Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, Jul 24: Despite remaining one of India's most recognisable holiday destinations, Goa has failed to feature among the country's top 10 states for domestic tourist visits for the third consecutive year, according to the latest data released by the Union Ministry of Tourism.

The official figures place Uttar Pradesh at the top with 646.81 million domestic tourist visits, followed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. Maharashtra, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Kerala complete the top 10 list, with Goa absent once again.

The state had also failed to make the top 10 rankings in 2023 and 2024, even as domestic tourism across the country recorded strong growth.

The data reflects a broader shift in India's tourism landscape, with states offering a mix of religious, heritage, eco-tourism and urban attractions attracting significantly higher visitor numbers than Goa, which has traditionally relied on beach tourism and leisure travel.

Although Goa continues to enjoy strong brand recognition and remains a preferred destination for beach holidays, nightlife and hospitality experiences, this popularity has not translated into visitor volumes comparable to larger tourism markets.

The state's performance has also weakened in international tourism.

According to the India Tourism Data Compendium 2024-25, Maharashtra recorded the highest number of foreign tourist visits, followed by West Bengal, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Goa did not feature among the leading states despite overseas tourism being a key contributor to its economy.

Official data also shows a steady decline in foreign tourist arrivals over the years. While Goa welcomed nearly 9 lakh international tourists in 2017, the number had dropped to around 5 lakh by 2025. During the same period, domestic tourist arrivals increased from about 68 lakh in 2016 to over one crore last year.

Officials have attributed the fall in foreign arrivals to global geopolitical uncertainties that have affected international travel.

However, the state has recorded encouraging growth at some of its heritage sites. Upper Fort Aguada was among the country's 10 most visited centrally protected ticketed monuments in 2024-25, attracting 13.6 lakh domestic visitors, a 14 per cent increase over the previous year. International visits to the monument also rose by more than 25 per cent.

Even so, the monument's footfall remained well below that of the Taj Mahal, India's most visited ticketed Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) monument, which recorded over 62 lakh domestic visitors during the same period.

Responding to the rankings, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) president Jack Sukhija said the state should not be judged solely by visitor numbers.

He said Goa's tourism strategy has increasingly focused on quality tourism, attracting high-value leisure travellers, destination weddings, corporate meetings and premium hospitality rather than pursuing higher tourist volumes.