PANAJI
The tourism season had already come to an end in the beginning of April and the occupancy rates in hotels were very low throughout May. Given that, the sudden surge of tourists in the state is nothing short of a blessing from the viewpoint of tourism business.
Nikheel Shirodkar, general manager, ibis Styles in Calangute, said, “A lot of people, who didn’t come to Goa in May, are coming now in June. In the last 3-4 years, fewer tourists came to Goa in June than May. But, this year, the trend has reversed.”
He continued, “We are 100 per cent booked on the weekend, while we are seeing an occupancy of 60 per cent on weekdays. The weekday occupancy in May was between 35 per cent and 40 per cent.”
Shirodkar also informed that the pick-up window has been reduced to just 5 to 6 days. In other words, people are calling hotels just 5 to 6 days before they intend to come for booking. This shows that this is a sudden trend this year, where tourists are choosing to come to Goa in June.
Pawani Wadhwa, general manager, 10 Calangute, said, “The turnout of tourists has been pretty impressive in June this time. We are totally occupied even today (June 9). This weekend is looking really good.”
Wadhwa continued, “A lot of tourists are coming from Delhi to our property. Unlike Goa, where schools open in June; in Delhi, schools remain shut during June for vacations. Moreover, at 45 degree plus, the temperature is soaring in Delhi. For Delhi tourists, rains in Goa bring relief from scorching heat back home.”
But, it’s not just Delhi which is sending tourists to Goa this June. Shirodkar said, “We are getting maximum tourists from Ahmedabad this month followed by Mumbai. Typically, Mumbai contributes the most to our clientele. But, it has slipped to Number 2 position this month.”
