Goa is the “worst place to be” for some people. Especially the ones who have had experiences bitter enough to never come back again. On the other hand, “Yaar Goa chale kya?” is a line that slides into every travel conversation. The trip may or may not make it out of the group chat, but the desire remains. It might just be that one place unchecked on the bucket list, but Goa’s spot remains.
Contradictory? It is. We’ll get into the details.
According to SOCIAL’s latest report, Voices of the Hood, 51 per cent of people still choose Goa as their top travel destination in India. For Gen Z and millennials, its enduring appeal is driven by beaches, nightlife, music culture, and social travel experiences symbolising freedom, friendship and carefree getaways.
Similarly, Booking.com, in its Indian summer travel trends report, notes that Goa remains a top choice for beach holidays. Across multiple travel reports and surveys — whether around honeymoon destinations or short escapes or long weekends — Goa consistently features among India’s most searched travel destinations.
But what about overtourism, growing friction between locals and tourists (btw, the cab struggle is real) and the recurring discourse around Goa being “overhyped”? We asked travellers whether they would still choose the destination despite the criticism.
Here’s the interesting bit:
“Of course! I am not a travel buff per se, but I do want to have that Goa trip once. For me, Goa has the legacy of ‘chill’,” says Prateek Grewal, a public relations professional.
A 27-year-old Atima Bakshi shares, “I have been to Goa for my brother’s wedding but did not get the chance to explore it except for one scooty ride. I am all in to explore the local hinterlands and all, but I do definitely want to go to that ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ spot and do a monsoon trail too.”
For Ayush Saunik, a Delhi-based software engineer, Goa is a vibe that no other place can beat. “I want to ride the coastal roads there and I absolutely love seafood. It’s been my teenage obsession, so it checks out on my to-do list. And honestly, kuch bhi karlo, Goa jaisi parties Delhi mein toh nahi milegi.” (It’s hard to find Goa-like parties in Delhi no matter how hard you try.)
“For me, Goa is sun, sand, salt, chilled beer as early as 8 am, and ocean therapy. There’s something deeply calming about just standing in the waves with the sea breeze around you. And then there’s the food — the seafood, the prawn curry rice, the unique Konkan flavours you find even in the smallest beach shack or homestay and, of course, Vitamin Sea! I genuinely feel Goa’s charm lies in these simple sensory experiences,” Harshita Mathur, who visits Goa every year with her family, tells India Today.
Lately, there have also been incessant discussions around how Goa has become an expensive tourist destination and that Indians can plan international trips to Thailand or Vietnam on similar budgets. But people like Mathur see it differently.
“I’ve travelled to all these places, and honestly, nothing feels quite like Goa. There’s a familiarity and warmth to it that’s hard to replicate. First, Indian hospitality supremacy over everything else. There’s no comparison really. Of course, as Indians, looking for local food and experiences becomes easy. I would still choose Goa over an international beach destination.”
Clearly, Goa needs to impress no one.
Goa today is both a dream and a warning. People continue to chase even as they complain about what it is becoming. To understand this contradiction, one must first understand how Goa itself is changing.
Goa: A beachy paradox
Goa has always been on the hippie trail. It has always been associated with trance music, a place where time slows down, where you hear the waves crash on the shore, relish the Konkan aroma, and watch the lazy coconut trees move with the rhythm of the wind. But that has changed drastically after the pandemic.
“Yes, of course, Goa is still the go-to destination, but it has also become a modern-day colony for people from South Delhi and South Bombay. Instead of just vacationing in Goa and returning home, people now want to own a piece of Goa,” Srishti Tehri, a travel influencer who has been living in Goa for the past three years, tells India Today.
Acknowledging the discomfort of locals and the meteoric commercialisation of the place, she adds, “People dream of Goa, people want to be in Goa, but they don’t realise that their desire to be there is also causing its demise. It is making Goa less like the place they originally came for, and more like the cities they wanted to escape.”
