With the sun beginning to shine and Independence Day approaching, the tourism star has started to twinkle, with hotels in Goa experiencing an increase in occupancy, private shacks getting ready and beaches filling up.
“The demand for rooms has spiked in the last few days, and we will be touching 50 percent occupancy before and after Independence Day. We are going to be back at work,” stated a front desk executive of a five-star resort in South Goa.
Most beaches on the southern coast saw a surge in local and domestic tourists, and the two blended with fishermen pulling in their canoes after they had thrown in the nets at sea in search of fish.
“Wow! I did not expect the beach to be so full of people and boats. This is amazing. Many restaurants next to the beaches are opening and one can hear music pumping,” said Sasha as she sipped her drink outside a restaurant in one of the South Goa beaches.
Sasha hails from Bangalore, and is in Goa for a week. “I came to see and feel the vibes of the monsoons in Goa this afternoon and I have been welcomed by the sun. It really does not make much of a difference because Goa is unique whether it rains or not,” admits the lady.
Jerome, who is with a set of workers, is getting his restaurant in shape for the season.
“I normally open my place on Independence Day. That’s the time Indian tourists start flocking in or the season starts for us,” he says as he supervises his workers who are polishing up the place.
In one corner of a beach, Drishti lifesavers were being briefed by their seniors and some were being stationed at vantage points to make sure incoming canoes did not clash with the guests enjoying the sun and sea.
“The sea is still rough. The sun may have come out, but the waters are still turbulent, and this is definitely not the time to go out to sea. Walking and playing on the shore is ok, but definitely not swimming, at least, till the weather forecast improves,” observes Rohan as he mans a part of the beach.
Fifteen canoes that went out to sea at Benaulim returned without a catch. The people waiting for the return of the boats appeared disappointed and so were the hundreds of tourists.
“We could see fish out at sea before we left. But as we left, the shoal of fish moved deeper towards the sea and we had to let go. Going out too deep is risky these days,” confirmed fisherman Eustacio.
“Our restaurant has been full for the first time. The place has been busy since afternoon and expect to be full till late night. The boys are enjoying their beers, and the ladies Breezers. Many like to go for a walk on the beach, thereafter,” says Anand, the attendant of a restaurant overflowing with guests.
“The beach has yet to be cleaned, but otherwise nothing has changed. The vibes are the same and we were lucky to get cheap flights and a room at a reasonable rate. Since we cannot afford to visit Goa in December, we thought, why not now,” mused a couple from Hyderabad.
The sun that has begun to peep through the rain clouds after some long weeks, the flow of tourists to the beach and all around South Goa, has given a fresh breath of the 2024 tourism season.