@siddharth3 Anyone who saw Goa in the 1970s and 80s, as I have, will be put off or shocked by the horror it has become today. Just saying. It was utter paradise and has been unredeemably wrecked.
International tourists in Goa:
2017 —> 900,000
2025 —> 500,000
That’s a 45% decline.
I’ve lived in Goa for 2 years and I’ve travelled to 50+ countries. It’s a myth that there are too many tourists in Goa. There are too few. The south of Spain, for example, probably has 100x more tourists than Goa, and still doesn’t seem as crowded. The lives of locals aren’t run over by tourists.
The reason why Goa seems crowded is because how badly the state is managed and how little infrastructure creation there is — even for locals.
The things that will make Goa better for tourists are the very same things that will make it better for Goans:
1. Accessible, safe, comfortable, and affordable public transport (small and frequent electric buses, and a circular regional rail line)
2. Pedestrian and cycling infrastructure in towns.
3. Improved patrolling for safety, with a focus on women.
4. Roads with safety features built in (median dividers, rest stops, lane markers, dedicated parking).
5. Protecting nature (stopping encroachment of forests, cleaning beaches, rivers and cliffs) and making it more accessible (some of the most beautiful spots get locked out by real estate developers).
6. Enforcement of the state-run taxi app that ensures customers are charged for only one way trips.
And then there are tourist specific measures that is not in the hands of the state:
7. Lower taxes on hotels, etc.
8. Visa on arrival for many more countries (we don’t need reciprocity, honestly).
And every time someone here posts about waning tourism in Goa, some Goans respond saying, “good, we don’t want tourists.” It seems like the only reason why Goa is succeeding in keeping tourists away is by not providing the basics of civic life to its own people. People visit Dubai, Istanbul and Paris not because they cater to tourists. But because they’ve made these cities beautiful and comfortable to live in for themselves.
bbc.com/news/articles/…
@R04ch@TonsTweetings Out of those 40 million, one third were Chinese. For various reasons, Chinese travel to Thailand has massively dropped; consequently, the TAT focussed on Indians as a replacement.
@Dwaita108@TonsTweetings It was 30/15 days depending on the country and arrival numbers were almost 40 million in 2019.
Going back to this system will barely make any impact on actual tourism.
You are driving a German car to an Italian coffeeshop to drink Brazilian coffee and then going home buying Chinese takeaway to sit on a Swedish sofa in front of a Korean TV to watch U.S. shows and all the while being complain your neighbor is an immigrant. Pull yourself together.
@Chris_1791 Musicians never stop playing they love music and performing so much, i just saw Bob Dylan (80 some years old) and Robert Plant (old, I dont know how old) but they were both real good.
Just watched SNL with Sir Paul McCartney performing "Band on the Run"—one of my favorite songs. And I know Paul is 83 years old, but he was horrible. 😪 So sad.
No pretense, no meat or blood, just pure, healthy and traditional food served in a traditional bronze thali.
I would literally die for this kind of food.
An American man was filming upskirt video of girls at Dhoby Ghaut MRT singapore was eventually caught by an Indian guy when he was trying to flee.
Why do American men seem to have no culture ?
Highly dimorphic North Indian men are facing extreme demand from European and American women, due to many Western men becoming gays and pedoophiles. Therefore, East Asian women are now going for attractive South Indian Dravidian men to upgrade their gene pool.
This German family has been stuck in India since COVID. But now their visas have expired, and they have refused to go back to Germany. They have fallen in love with India and Indian culture and the land of their Aryan ancestors. I wish them all the best.
@Dwaita108@marimilktoast Who the fuck spends 4 weeks in Singapore for holidays. Stop being delusional. 3 days in and most would wanna jump off MBS.
Be real.
This is an argument for the Thais not tourists. Government needs to look after their people finally.
@TonsTweetings@marimilktoast Good luck then. Several countries in S.E. Asia give 90 days, even Singapore. And, yes, I know people who happily spend 4+ weeks in Singapore.