Poonam Ribo, co-founder of Konkan Explorers – an agency that curates local experiences, shares, “Goa is in a very interesting transition phase. Tourism has brought opportunities, livelihoods, and global visibility to the state, but at the same time, overtourism and unplanned growth naturally create pressure on local communities, infrastructure, ecology, and culture.”
Tehri finds Goa a place of paradoxes and contradictions.
“I think the ‘relaxation’ angle has drastically reduced too, but at the same time, paradoxically, it is also increasing. Goa is a place of contradictions. There is a growing movement among people who have the money and intention to simply come and stay in a green, quiet place for a week, read books, and do nothing. Of course, that is a class privilege, but it’s definitely increasing.”
Contrary to the run-of-the-mill places, the story of the hinterlands is different. She explains that people are warm and welcoming because they haven’t experienced the badly behaved tourists. They are also extremely aware of what has happened to coastal Goa and are determined not to let the same happen to their villages.
But the Goan fantasy is intact and numbers speak.
Data shared exclusively by the Goa Tourism Department, shows that tourist arrivals in the state rose from 10,56,699 in 2025 to 10,86,412 in 2026 in the month of January marking a year-on-year growth of 2.81 per cent. In February too, there was a 0.31 per cent uptick. Last year, the state recorded a 29.33 per cent rise in international travellers too.
Goa is India’s smallest state geographically, yet receives over 1 crore annual visitors, making tourism density among the highest in the country.
Shift in the new-age traveller
It is well established now how people have become more intentional in their travels. A lot of travellers today are looking for slower, more meaningful experiences connected to nature, food, culture, wellness, water, and local communities. Goa offers that array of things.
While the mainstream beaches and nightlife have their allure, exploring the hinterlands, homestays, and indulging in local cuisines is increasing. At the same time, social media has changed expectations.
“Goa is also seeing more short trips through the year rather than only peak-season tourism. Earlier, many people came to ‘do Goa’ in a checklist format. Now people want to feel Goa,” says Ribo.
“There is more interest in sunrise activities, kayaking through mangroves, birdlife, local cafes, heritage areas, sailing, and wellness experiences. Even families and corporate groups are looking for outdoor activities instead of only clubbing or crowded beaches.”
Goa beyond beaches
It’s slow and intentional.
Tehri recommends, “Goa is a place where the ‘being’ matters more than the ‘doing.’ The best moments come unexpectedly — conversations with a coconut seller, discussions about politics with a local uncle, hearing stories from the Portuguese era.”
Rent a scooty and just wander. Cross rivers on ferries, stop at local bars, sit with locals. Indulge in more Goan dishes like cafreal, xacuti, poi bread, and fish thalis.
Even Ribo says, “I genuinely believe Goa is best explored through its rivers, smaller villages, local cafes, walks, the sea, and conversations with people. Early mornings and evenings in Goa are magical.”
Interestingly, travellers are going for Feni tasting sessions, bread making workshops and heritage trails that are truly offbeat.
So, why doesn’t Goa lose its charm?
The state tourism reports show three notable trends: stronger monsoon tourism, hinterland tourism, improved connectivity through two airports, and rising domestic short-haul travel.
Therefore, Goa remains one of India’s strongest leisure brands because it offers strong emotional recall — beaches, nightlife, culture, music, and nostalgia all in one destination. Its easy accessibility, year-round buzz, strong repeat visitor culture, and blend of domestic and international appeal continue to keep travellers hooked.
“Goa continues to resonate with Indian travellers as a destination that caters to a wide range of travel preferences and occasions — whether for families, groups of friends or colleagues, or solo travellers. Goa offers travellers multiple ways to experience the destination based on their interests,” says Santosh Kumar, regional manager, South Asia at Booking.com
There’s so much already in the public domain that the wanderlust for Goa never dulls. If anything, travellers have expressed the wish to work remotely from there. That’s the Goan allure.
Goa may be overcrowded, overcommercialised, and overcomplained about. But somehow, nobody is over Goa. There’s just something about it.
And as Grewal puts it, “Dil Chahta Hai ki bas Go Goa Gone ho jaye?”
– Ends