26/11 terror strike, recession hurt Goa’s charter tourism

PANAJI - The 26/11 terror strikes in Mumbai and global recession continue to affect charter tourist inflow into Goa, according to the state tourism ministry.

Tabling figures of charter tourist arrivals into Goa over the last three years in assembly Monday, Tourism Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar said there had been a drop in arrivals of charter tourists.

While Goa attracted 1,45,428 in the tourist season from October 2008 to May 2009, in corresponding period next season, the number shrunk to 1,37,790.

“The likely cause of drop in tourist arrivals is due to recent terrorist attack in Mumbai on the starred hotels in November 2008 and also in view of global recession,” said Halarnkar.

Halarnkar denied that former tourism minister Mickky Pacheco’s claim that Goa had become the “rape capital” of India had impacted the flow of tourists.

Goa attracts nearly 2.5 million tourists annually out of which nearly half a million are foreigners. From October through March which forms bulk of Goa’s tourist season, the state sees special charter tourists from countries like Russia, Germany and Britain.