Goa-Grim tourism season on further decline

Grim tourism season on further decline
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: Hardly two months into the tourism season and reports reveal that cancellation of charter flights has touched 20% and the number of charter tourists visiting Goa is down 40%.
The September estimates had foreseen the arrival of about 40 charter flights a week to Goa for the current season, but revised estimates have reduced this to 32 flights a week.
“About 20% of the 656 charter flights estimated to arrive in Goa have been cancelled. The trend shows a definite decline in tourist arrivals as most flights are landing with 20 to 30% of their seats empty even in the last week of November. This has led to about 18% cancellation of flights and if the trend continues, we might see about 50% of the flights called off by February 2009,” said Subhash Phegade, station manager of Aircon Air Spares and Services.
Landing slots had been allotted to 656 charters at the Dabolim airport for the current season, down from the 747 flights that arrived last season. The estimated number of tourists on these flights is also down from 2,30,000 last season to about 1,65,000. The slide has taken place despite discounts by operators and hoteliers. Condor station manager Bush Miranda said, “Economic slowdown has hit us badly. Prices in the beginning of the season were high. Now, though reduced there are no takers as people are more concerned about their jobs. However, we hope that the 40% of repeat foreign tourists will return this season and we will have a steady flow of at least 40% foreign tourists.”
However, Ralph de Souza, president of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa says, “The number of charter tourists coming directly to Goa has reduced as many tourists are arriving via Mumbai. Certain tour operators like TuiNodic from Finland has cancelled its operations to Goa, but Scandinavian tourists are coming via charters to Mumbai and then onto Goa.”
Industry sources admit that a majority of foreign tourists arriving are those who have booked non-refundable charter tickets. “If they cancel the tickets, they tend to lose money, so they come and prefer to stay and eat in their hotel, rather travel or spend. Due to this, auxiliary sectors like taxi operators, shack and restaurant owners are badly hit,” a source said.
Accepting the downward trend, the industry has started an intensive promotion campaign in UK and Moscow. “Along with routine packages, we are offering an extra supplement of tours to the hinterland, heritage sits, spice plantations, rivers or ghat areas and even promoting trekking in the ghat areas. The idea to expose the 40% repeat clientele to more attractions in Goa, rather than just the beaches and parties,” said de Souza.
Details available with tour operators reveal that charter operators from England have reduced Goa operations this season. While 412 charters arrived from England in 2007-2008, this year the number has dropped to 290. Similarly charter operators from Sweden reduced flights from 68 last season to 52, and those from Finland have brought down operations to 22, half the number of flights operated last year.
There will be no flights from Italy this season, though those from Belgium and Germany would remain steady at 25 and 50. There is, however, a rise in flights from Russia, from 208 last season to about 337. But Vim Airlines, hoping to operate 100 charters from Russia brought in just one and cancelled the other 99.
Tourists skip Goa, head home
Panaji: The continuing global meltdown coupled with Wednesday night’s terror attack in Mumbai has commenced the first tremors in the Goan economy.
Hours after gun shots shattered the peace of the night in Mumbai, foreign tourists cut short their Indian holiday, giving even Goa a miss and left the country from Mumbai.
“Two of our clients from France were on a north India tour and were to arrive in Goa shortly from Mumbai. They left the country from Mumbai itself, after last night’s terror attacks,” Ernest Dias, vice president, TTAG.
Industry insiders, however, say it is too early to predict the impact of the terror attack on Goa’s tourism economy. And if there’s going to be cancellations, it going to be in the Free-of-Itinery Traveller (FITs), and the Group Independant Traveller (GITs) . “There have been four cancellations of GITs in Delhi. Of these, one group was to come to Goa after a north India tour. As of now, there have been no direct cancellations for Goa, but we’ll have to wait for a few days and see,” says Alu Gomes Pereira of TCI. Industry players say the global meltdown itself has seen a 25% drop in British tourists, and a 10% drop in Scandinavian tourists as of November, although Russian arrivals have not really been affected.
“However, Russians are facing a credit crunch now. And coupled with the terror attack in Mumbai, we might see a 10-15% drop in Russian tourists,” says Dias. TNN

28 November,2008, The Times of India, Goa edition