Panaji: Goa’s tourism sector has seen a healthy growth of 6.23% in the number of visitors between January and September this year, compared to the same period last year, announced Goa’s Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Friday.
The state, which faced challenges during the pandemic due to a drop in international travel, has also recorded an increase in foreign tourist arrivals. From January to September this year, Goa welcomed 3.36 lakh foreign visitors, a rise from the 2.59 lakh recorded during the same period in 2024, Khaunte shared during a press conference.
The minister also addressed the issue of social media influencers potentially impacting tourism, stating they often “target Goa during the last quarter of every year (when Goa’s tourism season starts) in order to influence tourists to not come to the state.” Despite these concerns, Goa has successfully attracted tourists from Russian cities like Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk, which previously lacked direct flight connectivity. Additionally, regular flights from Moscow, Almaty in Kazakhstan, and other destinations continue to operate.
“For us, numbers have never been an issue. We have received 34 flights from Russia and Central Asia while also maintaining our markets in the UK, for which TUI Airways has commenced services from Manchester and Gatwick this week,” Khaunte added. The state is also actively working to re-establish its presence in markets like Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland.
Goa’s peak tourism season typically runs from October to May, attracting approximately 10 million tourists annually, with about 0.9 million being foreign nationals. While domestic tourism has recovered well post-pandemic, foreign visitor numbers are still making their way back to pre-pandemic levels, which is a point of focus for tourism stakeholders.
The infrastructure supporting tourism has also seen substantial growth. The number of registered hotels has surged from 3,647 in 2022 to 9,166 as of September 2025, according to government data.
Looking at the broader picture, Goa hosted 9.9 million tourists in the full calendar year of 2024, including 0.4 million foreigners. In the first nine months of this year, the state welcomed 7.2 million tourists, with 0.3 million being foreigners.
“Overall, we have witnessed a growth of 6.23% in comparison to the same period last year. We are optimistic that the current season will be good for the industry that contributes 16% to the state GDP and 40% of jobs,” Khaunte concluded.