International tourist arrivals to Goa increased significantly in 2025-26, driven by visitors from the UK, Russia, the US, and Germany. The UK remained the largest overseas market with 70,349 arrivals, a 49% increase from 47,212 in 2024-25, according to data from the Goa Tourism Department. Russia ranked second, rising from 30,103 to 43,396 tourists. The US and Germany registered notable increases, with arrivals climbing to 24,878 and 11,958 respectively. France was an exception, experiencing a slight decline from 6,795 to 6,635 visitors.
Domestic arrivals to Goa also grew sharply, with Maharashtra as the largest source market supplying 15.9 lakh visitors
in 2025-26, up from 10.8 lakh the previous year, a 47% rise. Karnataka followed with 8.6 lakh visitors compared to 6.5 lakh in 2024-25. Delhi and Goa itself ranked further down the list with 4.4 lakh and significant intrastate travel contributing to hotel bookings. Other top domestic markets included Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu, all recording year-on-year gains.
Data Submission Compliance and TIME Software Contract
Despite growth in tourist numbers, only 60% of Goa’s 7,098 registered hotels and guesthouses submitted arrival data via the Tourist Information Management Enterprise (TIME) software in 2025-26. This marks an improvement over 45% compliance in 2024-25 but
remains below the Goa Tourism Department’s target. Goa Electronics Ltd, the company managing the TIME application, had its contract extended until December 28, 2026, to continue supporting data collection processes.
Processing Fee Hike Conditioned on Compliance
Tourism director Kedar Naik announced a proposed 10% increase in processing fees for hotels using the TIME portal. This hike will only be implemented if at least 70% of registered hotels and guesthouses comply with data submission requirements. The government is considering additional enforcement measures such as periodic reminders to improve reporting rates, essential for maintaining accurate, real-time tourism statistics.
Hotelier Concerns on Data Accuracy
Some hotel operators have expressed doubts whether reported growth figures
fully represent genuine increases in tourist arrivals or partly reflect improved data submission, especially from guesthouses, budget hotels, and homestays. These concerns underscore ongoing challenges in capturing comprehensive tourism data across Goa’s diverse hospitality sector.
