Even as Goa witnesses a rush of domestic tourists since last month, the picture has been rosy for starred as well as smaller hotels, with most running at 80% occupancy.

After the first wave of the pandemic last year, it was a matter of survival to them. On offer were attractive packages and discounts as the competition heightened, as everyone tried to grab the attention of domestic tourists who turned to Goa to unwind after six months of stress in the full first phase of the pandemic.
Now, slowly, hotels are returning to the true element of the pre-Covid period, confident by the signs of buoyancy in the market.

Vincent Ramos, area director, IHCL, and general manager, Taj Resort & Convention Centre, Goa, said they are doing extremely well with over 80% occupancy at most times.
“Our is the strongest brand and occupancy at our properties has been extremely good, but we are conducting the operations by following Covid protocols,” said Ramos.

Goa is also seeing a rise of high-end tourists, Ramos said, because with the restrictions on international travel, that segment is choosing Goa. Plus, with a majority of Goa’s population been vaccinated, it has added to the state’s profile.

“With Goa’s population being 100% vaccinated with the first dose of vaccine and about 50% of the adult population fully vaccinated, the state has benefited,” Rajendra Menon, general manager, Zuri White Sands Goa Resorts & Casino, said.
“Since we opened after the second wave, every month has been better than the previous one. In September, we had one of the highest occupancies of 83%, while in July and August, it was about 50%. The domestic market is travelling big time. Earlier, the occupancy was robust mostly on weekends, but now it is a quite good throughout the week,” Menon said.

Many expect the bullish trend to continue for the entire season, and that the hospitality industry will be likely be bullish till the season ends. The season may even surpass its past gains as Goa stands to benefit as it is one of the most sought-after wedding destinations in the country.

Guitry Velho, vice-president at Select Hotels Goa, (the Heritage Village Club), said that business has increased with the rise in domestic tourist arrivals. “We are still operating on a smaller inventory as our rooms are being renovated but on a lesser inventory our occupancy has been about 85% and it augurs well for the industry.”
After four bad months, Velho said that although the tariff was very competitive in September, in October, due to the rise in the volume of arrivals, rates are witnessing an upward trend. This trend will continue in the winter months from November till February. The opening up of inbound tourism is very good news for the hospitality industry as well, he said Starred hotels may be able to command pre-Covid rates from November onwards. In fact, for the wedding segment, the rates may be 10-12 % more than the pre-Covid period.

“We are looking at one of the best seasons, though people may term it as revenge tourism or whatever. We are not complacent in taking precautions because we do not want a repeat of the past,” said Menon.
Velho said that though the tariff is still competitive, overall rates are picking up.

“When hotels opened after the Covid break, they all offered attractive rates, but we expect rationalisation of tariff in October and November, and after that, we will see an upward trend,” he said.
The mid-range hotels that largely catered to charter tourists, however, will have to wait for a while for business to pick up. Few have opened, and they are operating at around 25% occupancy.

“For us, occupancy so far is about 20%. Low-end and high-end hotels are running at full capacity, but the mid-level segment is still feeling the hit of the pandemic,” said Tito Proenca, director, Marinha Dourada.
The problem with mid-range hotels, Proenca said, is that over the past two decades, they only concentrated on charter tourism. “We did not build a good base with Indian clients. Opening of the charter market is really good news and hopefully, there will be no third wave,” he added.

Source: Times of India ( https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/hotels-packed-to-capacity-as-domestic-tourists-rush-to-goa/articleshow/86903386.cms )