Goa is a hotbed of activity as the festive season reaches its peak with the approach of Christmas and New Year. Hotels, restaurants and tourist hotspots are looking to put the last couple of years behind them for good, and for good reason.
For two years, the beaches in Goa were deserted due to the COVID pandemic. After 2019, this will be the first Christmas and New Year celebration in Goa without any restrictions.
Tourists from all over India and around the world are returning to this popular tourist destination for a holiday and this is good news for the state coffers.
Christmas and New Years are still just a few days away, but December tourist footfall has already surpassed pre-COVID levels. Dabolim Airport averaged 28,600 passengers per day between December 15 and 19. This is higher than the average of 26,400 passengers per day during this period in 2019. The numbers have hotels, resorts, and guesthouses that feel good.
But there is a difference this year. Instead of the usual Russian and European tourists, this year most tourists are local. Cleartrip, for example, says that nearly 95 percent of all bookings to Goa on its platform this year were by domestic tourists.
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