Lower fares, aggressive campaigning bring more tourists to Goa this monsoon

CALANGUTE: Desperate to avoid a repeat of last year's tourist slump during the monsoon months, the state's department of tourism is going all out to romanticize the rains in Goa, to draw in desi honeymooners and visitors from states writhing in the hot Indian summer, through ad campaigns and special package offers.
The green glory of the Western Ghats will be our USP this season, says tourism minister Dilip Parulekar."The western part of Goa has benefitted a lot from tourism, and everyone knows about our beaches. The monsoon is an opportunity to let tourists fall in love with Goa's mountainous eastern stretch and we are also promoting forest resorts and adventure sports like river rafting," he says.
GTDC has run monsoon promotions across India via print and electronic media, and is also targeting overseas markets- beautiful photographs of a dreamy, rain-washed Goa have been splashed across huge hoardings in airports across the world. Goa was also projected as the ideal summer getaway at roadshows and travel marts conducted in metros and semi-urban domestic markets.
It seems to be working, points out GTDC director Nikhil Desai. "Tourist arrivals were up by 8% this June (compared with last year), and many hotels in the beach belt have even reported occupancy of 80%," he informs. "We're targeting domestic tourists during the monsoon, especially in the northern plains and cities like Delhi which have a hot climate. We're promoting Goa as a destination for eco-tourism, wellness and nature-based tourism," he says.
Ralph de Souza, spokesperson for the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) is pushing to make hinterland tourism a reality. "During the monsoon you see the true Goa, in all its colours and when its culture and heritage is visible. This is the time to visit a fresh, clean and green Goa," he says, adding, "We have over 350km of navigable rivers and the best way to visit the hinterland is through its waterways. Goa was created to be seen from the rivers. Our wildlife sanctuaries and eco tracks on the foothills of Western Ghats need to be better exposed to the visitors and tourism facilities need to be created."
The tourism industry hopes to draw in even more tourists by highlighting the various festivals which are held in Goa during the monsoon. Says Ralph, "We need to draw up an annual calendar of events where Goa will host at least two mega festivals in the rains which should be crowd-pullers. Local festivals like 'Sao Joao' and 'Bonderam', besides music events on the lines of Sunburn, but packaged differently with a 'Goa Rocks in the Rains' theme, should find a place in the calendar of events."
Tourists, though, are also attracted by the lower air fares and hotel room tariffs revised for the 'off season'. Says Anuradha Sharma, a tourist from Delhi staying at a resort in Calangute, "Normally the air fares from Delhi to Goa are really prohibitive, unless you get a company paid vacation. So this was the ideal time to visit. Plus we got rooms at a discount. Besides, which friends told us that Goa is great during the rains too, so it was an easy decision to make." She is also glad that the rains this season have not been too heavy and continuous, giving tourists several sunny pockets in the day to enjoy the beach and catch the sights.