As I’m writing this Goa travel blog, the sun is setting over the sea at Anjuna beach. The strong smell of marijuana from the bar down the road is mixing up with the air. The gentle melody of the guitar strings and a bunch of drunk voices singing are coming from the beach. Goa is the hedonistic paradise, the promised land of sun, sand, party life, cheap booze and easy access to drugs. Or at least it used to be…
When I arrived in Goa during my last trip I saw the evening bread being delivered on the backs of bicycles. Seeing business as usual, I thought that Goa is all right. That the rumors are false. I sensed the smell of fermented cashew apples in the air and the happy faces in the streets. I thought everything is alright. But the next day, I took a walk around the beach, spotting an array of plastic bags in the water, which can easily be mistaken for jellyfish, and shards of glass from beer bottles. The heavenly, peaceful beaches I heard stories about weren’t there anymore. The improper management of the place is making tourists nowadays to start choosing other destinations for their holiday.
But what happened?
Before I start, I would like to say that Goa still has some pristine and beautiful beaches left and places that still haven’t been spoiled by mass tourism, like Divar Island and Chorao island that are home to some of the best beaches in Goa. But as I was walking down the once pristine and clean Anjuna Beach, I couldn’t help but ask myself…
Is Goa not a backpacker destination anymore?
Goa has always been known as the hedonistic paradise of India. Even though part of the country, Goa was always much more progressive than the rest of India. It used to be a place where you go to have a good time and enjoy without having to worry that you’ll be bothered by anyone. It used to be a place where you go to practice yoga and meet like-wise laid back people from around the globe. Goa was the ultimate hippie paradise.
This made Goa the place to be for backpackers from around the world. But nowadays, it seems like backpackers and budget travelers aren’t welcome in Goa anymore. “We need to make Goa a peaceful destination. Not an overcrowded destination where the high spending tourist does not wish to be,” the president of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa says. “Hedonism is not something I would like Goa to be associated with. If that is the view a tourist is holding, I think we are better off without such tourists.”
That statement is portrayed in everyday life. New construction projects are everywhere. Prices are increasing. Cabs are ridiculously expensive and it’s hard getting around if you don’t have a motorbike. After this clear message, the people that had a big part in creating Goa as we know it, are leaving the place, thus contributing for Goa to be only a shade of what it used to be. The image of Goa is being destroyed. Hence, it’s not a surprise that the international tourist arrivals dropped by 23% since 2010. Tourism in Goa grew by only 0.08% in the past five years, which is even less than the poorest state in India: Bihar.
The new construction revolution and pollution
Successive local governments have failed in the task to take care of the state’s biggest earning industry: tourism. Huge drifts of trash lie at the roadsides because there’s simply nowhere to dispose them. A lot of beaches are also filthy, soaked in oil discharged by tankers off the coast and there’s broken glass everywhere. The chief minister, who pledged to rid Goa of garbage, has now promised that three rubbish treatment plants will be open the next year. However, most of these projects exist only on paper and there have been a lot of empty worded promises in the past. Additionally, numerous mining projects have stripped a lot of land and gave it a rust-red color, which is very unpleasant when the wind starts carrying it around.
Villas in the villages are being demolished to build luxury apartment complexes. The required sand is drained from the rivers, while the water is drained from the wells. Parts like Anjuna and Vagator are changing their appearance with the speed of light. The most recent construction project is the ‘Eco-tourism’ development of the ecologically fragile area around Chapora River. Ferry terminals and a tourist village are being built, as well as marinas, hotels, adventure sports islands, etc. The environment is basically being sacrificed over low-quality, pack-em-in resorts.
But the truth is, Goa doesn’t need any of that. People go there for its image of a laid-back place and a place where you can really rest and relax away from the pollution and construction revolution of the rest of the country. Goa is the smallest state and it already has twice more tourists then it has residents. So, I can’t help but feel that the local government is trying to do too much with the limited resources they have.
Drugs and prostitution and all the consequences
The local government has been trying to squeeze out the drug gangs by providing ridiculously low alcohol prices. It was believed that this will make people consume alcohol instead of drugs but that backfired as well. The low alcohol prices have drawn gangs of local men who drink heavily. And their presence is making the environment less safe for female tourists, and local women alike. Cases of robbery and sexual assaults are increasing on a yearly basis and Goa is definitely not the place we used to hear stories about anymore.
The local government had a plan to make Goa less attractive for solo travelers and hippies. And they succeeded. The hippies are disappearing from Goa. The number of tourists remains more or less the same, but the number of international tourists keeps decreasing sharply, while the number of domestic tourists is increasing rapidly. So the local government managed to ‘kick out’ the hippies, but the high-end tourists are still nowhere to be found.
