PANAJI
Goa is a favourite place for Christmas and New Year parties. People from across the world come to this small State to celebrate. The idea of Goa as a party destination is not new. It began in the 1970s when hippies started visiting quiet villages and beaches in search of peace and freedom.
Over the years, more people started coming to relax. Today, Goa offers many places to celebrate New Year’s Eve and watch the New Year sunrise. Young party lovers, busy professionals and even celebrities like to spend the last night of the year away from their daily routine.
One such visitor is Minal Rajguru from Rajkot, who travels to Goa every year with her close-knit family. They usually stay in an Airbnb bungalow in South Goa. Minal comes from a business family. She runs a high-end boutique in Rajkot, her husband works in real estate, and her young daughter has her own wine-making business that caters to clients in Goa.
The family enjoys long walks on the beach and savours Goan vegetarian dishes, which are very different from their usual Gujarati cuisine. Sharing her experience, Minal says, “Goa is my favourite place to chill, and we visit at least three times a year. The nature here offers stillness and calmness, which is hard to find in the busy commercial city of Rajkot.”
With more tourists choosing homestays and Airbnb options, many wonder whether people now prefer such places over five-star hotels and luxury resorts to enjoy privacy and avoid large crowds. Jack Sukhija, president of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), shares his view on this trend. According to him, branded hotels are doing as well as last year, or slightly better.
However, smaller hotels are struggling. “The smaller hotels have hired between 10 and 40 per cent. There is still a lot of excess capacity and visitor numbers have not grown much,” Sukhija says. He adds that foreign tourist arrivals are no longer increasing as before. “The original reasons why foreigners came to Goa – its relaxed vibe and natural beauty – are slowly fading. Indian tourists are also being strongly attracted to South East Asian countries,” he points out.
Former TTAG president Nilesh Shah says the charter flight business has shown some improvement compared to last year. “Charter flights from Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus have increased by 25 per cent. Flights from the UK are also better than last year,” Shah says. Despite this positive sign, he notes that overall tourist inflow is down. “There is a fall of 15 to 20 per cent compared to last year, even though hotels have reduced their rates by 10 to 15 per cent,” he adds.
One major reason for this dip is the absence of the Sunburn music festival in Goa this year. The festival, which used to attract thousands of young music lovers, has been shifted to Mumbai. As a result, a large section of Gen Z tourists who would earlier plan their Goa trip around Sunburn have stayed away.
“Music attracts Gen Z, and since most December 31 music festivals are cancelled, this has become a big deterrent,” Shah says. He also points out that several clubs have shut down due to operational irregularities and high costs, which has further reduced nightlife options in the State.
Travel agents say the problem runs deeper. According to them, only a handful of firms control music rights in Goa, and their charges have increased sharply. A travel agent, whose bookings have dropped significantly this season, said, “Their rates have gone into lakhs. Without government help to regulate prices and permits, organising events has become impossible.”
Stakeholders believe that government intervention is urgently needed to control the pricing of music rights and to simplify fire safety and pollution permits. However, they claim that no serious discussions have taken place so far, leading to a sharp fall in entertainment-related tourism.
Although air fares have come down slightly, they are still not low enough to encourage a large number of people to book last-minute tickets to Goa. A booking agent said, “After the recent IndiGo issue, flight frequency to Goa has dropped by five to eight per cent.” This has further affected tourist numbers.
Another concern often raised by visitors is local transport. Over the years, Goa has earned a reputation for having costly and unreliable transport services. The lack of affordable taxis and easy travel within the State continues to discourage many potential tourists.
Hotels that were once sold out weeks in advance during the festive season are not full this year. A hotelier said, “There is business and prices have been rationalised, but we expect better occupancy only after mid-January when the wedding season begins after Makar Sankranti on January 14.”
Luxury resorts and five-star hotels, however, are still doing well. December is also the peak season for destination weddings, with families travelling from Gujarat, Mumbai, North India and South India. These high-end weddings have helped the hospitality sector stay afloat, although the overall mood is more subdued than last year.
While tourist numbers may be down, the festive spirit among Goans remains strong. Many locals prefer to celebrate in their own simple ways. Some attend midnight Mass at their parish churches, while others go out for dinner with family or enjoy dance parties with friends. Art galleries across the State curate special events, and resorts offer discounts on advance table bookings.
At Majorda, Quinta de Valadares partner Gawin Valadares said, “Our venue is already booked for December 31.” This shows that there is still demand for private celebrations, even if large public events are missing.
At Dr Malik’s Farm in Hasapur, Pernem, Chaitanya Malik and his wife Sawani Shetye Malik have organised a unique celebration. They are hosting a traditional Goan cooking workshop with Red Soil Stories. “We have arranged hands-on traditional cooking with pooja, farm-to-table meals, authentic Goan flavours and relaxed time in nature,” says Sawani. The event will also allow participants to spend time near a natural water pool on the farm.
The Museum of Christian Art (MoCA) at Old Goa is also busy with a series of Christmas events. These include heritage walks, workshops, a Natal pop-up bazaar and the fifth edition of the Carols on the Hills programme at the Church of Santa Monica. There are stalls selling handcrafted items by local artisans, festive cakes and freshly baked goods. Children can take part in fancy dress competitions and other activities, while photo booths help families capture special memories.
Curator Natasha Fernandes said, “Every year we see strong community participation in these events that celebrate music and the joy of Christmas.”
Churches across Goa are also holding competitions, tiatr shows, music programmes, community gatherings and sports events throughout December. Despite the many challenges faced by the tourism industry this season, Goa continues to hold on to its festive charm. As the State prepares to welcome a hopeful New Year, it bids goodbye to 2025 with faith that better days lie ahead.
