PANAJI
Goa saw contrasting trends in tourist arrivals during the first half of the year, with rail travel continuing to gain momentum while domestic air passenger traffic recorded a steep decline.
Data released by Goa Tourism showed that 19.88 lakh visitors arrived in the state by train between January and May 2026, an increase of 6.8 per cent over the 18.61 lakh arrivals recorded during the same period in 2025. The growth underscores the increasing reliance on rail connectivity among travellers visiting Goa.
However, the picture was markedly different for air travel. Domestic passenger traffic at Goa's airports dropped by 19.4 per cent in June compared to the same month last year. Passenger numbers fell from 565,727 in June 2025 to 455,993 in June 2026, making Goa one of the worst-performing states in year-on-year domestic air traffic that month.
The decline was also reflected in the country's busiest aviation corridors. None of the domestic routes serving Goa figured among India's top 10 busiest flight sectors in June 2026. The list was led by the Mumbai-Delhi sector, followed by Bengaluru-Delhi, Mumbai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Srinagar and Kolkata-Delhi.