We are okay with following the PM’s advice on reducing foreign travel and exploring India more.
But genuinely asking, what are the best places in India that actually give a world-class travel experience?
Need recommendations beyond the usual tourist spots.
@jacobincambodia These are the farangs who claim they're high spenders and want thailand to spread the red carpet for them at Airports. Free visa for farangs needs to stop. Their entry needs to be scrutinized to make sure they have enough money otherwise deported. No money no entry.
Why is it always Pattaya?
Drunk foreigner in Pattaya allegedly refused to pay a 2,500 baht bar tab, exposed himself to police, cursed them and their mothers, then bolted toward the beach. 10-minute struggle on Soi 12 in front of tourists filming on their phones. Claimed to be Moroccan, no ID.
Hard to think of a Cambodia equivalent.
If you want to observe Indians' colonial servile mindset, pay attention to how Indian offices and their leaders behave and bend backwards while receiving foreign CEOs/Execs visiting India.
In my brief, ten-year long corporate career, cringiest moments have been those when I witnessed the cocktail of tamasha and embarrassment that unfolds when foreign CEOs/Execs visit Indian offices.
I once saw a Managing Partner arriving like a bridegroom in the Janavasam car (Baraat vehicle used for weddings) with a retinue of Nadhaswaram players playing ahead of his car. The poor bloke didn't want to be rude and went through all of this patiently, with garlands around his neck in Hyderabad heat.
Another time, I saw a foreign CEO being asked to light the lamp while a veena recital was happening. The veena player was an office employee and had to play her instrument to showcase, well, Indian culture.
Yes, Indians are known for Vasudeva Kudumbakam (the World Is One Family) and Atiti Devo Bhavah! (Guest is God). But seriously, why would you want to be so insecure and give an overdose of Indian culture in an inappropriate context while foreign guests visit India and enter our offices?
Why do we have to go overboard with our hospitality? When Indians go to work outside, none of this drama happens. If that's the case, why do we go overboard while receiving guests?
The crucial thing here is that of posture. We don't stand straight and receive others as equals.
We bend backwards and showcase our insecurity while receiving others. Can we develop a spine and receive others while standing straight?
@jesperbkk@DaisyKirsch Yes, but I think they do a lot of charitable work on the quiet. If they were to announce it, people would call them showoffs. I know a couple of billionaires in Mumbai, very humble people, spending lots on charity. The Tatas, founders of the Taj group, were great philanthropists
@jesperbkk@DaisyKirsch Antilia, the name of the bldg. Three helipads on the roof, but not allowed to use due to some bureaucratic issues. From a distance the building actually looks pretty ugly. When in 2024, owner Mukesh Ambani's son married, they spent an estimated 600-1 billion $ on the bash.
@Ajarncom@jesperbkk No, not near the Gateway or Taj. Elsewhere in the lanes of Colaba you may encounter a peddler or two. In the 1980s & 90s, there used to be lots of junkies, haven't seen any there any since. In the 80s, there was a 24 h pharmacy at the Taj, junkies coming at night, buying whatever
I’ve seen this iconic hotel hundreds of times and being just next to the iconic Gate of India where the last British troops from the First Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry departed from at Independence in 1948 it’s truly a historic place. This hotel though has been in my mind hundreds of times since I watched the movie Hotel
Mumbai from 2018, which is about the incredible staff and their unselfish behavior saving guests during the terror attacks by Pakistani militants in 2008. Today of course everything is 100% refurbished and the place just oozes history and you are hit by a quiet underplayed elegance that I’ve never seen anywhere else in the world. Not even Raffles Hotel in Singapore has any vibe that comes close to this. It’s spectacular and so happy I went here for a cup of coffee and a walk around. These few pictures of mine does in no way do the hotel justice. It truly is one of those wonders that needs to be felt and seen at the same time. Amazing. Last day here and tomorrow morning off to Bangalore or Bengaluru as it’s named today. More photos in the comments.