India News Network reports that the total number of international tourists dropped by 20% in the past couple of years. 57,000 international tourists arrived between October and December in 2016, while the number for the same period in 2015 was 82,000. Fewer Russians and Brits visit Goa and even the ones they do, say they don’t want to visit again.
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Goa travel blog: final thoughts
Goa clearly lost its image in the past years because of the local government’s idea to turn Goa in a place for high-end tourists. That’s one of the main reasons for the construction revolution, and subsequently, the increased pollution. Backpackers aren’t welcome here like they once were. Hence, they’re not coming anymore but neither are the high-end tourists that were supposed to replace them.
After the local government saw that the high-end tourist idea is a bit far-fetched, they tried to replace the lack of international tourists with domestic tourists. Therefore, domestic tourism rose by over 30% in the last 5 years. But what effectively happened is that Goa replaced the chilled-out backpackers that were coming to practice yoga, smoke weed, and party with suspicious locals. Prostitution and drug trade keeps blossoming, while crime rates keep increasing every day. Finally, Goa isn’t the peaceful oasis it once was.
The government was just trying to do too much with limited resources. As India’s smallest state with 1.5 million inhabitants, Goa was already getting close to 4 million tourists per year. And it had the laid-back image that kept attracting tourists from all around the globe. The local government wanted to change that and now that image is disappearing and Goa is becoming a shade of what it once was. Even though there are parts where you can still find peace, pristine beaches, and charming villages, Goa, unfortunately, lost most of its charm. All that remains now are the memories. The memories of the sunrise at Quepem or Salcete. The genteel charm of Goa’s rugged coastline. The memories of what was once a bio-diverse wonderland.
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Did you like this Goa travel blog? Have you ever visited? Is Goa losing its reputation among tourists? Let me know what you think in the comments.
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I’ve never traveled to this part of the world, and never heard of Goa. You’ve really given us a bird’s eye view of what it’s like there. Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad I could give you a new perspective Penelope. Thank you for commenting 🙂
Interesting take here. We visited Kovalam Beach down the coast. Loved it. This had a different feel than the Goa I’ve been introduced to by my travel blogging buddies. I do love the backpack crowd but can do without the dirt bag crowd LOL. Of course, these seedy types are a tiny percentage of travelers but are usually the driver behind big government changes, like seen in Goa. Hopefully the place preserves its beauty and peace, while attracting the type of tourists that treat Goa and locals with respect too. Thanks for the insightful share.
Ryan
Thanks for the comment Ryan. This is a global trend, unfortunately. 1) A few travellers find a new cool place. 2) It gets known for hedonism. 3) Travel bloggers and agents advertise the place aggressively. 4) Tourists that are too lazy to research follow the bandwagon. 5) The local players see the $$$ opportunity. 6) They try to make the place into a mass tourism place. 7) It becomes overcrowded and possibly polluted. 8) No one wants to go there except locals that think that the place still is what it was in the past.
Spot on. Thanks for a very clear article. It’s very true. All I see around in Goa are the budget tourists from the north Indian cities turning this place into another Delhi, Lucknow or Gurgaon. There is not one creek or beach I didn’t see broken beer bottles or plastic floating around. Tourists in bus loads cooking beside the streets and defecating in the open is what I saw during the season. Of course, also no music festivals like sunburn as well because of the locals greed touching new heights…. We Indians have never known to keep a golden goose healthy.
Thank you for your comment. As much as it hurts me as a person that visited Goa multiple times, I just had to write this article. Hope things get better like they used to be once upon a time 🙂
Little disappointed to read this as i am visiting Goa for the first time in december (well not considering the 5-star office off-site). I can relate this to what people say and the thing about plastic bags floating around just boils my blood. Heard the same thing happening in the cleanest lake of india, Dawki in north east. This is an absolutely unacceptable behavior and the authorities should take stern action against this.
Thank you, Sinjana. It hurts me too but unfortunately, that’s the reality. Nevertheless, Goa still has an amazing nature and a few beautiful, crowd-free beaches and I hope you have a great time.
You really provided fascinating information on Goa. I am not very familiar with this part of India but always wanted to visit. It is good to hear that Goa still has some beautiful beaches, but it is sad to hear from you how much it has changed over the years. With the crime increasing so much, I imagine that tourism will continue to drop in the area. Very sad, as it looks like a wonderful destination.
Thank you, Leah. That’s the sad reality but I hope things go back to normal again.
We were in Goa not so long ago for over 5 months starting from the carnival through the off-season. We managed to dodge the busy side of Goa that the post refers to, as we ventured just few kms east from the beaches and cherished the Sahyadri hills with many wildlife sanctuaries such as Netravali and ancient structures such as Tambdi Surla Shiva temple. Plus, we have fond memories from the protected beaches for Olive Ridley Turtles! Luckily, the bio-diverse wonderland continues to be a well-guarded reality, albeit away from the popular gaze. I hope you get to explore this side of Goa, beyond the hippie trail, on you next visit 🙂
I stayed in Goa for a month and I did explore part of Goa you mentioned as well and don’t get me wrong, Goa is still a gorgeous place. But my impression was that the government is trying to monetize as much of that beautiful nature as possible. And I hope I’m wrong but I think it’s only a matter of time when even the more pristine places will fall victim to this policy.
