Beyond beaches: Goa govt to promote monsoon tourism

Panaji: The Goa government is planning to a give push to monsoon tourism by highlighting various festivals held during the rainy season and other popular activities for visitors in the coastal state, minister Rohan Khaunte has said.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Tourism Minister Khaunte recently held a series of meetings with stakeholders, including hoteliers and airline representatives, to chalk out a strategy for promoting tourism during the monsoon season.

The southwest monsoon has already hit the coastal state, shutting down its pristine beaches for swimming, while opening up the hinterlands for adventure.

Goa witnessed a 10 per cent rise in tourist footfall during the first three months in 2025 compared to the same period last calendar year, but the terror attack in Pahalgam (in Jammu and Kashmir) changed things for the industry, Khaunte told PTI Videos.

The tourism industry witnessed a slump in the footfall after the April 22 terror attack and the impact continued this month, he said.

With things normalising in the country after the successful Operation Sindoor, the tourism industry is working to promote itself as "safe destination," the minister said.

During the calendar year 2024, the coastal state received 1.04 crore visitors -- 99.41 lakh domestic tourists and 4.67 lakh foreigners, as per the tourism department's data.

The Goa government led by CM Sawant, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been working on promoting the state as a tourist destination during the monsoon season, Khaunte said.

While fighting back competition from markets like Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Vietnam, the state is positioning itself as a preferred destination for vacations during the monsoon season, he said.

The state has been promoting various traditional festivals that are celebrated in monsoons, including mud festival (Chikhal Kalo), Sao Joao, Bondera, Sangod and others, which are tourist attractions, the minister said.

Hoteliers and airlines have also been asked to rework their rates to ensure Goa becomes an affordable destination, he said.

The state receives around 100 domestic flights everyday, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) president Jack Ajit Sukhija said.

As Goa is close to metro cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru, domestic tourists have been arriving in the state on a regular basis.

"So the next question comes after this is, what can they do in the monsoon?" Sukhija said.

Goa is famous for its beaches, but they are shut for swimming during the monsoon. "The night life is also less during this time," he said.

This time around, it was decided that the industry will promote its hinterland and life beyond beaches in a big way, Sukhija said.

The industry will promote the monsoon festivals which are part of the coastal state's culture, he said.

"There are also other experiences which become unique, like visit to waterfalls, sanctuaries and others," he added.

IHCL Goa's senior vice president Ranjit Phillipose said it is a great time to visit the state during monsoon. "There is another side of Goa which is serene and very close to nature which is absolutely gorgeous," he said.

Sitting on the beach even in rains, watching the showers, clouds roll over the ocean, is something magical, he said.

Phillipose said he believes Goa is a 365-day holiday destination and during the monsoon period they promote various festivals and activities to attract tourists.