More than 6000 British tourists have already cancelled their plans to visit Goa this year?

PANAJI: According to approximate figures available with various tour operators, trade organisations and tourism stakeholders, more than 6000 British tourists who were considering visiting Goa this season – after Covid-related travel restrictions over the past two years – have already cancelled their plans and could be going elsewhere due to visa-related issues and the unavailability of visa interview slots with the Indian authorities in the UK.

As per the new regulations, Britons applying for visas to India will have to physically appear or be present at nine visa processing centers in the UK and due to the rush, the appearance or interview slots are booked till the end of November, with no more interviews possible during the intervening period. READ HERE: Priya Soni reveals why Vaishali Thakkar committed suicide, what went wrong with her love life?

As a result of this bureaucratic or procedural hurdle and blunder and the lack of foresight on part of the visa authorities, hundreds, if not thousands of British tourists who were hoping to reach Goa during October-end and November first half will not be able to make it to the coastal state till the end of November or the first half of December.

Many of them have decided to go to other countries, skipping Goa this season. Cancellations by British tourists till the end of this month could cross 7000, trade sources suggest. ALSO READ: Nearly 30,000 to 35,000 Russians cancel their plans to visit Goa this season, due to Ukraine-Russia conflict

Travel and trade associations TTAG president Nilesh Shah told the Times of India, “Even if we assume that 10,000 travellers cancel their holiday plans to Goa, the overall impact on the hotel industry would be huge.

He claimed that Goa’s tourism sector could possibly see losses to the tune of Rs 80-100 crore due to cancelations and unused inventory. ALSO READ: More than 60 percent Brits hoping to arrive in Goa during Oct-Nov via charters cancel bookings: Goa Tourism takes a big hit

“The average stay of a (charter) tourist being ten nights, we would lose around 1 lakh rooms,” Shah told the TOI.