It’s an interesting one. I certainly share your sentiment that it’s a shame it’s going the way it is, I’m just not sure we’re entitled to have places remain the way we as travellers want them. I can see why governments want to make more money out of popular spots, but doing it in a way that damages the environment and reason it was popular in the first place is counterproductive obviously. We also contribute to the problem as traveller bloggers who help bring focus to these places. But, it’s a shame. I never really saw Goa the way you describe it originally, so not sure what I’m missing. I did have to chuckle at the strategy of lowering alcohol to combat the drug problem! Great thoughtful read, thanks for sharing.
Yes Paul, I could definitely understand why the government would want to make more money out of popular spots but it’s not happening. In this case, it’s counter-productive. They want to get rid of the foreign hippies and backpackers and replace them with luxury travelers. The thing is, Goa never was a luxury traveler destination and it takes a lot of time not only to change this but to reshape the environment and make it fit with that image. However, this reshaping is not good for the nature and environment, which is the main reason why most people visited there anywhere. The backpackers don’t feel that welcome in Goa anymore and hence, fewer of them still visit and the luxury travelers are nowhere to be found. What is currently happening is that the local government managed to effectively replace the international hippy budget backpackers with Indian budget backpackers, which makes it hard to justify all these changes from a financial point of view.
I feel so sorry to hear this about Goa. I would have to agree that we should try to keep and make it a peaceful destination and not an abused beach. Hope they can find a solution to stop drugs and prostitution.
This situation is very similar to Boracay a couple of months ago and glad that the government took the initiative to close it entirely for rehabilitation.
Thank you, Clarice. I wish the local authorities do something similar but they seem to be trying too much, unfortunately.
This post just broke my heart! I’m planning to return to India in early 2020 and Goa is at the top of my list because I never made it there during my last trip. To hear what has happened and continues to happen there saddens me, but I’ve seen happen elsewhere, where development isn’t handled properly and government’s become misdirected in their goals. I still intend to visit Goa and hope that things have somehow begun to turn around by the time I arrive. Thanks so much for sharing this perspective.
I stayed in India for more than a year and it feels like a home so it breaks my heart too. I hope things get better soon. And yes, you should definitely still visit. Goa is still beautiful
Mass tourism has indeed spoiled Goa but I would also say backpackers/hippies have a contribution to make. The moment a place becomes popular and easily accessible, it gets over crowded leading to the destruction of the sanctity of the place. I feel its important to keep a check on the tourists and their ways of littering the beaches. At the same time the old charm should not be compromised for development. For Indians, Goa is the go-to place for a beach holiday.
I absolutely agree with your points. The old charm should definitely not be compromised for development.
Goa has such a charm! Indeed as Manjulika too said in her comment, mass tourism did damage the place.
But then there is a large untapped section of Goa known for its secluded beaches, treks, heritage etc which are not so damaged.
I’m yet to get there. Hoping to see what’s there apart from the crowded beaches that you mention here!
Indeed it does, Bhushavali! There are still lovely parts of Goa and I hope it remains that way.
Thanks for sharing the content.The article is very informative and you have given us a bird’s eye view of that what will be the place.Keep it up!
Thanks, Rishabh. I am thrilled you found it helpful.
I really like your wonderful post. I loved to read such kind of article and I happy to be here, Thanks for sharing this amazing post.
Thanks a lot Bharat
I am actually grateful to the holder of this web site who has shared this wonderful piece of writing at here.
Awesome blog! Goa is amazing place beautiful visiting spots and captures very impressive photos and you have explained it in a great manner.
Thank you Anand, I appreciate it.
There is so much to explore on this beach paradise. A week’s time or more sometimes fall short to enjoy Goa at its full. If you cannot manage such long trips, plan more short trips. Three days itinerary is the best to explore North and South Goa on a short trip.
You are one of the best bloggers on this platform and very thankful to you to share this information with all blog readers. We are Basically Tour & Travel Company Having Branches and Travel Agents across World.
thank you for your comment, Malin, I really appreciate it.
Good Luck for the upcoming update.This article is really very interesting.
Thank you, Rakesh.
Goa is not just about the beaches; the Dudhsagar Waterfalls sound like a must-visit for any adventure enthusiast like myself! The idea of trekking through lush greenery to reach this majestic waterfall is truly exhilarating. And who wouldn’t want to cool off in the refreshing waters after a challenging hike? Count me in for an unforgettable Goa adventure.
Absolutely agree, Anjali.