PANAJI
With barely 48 hours remaining for Carnival, the usual fervour surrounding the annual event seems to be missing with a low-key response from visitors.
Stakeholders attribute a number of factors -- the absence of a large chunk of foreign tourists and the unending Smart City works in Panaji for the lackluster atmosphere, at least as of now.
These issues, which have already garnered negative attention on various social media platforms, were also coupled by back-to-back events in the already congested capital city.
“So many factors have contributed to the current situation. Overcrowding during Christmas and New Year is a yearly pattern and we see a similar surge during the Carnival festival, but this year’s turnout does not look impressive,” co-proprietor of a tour and travel agency in Panaji, Nagesh said.
Nevertheless, he added, tour operators are optimistic that domestic tourists will pick up on the event’s opening day. “The visitors have raised concerns about the expensive stay and poor infrastructure compared to other places. Yes, we are getting inquiries but bookings are limited,” another travel agent said. Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho has admitted that Goa has turned into an expensive destination.
Surprisingly, the airfare, which usually soars during this time of the festivity, has remained at normal levels. Similarly, the hotel bookings are only ‘average’ despite otherwise satisfactory response -- thanks to destination weddings and other events.
The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) has conceded the possibility that Goa might have already received tourists due to weddings and numerous other events such as the just concluded music festival, Lokutsav, Mega Fish Festival, etc and the ongoing India Energy Week.
“There’s certainly a buzz surrounding Carnival but we have seen a plethora of events (in the last few days). There are also destination weddings taking place on different days,” TTAG President Nilesh Shah said.
The foreign tourists, who add to the crowd, are also fewer with reasons already discussed. “Usually we see a large volume of foreign visitors during the tourist season including January-February. However, this time, the numbers have dropped for various reasons,” Shah added indicating a weak inflow of foreign travellers.
President of the Goa Hotel & Restaurant Association Gaurish Dhond shared similar views citing ‘average’ bookings for this period.
“The current hotel bookings are average unlike Christmas and New Year, when several accommodation facilities were overbooked... We expect Panaji to be full on the first day of Carnival, although it’s nothing unusual,” he said.
Shah further added that some Indian tourists plan their trip in advance for events like Carnival while also adding that Free Independent Travellers (FITs) and small groups of tourists, to some extent, are compensating for the absence of foreign visitors.
