TBM Staff - Mumbai
Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte has rejected recent data showing a sharp decline in foreign tourist arrivals to the state, calling it “misleading” and “unverified.” The controversy began when entrepreneur Ramanuj Mukherjee shared figures suggesting a dramatic drop in foreign visitors, from 8.5 million in 2019 to just 1.5 million in 2023. Mukherjee’s tweet claimed that Russian and British tourists had shifted their annual visits to Sri Lanka instead of Goa, sparking public concern.
Khaunte dismissed these numbers, alleging they came from an unverified “Chinese outlet” and asserting that post-pandemic travel patterns had changed. He emphasised that tourists now seek diverse experiences beyond traditional urban hotspots, and Goa is working on promoting areas like the hinterlands, wellness, and adventure tourism to diversify its appeal. Khaunte also defended the tourism department’s decision to file a complaint against Mukherjee, stating that the spread of false data was damaging and needed to be addressed.
Mukherjee, however, clarified that the data came from CEIC, a London-based firm with offices in India, and not a Chinese outlet as claimed by the minister. He refuted the accusations and stood by his report, suggesting that the tourism decline was a reality that needed attention.
The Goa tourism department, in its response, maintained that the figures were inaccurate, claiming that domestic tourism in 2023 had surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with over 8 million visitors. Additionally, it reported that international tourism had begun to recover, with foreign arrivals rising to over 450,000 in 2023, signaling positive trends in the state’s tourism sector.
