Nearly 400,00 foreign tourists normally descend upon Goa especially around Christmas and New Year's eve, but this year the crowd may be thinner in wake of the Mumbai terror attacks.
Hoteliers fearing a sharp dip in the number of tourists have already slashed room rates at the busiest time of the year.
A five night stay in a 5-star for a couple has dropped 30 per cent from Rs 120,000 to about Rs 80,000 this year as hotels scramble to fill up empty rooms.
Tour operators are hoping that the drop in foreign tourists can be made up by domestic travelers but also fear that Goa could lose out to destinations like Thailand which is cheaper and safer.
“Any way with Christmas and New Year, domestic tourism will pick up because of Kerala and Goa so it will address some of the loss( because of a drop in foreign tourists ) not all of it but some of it,” said Madhavan Menon, managing director, Thomas Cook India.
For Christmas-New Year celebration, people are booking international destinations over Goa which have been directly impacted by the terror strikes in Mumbai.
If you are convinced and do head to Goa, be prepared for tighter security measures because while Goa does not want to be a party pooper, it also doesn’t want a terror attack on New Year.
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