Despite the recent Omicron scare resulting in “at least 5-8%” cancellations, Goa Tourism looks to end the year on a strong note as hotel occupancy leading up to New Year’s Eve has been, in some cases, reported to be “better than pre-Covid levels”, people aware of the matter said. New Year’s Eve, considered the high […]
Fag-end months bring cheer to State’s hospitality industry
The fag-end months of the year brought cheers to Goa’s hospitality sector with rush of tourists and weddings bringing back the smiles. However, the industry is not out of the woods as Omicron scare has led to a few cancellations of bookings, albeit the figures are negligible at the moment. The Travel and Tourism Association […]
Omicron variant poses fresh hurdle in Goa tourism’s revival plans
The emergence of a new and potentially more transmissible Omicron variant of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus has put a damper on what was shaping up to be a promising tourism season for Goa’s charter tour operators. The industry was gearing up for foreign tourists for the first time in nearly two years but fresh restrictions on […]
It’s time for a pawcation
After more than a year spent in the confines of his house in Kerala, Ajith Kumar was eager to take his family for a holiday. But not without his two Labradors. So, he bundled them, along with his wife and daughter into a car and drove down to Chennai and Puducherry having already made bookings […]
Hotels packed to capacity as domestic tourists rush to Goa
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 […]
Green light for charters gives hope for Goa’s tourism sector
Goa’s sluggish hospitality industry is awash with relief following the Union ministry of home affairs’ (MHA) Thursday announcement that it would begin granting fresh tourists visas to foreigners visiting India through chartered flights from October 15.The sunshine state contributes about 92% of India’s charter business as it receives 2-2.5 lakh charter tourists annually. Over the […]
Tourism policy shifts focus to Goa’s culture, heritage
Goa’s hospitality industry though rides on coastal tourism and casinos have hogged the limelight in the last few years, Goa tourism policy 2020 aims to change that perception by promoting eco-tourism, cultural and heritage tourism. The policy talks about encouraging tourists to visit villages and explore the traditional Goan houses. The yet-to-be-formed Goa tourism board […]
Goa in most booked leisure destinations among Indians
Jaipur and Goa have emerged as the top booked leisure destinations as several states have eased COVID-19 related restrictions for travellers to boost the tourism and hospitality sector, as per a report. In India, Goa, Jaipur, Manali, Ooty and Mysore are the top-ranked leisure destinations among domestic travellers, according to Indian hospitality startup OYO’s Unlocking […]
Inside Goa’s first alcohol museum
“If these glasses could speak, the history of Goa could be told,” explains Nandan Kudchadkar, the founder of Goa’s—and perhaps India’s—first museum dedicated to alcohol. Spread across 13,000sqft in Goa’s Candolim, the museum, All About Alcohol houses bottles and glasses that date back to the 15th and 16th century as well as ancient manufacturing and […]
As cases drop, hotels reopen, occupancy to pick up in August
Although Goa’s Covid-19 positivity rate has fallen below five per cent, the state’s hospitality industry is yet to get respite. Occupancy in the few hotels that have reopened so far — after the government permitted entry to fully vaccinated business travellers without a Covid-negative report — ranges between seven and 12 per cent only. The […]