Amid the heated discussion on the state of tourism in Goa, a BJP minister recently said that foreign tourist arrivals were on the decline and younger tourists were avoiding the beach state. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had earlier in February said that tourism was on an upswing since the Covid lockdown.
There's been a raging debate about Goa as a top tourist destination and the number of visitors it is attracting since the last couple of months. While social media posts highlighting the alleged dip in tourists have gone viral, Goa ministers have used government figures to refute such claims. Now, the state's Coastal Minister and BJP MLA, Michael Lobo, has pointed out why he believes "Goa is failing to attract young tourists".
Lobo said on February 28 that Goa was seeing visitors who had already visited the beach state, while it was failing to attract younger tourists. He also explained what he thought was the root cause of the problem.
However, earlier in February, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant claimed that tourism had been growing since the Covid-induced lockdown. "With a remarkable 21% increase in tourism, the state is witnessing a positive and promising trend for its economic development," Sawant said on February 21.