Goa's tourism sector has achieved a historic milestone, officially crossing the one-crore mark in total tourist arrivals for the year 2025. This record-breaking achievement, however, is powered almost entirely by a booming domestic market, while the crucial foreign tourist segment continues to struggle in its post-pandemic recovery.
Record Domestic Boom Masks Foreign Tourist Slump
Data released by the state's tourism department reveals a stark two-track recovery. On one hand, domestic tourist arrivals skyrocketed to 1 crore in 2025, a massive jump from 68.9 lakh in 2017. This surge propelled the state's total footfall to an unprecedented nearly 1.1 crore travellers.
On the other hand, the influx of foreign tourists tells a different story. Arrivals from abroad stood at just 5.2 lakh in 2025. This figure is nearly 42% below the pre-pandemic benchmark of 8.9 lakh set in 2017, highlighting a significant and persistent gap.
Charter Flight Segment Suffers Dramatic Collapse
The most severe decline was witnessed in the charter flight segment, which has long been the backbone of Goa's winter tourism from Europe and other traditional markets. In 2017, Goa welcomed 1,024 charter flights carrying close to 2.5 lakh tourists.
By 2025, this number had catastrophically plummeted to just 189 flights with 40,336 passengers. This decline persisted despite the operationalisation of the new Manohar International Airport (Mopa) alongside the existing Dabolim airport, with combined charter traffic sliding annually since the pandemic.
Scheduled Flights and Cruise Tourism See Shifts
The scheduled international flight segment showed more resilience but failed to fully rebound. While 3.4 lakh foreigners arrived via scheduled flights in 2017, the 2025 number was approximately 2.4 lakh. Mopa airport emerged as the primary international gateway, handling 1,141 international flights in 2025 compared to Dabolim's 643.
Cruise tourism is undergoing a notable demographic shift. In 2025, total cruise passengers numbered 51,510, but the vast majority were domestic travellers. Foreign cruise passengers, who constituted over 40,822 arrivals in 2017, accounted for a mere 10,086 arrivals in 2025.
Official Optimism Amidst Uneven Recovery
Tourism director Kedar Naik emphasized the overall recovery trajectory, citing coordinated efforts in infrastructure and connectivity. "The consistent growth in domestic tourism, the return of international charter operations, increased international flight movements through both Dabolim and Mopa airports, and the steady contribution of cruise tourism reflect our efforts," Naik stated.
Echoing this sentiment, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte pointed to the sector's "resilience." He expressed optimism, stating that the steady rise in domestic arrivals and the gradual revival of international segments, supported by improved connectivity via Mopa, underline the state's "destination readiness" for a broader recovery.
The data underscores a transformed landscape for Goa's tourism, where domestic travellers are now the undisputed growth engine, while the industry continues to strategize for a full return of its valuable international clientele.
