Top Goa hotels keep chin up as rival locales rise in Asia

Goa's top hotels and resorts are preparing for a business-as-usual holiday season despite social media griping over costly stays and transport, even as Thailand, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka beckon with easy visas and cheaper options.

- Varuni Khosla

Hoteliers are still in wait-and-watch mode and optimistic of more bookings coming in as Christmas and New Year's Eve draw closer. However, the exponential growth of last year is unlikely to repeat, travel and hotel industry executives said.

For the Radisson Hotel Group, business in north Goa had been static in October and November, with growth at just about the same level as last year. Encouragingly, there hasn't been a drop in business.

In south Goa, where travelers pay much more per night, though, there has been an upswing in both average daily rates and occupancy.

"Weddings being held in south Goa in December have helped the business grow here and this part of the state has shown much more promise as compared with last year. It is about 8-10% more. Some international charters are also coming back, despite north Goa continuing to be in status quo with a small growth of 2-3% compared with last year," Nikhil Sharma, managing director and area senior vice president at Radisson, said.