PANAJI
As operational chaos at IndiGo ripples across India’s aviation network, its impact is being felt sharply in Goa just as the State heads into its busiest party season. The coastal destination has already witnessed cancellations and rescheduling across accommodation bookings, business events and other travel itineraries.
With Christmas and New Year celebrations only days away, soaring airfares -- triggered by flight disruptions and compounded by other airlines sharply raising prices -- have put Goa at risk of a decline in tourist arrivals.
The latest data from booking apps for early December showed fares on some of the most-frequented routes reaching levels usually seen only in the final week of December. On December 7, a one-way ticket from New Delhi to Goa was priced at nearly Rs 39,000 -- a rate normally associated with Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve travel.
By comparison, fares on several other December dates hover between Rs 7,000 and Rs 11,000, while during the peak festive period, airfares range from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 approx.
For Saturday, December 6, a Delhi-Goa ticket stood at Rs 18,343, while the return sector, Goa-Delhi, was priced at Rs 17,030. The Mumbai-Goa sector showed a similar pattern as on December 6.
Tickets on most December days range between Rs 3,600 and Rs 7,000, even during the last week of the month, but fares spiked to nearly Rs 17,000 on December 7.
Travellers are alarmed not only by peak pricing on specific days but also by the overall elevation of fares across routes. The trend extends beyond traditional metro routes and is evident across other domestic sectors connecting to Goa.
Hyderabad–Goa fares touched Rs 21,200 on December 7, despite dropping to Rs 3,000-Rs 7,000 on surrounding dates. Chennai–Goa also saw tickets above Rs 21,000 on December 6 and slightly lower at Rs 18,580 on December 7 -- yet well above the usual Rs 4,000-Rs 8,000 range.
Travel industry executives attributed the sharp rise in fares to capacity constraints largely caused by IndiGo’s disruptions.
“The situation is already affecting tourist inflows. We are hopeful IndiGo will resolve the issue soon, but what we are seeing now is excessive. A reasonable hike is understandable, but this surge amounts to unethical profiteering,” TTAG President Jack Sukhija said.
Another TTAG member explained that the current airfare surge is more than prices during seasonal demand. “IndiGo flights are being cancelled frequently... Other airlines are taking advantage of this by hiking fares steeply, even though demand has not yet reached its seasonal peak. This is bound to impact Goa,” he said.
A destination management firm in North Goa, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned of likely losses if the disruption continues. “We have received several requests for rescheduling and cancellation of travel packages. At this stage, we are uncertain whether bookings will remain full in the coming days,” a senior executive said.
Gaurish Dhond, Chairman of the Goa Hotels & Restaurant Association, also expressed concern over the growing impact on the accommodation and hospitality sector. “We are seeing a large number of cancellations in hotel bookings, and new reservations have slowed. We are seeing that several travellers are stranded, and the uncertainty is causing both cancellations and deferred bookings,” he said.
TTAG confirmed that several bookings have been cancelled recently, with travellers either facing flight disruptions or fearing that the ongoing issues may not be resolved in time to salvage their holiday plans.
“Many visitors are cancelling pre-emptively,” another tourism stakeholder said adding, “They fear that if the situation drags on, they could lose a major portion of their booking amount. By cancelling early, they can recover some or even all of what they paid for accommodation or travel.”
Warning of wider repercussions, Dhond added that Goa risks losing not just leisure tourists but also major events. “Segments such as MICE, which usually attract large crowds, are also under threat. MICE have already faced an impact currently and if the disruption continues, it will have a serious impact on tourism. The government needs to step in urgently to resolve this issue,” he said.
