Why is Goa struggling? Traveller shares first-hand experience from his recent trip; Watch

Goa, once celebrated as India's top tourist hotspot, is facing mounting criticism from travelers who say the state is failing to meet their expectations. As prices soar and service quality declines, tourists are demanding more value for their money. On Tuesday, Vishal Bhargava, a social media user, shared his first-hand experience from a recent trip to Goa. 

In a short video message, Bhargava said Goa has become expensive from airfares to hotels to even taxis. "So, South Asian nations are findings preference." Goa's beaches have become a mess, he added: "Lot of illegal construction is taking place. stray dogs are everywhere." 

Bhargava further criticised the quality of service throughout the state. "Service quality across the board in Goa is terrible. Most restaurants and cafes of Goa with thier service would not survive 3 months in a market like Mumbai."

"The problem with Goa is that it became rich without much effort," Bhargava explained. "Now as it becomes expensive, tourists are demanding value and Goa is failing." 

The whole debate on tourism in Goa began after entrepreneur Ramanuj Mukherjee shared troubling statistics showing a significant drop in foreign tourism. According to Mukherjee, "Foreign tourists have already abandoned Goa. Russians and Brits who used to visit annually have opted for Sri Lanka instead." 

Mukherjee’s data shows a stark contrast in tourism numbers over the years. In 2019, Goa welcomed 8 million domestic tourists and 8.5 million foreign tourists. By 2023, while domestic tourism remained stable at 8 million, foreign tourist arrivals plummeted to just 1.5 million. 

The post resonated with many visitors, who cited issues such as the taxi mafia and inflated hotel prices as primary reasons for the decline in foreign tourism.

Rahul Raj, a social media user, said Goa was India's top tourist destination for foreigners and Indians. But, he said, insane prices and cab mafia are killing the experience. "One can give 'free market' explanation for hotel & food prices, but there is no justification for cab mafia. It is sad that (the) government is blind to this."

"Goa’s taxi mafia is responsible for it. 100%," said Madhur, a traveler and social media influencer. Madhur shared a distressing experience with the taxi mafia, recounting an encounter in Benaulim Beach. 

“I went to pick up a friend from Germany, and I was accompanied by a local Goan. A taxi driver saw us, stopped, and within minutes, there were over 10 taxi drivers ready to beat us up,” he explained. "The local friend tried to explain that the German lady was my friend, but the taxi mafia was not interested. I had to drop her back to her stay, and she had to pay Rs 1800 for a 37 km ride. These taxi mafias won’t let Goa succeed. Sadly, nobody can do anything because they have a monopoly. It’s sad to see businesses suffer because of them."

However, the Goa Tourism Department has pushed back against claims that foreign tourism has seen a decline. In a statement, the department acknowledged the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on global travel, noting that Goa's international tourism was on a steady recovery path. "In 2023, foreign tourist arrivals rose to over 450,000, a significant increase from pandemic lows, as travel restrictions eased and global mobility improved."