Drop in tourist inflow by 2 lakh

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2009-02-10
PANAJI - The latest provisional figures issued by the tourism department for the year 2008 informs that the number of tourists visiting Goa has dropped by 2 lakh, in comparison with the year 2007. Altogether 23,85,539 tourists visited Goa during the year 2008, as compared to 25,97,443 tourists who had arrived in the state in the year 2007.
The year 2008 had 20,20,416 domestic and 3,65,123 international tourists visiting Goa, as compared to 22,08,986 domestic and 3,88,457 international tourists, who visited the state during the year 2007, informed the figures. The DoT further informed that during the year 2007-08, in all 1,75,951 tourists arrived in Goa through 710 chartered flights, while during the year 2008-2009 (from April 1 to December 31, 2008) this number was 58,210. As for the chartered flights during the ongoing tourist season, the statistics pointed out, between October 2008 and January 2009, in all 75,470 tourists arrived in Goa in 302 chartered flights. During this period, altogether 129 chartered flights arrived from UK, followed by 100 chartered flights from Russia, 25 from Norway, 24 from Germany, 10 from Switzerland and Finland each and four from Italy. The month of December 2008 witnessed arrival of maximum chartered flights to Goa – 119.
The information further maintained that maximum tourists, who arrived through chartered flights in Goa, this tourist season, between October 2008 and January 2009 were from the UK numbering 37,262, followed by Russians numbering 24,751. There were no chartered flights from France, Denmark, Sweden and Czech Republic during this tourist season.
It was also informed that the average period of stay of international tourists in Goa is seven to eight days, while that of the domestic tourists is four to five days.