It was quite a weekend. It was noisy; the roads were crowded with visitors from around the country and certain parts of the world. Media reports highlighted the fact that over a hundred flights had landed at the Dabolim airport. For the hospitality industry it signalled good times. Several executives or members of senior management had much to say about their fortunes over
the weekend.
Savio Messias who has a property in the south said no one should complain after a very good weekend. Savio said, “The crowds were very good in Goa though I will concede, customers negotiated very hard. Many hotels had to reduce their room rates. However many hotels also negotiated hard and ensured their guests had to buy dinner tickets which were exorbitantly priced. We received a couple of customers who refused to bow down and shifted over to our property.” This, he said, happened in several small properties which left a sour taste in the mouth. Savio ended by saying the whole business was good for everyone which was a welcome relief after the slump experienced over the last
two years.
The big daddy of them all, The Taj did very good business. Vincent Ramos, Senior Vice President – Goa said revenues generated had been the highest since they commenced operations in the State. Ramos said “All the hotels were packed; there were lots of parties which resulted in record breaking revenue. All the hotels sold out at high rates. Our clientele was mixed with a mix of domestic and international crowd”.
There are several medium and small hotels that dot the Goan landscape. Serafin Cotta who heads the association said business was nice on Dec 31 and Jan 1. Cotta said “Well the guests have all left now and Goa will be empty now. The customers were very demanding with rates and we had to knock down our rates. It was tough but we were able to earn decent money. I shudder to think what we will experience during the rest of the month. January will be bad”. The small and medium hotels have been rocked by the emergence
of the Air BnB which is available in abundance.
Providing a more global picture was Nilesh Shah, President TTAG. Shah said “The travel industry was good overall. It was rocking after two years. People came to Goa without fear. The general impression was that business was good and the hotels were full. Other industries that depended on the hotel industry also did well. The general sentiment was very good. There are more holidays coming that will coincide with weekends which will bring in the crowds. The good showing during the New year weekend is a harbinger of good times.”
One can only hope those sentiments ring true.
