian Travel Market 2025 in Dubai. “The initiative aligns with Goa’s strategy to target high-value travellers and cultural ambassadors globally,” the department said.
It said that under the “Goa beyond beaches” initiative, the state continues to reposition itself as offering varying experiences to tourists, including the Ekadasha Teertha spiritual circuit, wellness retreats, hinterland adventures and regenerative village experiences.
Cultural events such as Deep Parv, the Raponkaracho seafood festival, Chikhal Kalo, Sao Joao festival, Festavista, Spirit of Goa Festival and Heritage Festival have further strengthened local engagement while attracting experiential tourism beyond the coastline.
“These appeal especially to conscious travellers, global nomads and off-season domestic tourists with monsoon travel packages gaining traction in Middle Eastern markets,” the department said.
While April typically sees a dip in tourist footfall post-Easter, May traditionally performs better due to school holidays and domestic leisure travel, officials said.
“However, current regional uncertainties have cast some unpredictability over forward demand. In response, the department has convened meetings with representatives from hospitality, transport, travel services and alternate accommodations to review May-July booking patterns and collaboratively identify steps to mitigate any potential slowdown. With initiatives such as the Homestay Policy, support for women-led tourism enterprises and enhanced inclusion of village-based tourism in the visitor economy, Goa is ensuring that tourism benefits are widely distributed,” the department said.
In January, the Goa Tourism Board proposed several measures to bolster the state’s tourism sector, including setting up a single-window clearance system for weddings, bringing a policy to promote Goa as a “destination wedding” hub, regulation of taxi fares at airports and railway stations, and global campaigns to counter misinformation and promoting cultural tourism.
According to data compiled by the state government, a total of 1.04 crore tourists visited Goa in 2024, higher than in 2023, when 86.28 lakh tourists visited the state. A record 99.41 lakh domestic tourists visited Goa in 2024 compared to 81.75 lakh tourists in 2023, while the number of foreign tourists rose from 4.52 lakh in 2023 to 4.67 lakh in 2024.
In November last year, the state faced flak after some viral posts on social media claimed that tourism in the state is “down in the dumps”. The posts had triggered a barrage of criticism of the state’s tourism infrastructure, with many claiming that travellers were increasingly ditching Goa for Thailand, Vietnam or Sri Lanka, which have eased visa norms. In response, the government had insisted that “tourism is not a zero-sum game” and blamed social media influencers for running a campaign to defame the state.
