Goa’s comeback story is gathering pace. Between January and March 2025 the state counted 28.51 lakh holiday‑makers, up from 25.80 lakh a year ago—a 10.5 percent leap that wipes away the memory of last season’s empty shacks and half‑full clubs. Tourism officials credit three coordinated moves: aggressive marketing in Europe, the Gulf and tier‑II Indian cities; fresh non‑stop flights funnelling through the new Manohar International Airport at Mopa; and a conscious push to sell Goa as more than “sun, sand, sea.”
Better access, broader appeal
Direct connections from Dubai, Doha, Frankfurt and Bengaluru now land daily at Mopa, slicing transit time and giving charter operators guaranteed slots—a change that has already lifted international arrivals by double digits. The state’s pitch has also grown wider: curated spice‑farm walks, hinterland cycling routes and wellness retreats sit alongside the headline beach circuit, coaxing longer stays and healthier average spends.
Choosing your coast—North vs South
For visitors weighing the perennial North vs South Goa debate, the contrast has never been clearer. Party‑centric Calangute and Anjuna still throb after dark, while Palolem and Agonda answer with hammocks and yoga bells. Rustic beach huts in South Goa are sprucing up with solar power and Wi‑Fi, wooing digital nomads who once skipped the state for Bali.
Fixing the ride
Last winter’s slump exposed what locals call the taxi mafia: limited public transport and metre‑free fares that occasionally exceeded the cost of a flight ticket. Viral rants pushed authorities to expand the GoaMiles app, publish indicative fare cards and pilot electric bike‑share docks at major beaches—small steps, but enough to reassure first‑timers.
New ways to sail in
Road fatigue also eased with the Mumbai to Goa ferry, a RoPAX service set to launch on 26 August 2025. The six‑and‑a‑half‑hour sea hop promises to move 620 passengers (and their cars) in air‑conditioned comfort—an experience tailor‑made for festival‑season traffic.
Value still matters
Domestic travellers remain cost‑conscious, and Goa’s famously low liquor price in Goa continues to sweeten the deal. Happy‑hour shacks from Baga to Benaulim report bar sales back at pre‑pandemic levels, while boutique wineries near Ponda offer tasting rooms that rival Nashik’s.
The outlook
Minister Rohan Khaunte calls Q1’s numbers “evidence that partnerships and planning matter.” If air links keep multiplying, ferry decks fill up, and transport reforms bite, Goa’s visitor curve could finish 2025 higher than its record 2019 peak—cementing its place as India’s most coveted coastal escape.
Source: Times Now
