Vivek Menezes
You can credit Goencho Saib, or the right stars becoming aligned, or sheer dumb luck, but it’s clear that tourism in Goa is set for an unprecedented record high season. Even while the likes of Chetan Bhagat are publicly bashing “the brand” – and indeed, destructive numbers of desi tourists show no sign of abating – there is soaring demand for the very best, the most exclusive, and highest quality hotel, hospitality, leisure and excursion services in India’s smallest state. Against all odds, the country’s original favourite family holiday destination has yet another – undoubtedly final – opportunity to reboot, and re-orient towards those elusive “high value tourists” every destination is desperate to attract.
Here's how Hansel Vaz, the charismatic 'feni man' and unrivalled ambassador for the best Goa has to offer, hailed the signs on social media earlier this week: “If my intel is right, most hotels are at 100% or near about capacity from today onwards. The good news is that the quality is better. And this time it happened 2 weeks early. The season is well and truly on. Brace yourselves.”
Vaz has an uncommon, multi-barrelled perspective about Tourism Goa, as the genius showman propelling feni to global recognition in the front shelf of premium artisanal spirits like (Japanese) sake and (Mexican) mezcal, and hosting one of the state’s most fun “experiences” at his Cazulo distillery in bucolic Cuelim, while extensively supplying the tourism marketplace from family-operated liquor stores in four locations from Palolem to Anjuna. He first saw change there: “we feel the pulse before the rest of the market simply because we cater to the organised segment, who are used to planning and stocking based on advance booking. Our data clearly indicates a trend towards ‘premiumisation’. You are drinking less, but better, and you are surely eating better, and that means you are likely to choose better hotels. You are discerning quality, and that is why everyone offering better service is doing better than ever.”
I emailed Vaz to ask him to elaborate on his social media comments, and he responded with a pertinent question: “How much money does a “high value” tourist who enters Goa want to spend? Is it a lakh? Five lakhs? I’ve asked this question many times, and, incredibly, no one knows.” At the family stores, he says, “we realised that Goa is changing. The pandemic made India realize there’s more to our state than drinking beer on the beach. The ultra-rich began to invest in real estate, and now they live here. They make their money elsewhere, but spend it in Goa. Real estate was the first to understand this, and they built luxury villas. The grocery market hasn't caught up, but in the liquor trade we believed we can. For the first time, companies introduced luxury alcohols ranging up to 62 lakhs for a single bottle. The fact is, now Goa has people who are capable of spending so high, but they rarely like to be seen or go out. They come for peaceful Goa.”
When he first started feni tasting visits to his distillery, Vaz recalls barely 10 people would show up in a month. Yet he stuck to “non-negotiables” including “no advertising, cleanliness and high standards. We still don’t have a signboard, because I was clear from the onset that I didn't want to go the mass tourism way. I didn't want tour operators to drop off guests for me to entertain or babysit. Only if you were interested, you would book with prior appointment. I was told to bring prices down to under 300 per person, and advertise. I rejected both, and to be honest my entire team left me except for one. But I was convinced that even the 10 people per month who came were genuinely interested. Today we do 400 people every month, and it's right up there as a new vertical on Goa's tourism calendar after beaches and temples.”
It was on a happy visit to Vaz’s tasting table in the Cuelim springs that I had my own first pleasantly surprising encounter with some of the new “high value” tourists seeking “authenticity” in Goa. They were three young couples from South India who had travelled abroad, ate and drank everything with gusto, and demonstrated both curiosity and the appropriate respect for everything Vaz told them about the environment and cultural context of feni. These were not the crass, garbage-strewing tourists we are besieged by on the much-abused Mandovi riverfront of Panjim, and when I asked how they learned
about Cazulo, their answer was Urbanaut.
There are other companies operating in this space now, but the language this particular app-based recommendations-and-booking startup uses to describe itself is revealing: “You’ll find insider tips, hidden gems, offbeat discoveries and maybe some of the more popular spots as well - so you can explore a city just like a local would. More importantly, our locals seek out responsible and sustainable businesses who provide unforgettable experiences…We love small, local businesses and believe that travel is best experienced slowly and mindfully.”
When I reached out to learn more, Urbanaut’s co-founder Samyukta Ranganathan told me they are seeing steady growth: “after Covid, we all know how much people yearned for open spaces. I feel that many people who might have previously looked to Goa as a destination to party and drink, now realized what a world class destination they had in their own backyard when it came to nature and the outdoors. This new audience is eager to try new twists on local cuisines, head out into the wilderness with local guides, show their children an exciting natural world beyond their four walls, and learn more about local culture. While we don't specifically call out that the experiences listed on our platform have to be responsible or sustainable, almost all of them have this underlying theme. They are run by responsible, world-class partners who cater to the more discerning tourist willing to pay a small premium for quality, and who don't run mass tours with hordes of people - rather focusing on small, intimate groups and a more meaningful experience.”
There is a great opportunity in Goa, says Ranganathan: “In recent years we've seen Bali and Sri Lanka really gain in popularity - it's a combination of safety, affordable yet tasteful accommodation, accessibility, great dining and activity options, and that difficult to define 'vibe'. Goa has all of this in spades and there's plenty of money and prosperity to be had by all, as long as everyone has a more long-term view in mind.” Things can easily go wrong however, as “I think Goa is in a precarious spot, where there's a lot of growth and construction. It is indeed becoming harder to find that 'susegad' and I hope state authorities put zoning rules in place so forest and green areas can remain untouched, and people can actually enjoy views from the holiday homes they're building! If Goa is overrun it will lose its charm (and its tourists), so I hope the authorities prioritize sustainable development, while targeting the more high-quality tourist by supporting high-quality experience providers who are doing a fabulous job showcasing the best of the state.”
(Vivek Menezes is a writer and co-founder of the Goa Arts and Literature Festival)