GO, GOA, GONE? WHY GOA GOVERNMENT AND SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS HAVE BEEN AT LOGGERHEADS OVER TOURISM
Goa’s tourism has been in the spotlight over the past few months, after viral posts on social media claimed tourism in Goa is “down in the dumps”. The posts triggered a barrage of criticism of the state’s tourism infrastructure, with users sharing their negative travel experiences.
Some blamed lack of adequate public transport and the monopoly of a local “taxi mafia”. Others said escalating flight costs and overpriced hotel accommodations has sullied the “charm”, and travellers are now increasingly ditching the coastal state for international destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam or Sri Lanka, which they say are cheaper and offer better value.
In response, Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte has launched a tirade against social media influencers claiming some had been “paid” as part of a “tookit” to malign Goa’s image. He said influencers “took Goa for a ride” over the past quarter by running a campaign to defame the state and by propagating falsehoods that tourist footfall has declined.
How did it all begin?
The “outrage” began after an entrepreneur Ramanuj Mukherjee shared a post on X on November 5, 2024, claiming that “foreign tourists have abandoned Goa”. “Look at 2019 v 2023 numbers. Russians and Brits who used to visit annually have opted for Sri Lanka instead. Indian tourists are still visiting, but soon likely to ditch it as word spreads about exploitation of tourists while there are so many cheaper comparable locations abroad,” the post read, alongside a chart that suggested foreign tourists to Goa were dwindling. The post sparked a debate with many chiming in with their own stories.
How did the government respond to the social media ‘criticism’?
The tourism department issued a rebuttal immediately, saying comparing a state in India to another country “may yield an inaccurate perspective” and that “tourism was not a zero-sum game”.
The state acknowledged some challenges related to taxis, limited air connectivity and ‘over-tourism’ in the coastal belt. However, it said it is governed by “market forces” such as other tourist destinations, when it comes to flights and hotel fares. The government was also quick to lodge a police complaint against the entrepreneur for disseminating false data on social media, claiming a “hidden agenda” was behind undermining Goa’s image.
In an interview with The Indian Express in November, the tourism minister Rohan Khaunte had defended the heavy-handed response, saying, “Do we have to be sympathetic to someone who is playing with the country and the state? Can you imagine somebody disseminating Chinese data and Indians are talking about it? Our data is available in the public domain. The intention of these (defaming) social media posts, which came at the start of the peak tourist season, is similar to what happened last year. It seems to be a systematic plan.”
The debate was rekindled recently when some influencers shared pictures saying “roads are empty” in Goa during peak tourist season. On Monday, the department shared statistics of tourist footfalls of the past two years, saying the propaganda of influencers has had no impact and that Goa remains the “most preferred destination” for tourists.
What does the data say about the current state of tourism?
According to data shared by the government this week, a total of 1.04 crore tourists visited Goa in 2024, higher than in 2023 when 86.28 lakh tourists visited the coastal state. A record 99.41 lakh domestic tourists visited Goa in 2024 compared to 81.75 lakh tourists in 2023 – a hike of 22% – while the number of foreign tourists rose from 4.52 lakh in 2023 to 4.67 lakh in 2024, representing a 3% rise. Goa’s Dabolim airport reported a 27% growth in passenger arrivals in December 2024 relative to figures for that month the previous year.
As per the Ministry of Tourism data, in 2020, when the pandemic hit, 3.03 lakh foreign tourists visited Goa. In 2021, during the second Covid wave, only 22,000 foreign tourists visited, while in 2022, the number rose to 1.75 lakh. The numbers are still far off from the pre-pandemic years when over 9.34 lakh foreign tourists visited Goa in 2018, followed by a marginal increase to 9.37 lakh in 2019. Over 70 lakh domestic tourists visited Goa in 2022, only marginally lower than in 2018, when 70.8 lakh tourists from across the country visited the state.
The government said data suggests that domestic tourism is at a record high while foreign tourism is showing signs of recovery. According to the state, though conflicts in West Asia and Russia-Ukraine impacted the influx of international tourists, recent numbers indicate that Goa’s growth has been better than the national average in terms of footfall.
How have the social media influencers reacted?
In a recent press conference, tourism minister Khaunte said influencers from other states often demand a “free lunch” or a “free stay” at a property to propagate a certain perception on social media. “Maybe by using Goa as a hashtag, they were trying to become famous, but the figures will [now] plug all this story (of decline). The issues raised… we will address, but the way the issue was taken up, we need to jointly condemn. Every tourist place has its challenges,” he said.
Documentary filmmaker and activist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj, whose post on X on Goa being “almost empty” around New Year’s Eve went viral, said: “The post that I put out was not part of any toolkit. It is nonsensical to insinuate that people who are expressing their honest opinions are paid. In response to the post, thousands of people shared similar stories. It [post] was a heartfelt cry to make Goa better. I am a well-wisher of Goa and it is a beautiful place, but lack of adequate transport is a major concern for tourists. If things are going wrong, they need to be corrected.”
The government has also empanelled some influencers from Goa, urging them to share the “real picture” and planned campaigns to counter misinformation.
A Goan influencer, requesting anonymity, said, “Social media plays a huge part in building perception. The issue is nuanced. The influencers also have a social responsibility to share credible and correct information. At the same time, the government should acknowledge the problems, instead of assuming a conspiracy. Transport, waste management, garbage disposal and over tourism in the coastal belt…are concerns that need to be addressed.”
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2025-01-17T11:30:26Z
