Goa being the most searched destination: Airbnb!

As the country reopens for tourism, Goa continues to be the most-searched-for homestay destination for staycations, industry data shows. With the Covid-19 pandemic laying all the more stress on cleanliness and hygiene, travelers are showing a preference for family homes and individual villas while taking a break from the pandemic, said, stakeholders.

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However, the tourism department’s recent regulations for homestays and bed-n-breakfast properties have created confusion and threatens to derail the sector which for long functioned in a grey area.

“People are ready to get out after staying at home for so many months that we are calling it vengeance tourism,” said a member of the Hotel Association of India’s Goa chapter Victor Albuquerque. “All types of people are coming to Goa, but are now opting for private villas and homes where a cook is available and the safety of food is ensured.”

“People are looking to travel, but with health and safety as the foremost consideration. We are seeing a preference for secluded and lesser-known locales or properties,” said Amanpreet Bajaj, general manager for Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

While some hotels and resorts have reported high occupancy over the weekends, homestays are yet to see the same traction. Though the demand is visible, concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic are keeping travellers away.

“Hinterland tourism has hardly 10% occupancy and at that too, only on weekends. The people who are coming are from Maharashtra and Karnataka and the remaining are local Goan families,” said Chinmay Tanshikar, who runs the Tanshikar’s Working Spice Farm and Ecological Rest House at Netravali.

Melvyn Da Silva, who runs a homestay at Dona Paula, said that the tourism department’s new regulatory requirements have further dampened the homestay industry.

“With the confusion that Goa Tourism has created, I don’t want to get into a tangle so though calls are coming in, I am refusing guests,” said Silva. “There is great demand but I am hoping that the Goa government understands the confusion that they have created and rectifies what they have started.”

Bajaj said that the new norms make it harder and more expensive for homestays to operate. “The crisis should give all governments pause to consider whether the regulatory framework or proposals remain fit-for-purpose. Putting in place the right regulatory framework will help the local tourism industry’s recovery,” he added.

News Courtesy: ET