Goa Tourism Files Police Complaint Over Social Media Post Criticizing Tourist Decline

The Goa Tourism Department has filed a police complaint against an entrepreneur whose social media post highlighted a perceived decline in the state’s foreign tourist numbers. This post, shared on X, sparked further negative comments from other travelers, raising concerns within the tourism industry.

The complaint, submitted to the cyber crime police station in Panaji, accuses the entrepreneur of “public mischief.” Deputy Director of Tourism Rajesh Kale stated that the post shared on November 5 at 3:52 p.m. allegedly contained “false data” aimed at undermining Goa’s tourism reputation and causing “annoyance to local businesses.” The individual, who identifies as a founder of an online legal learning platform and has a following of 22,500 on X, did not respond to inquiries about his statements.

The post suggested that foreign tourists, specifically Russians and British visitors, were now choosing destinations like Sri Lanka over Goa, claiming a significant decline from 2019 to 2023. It further warned that Indian tourists might follow suit due to rising complaints of tourist exploitation. A chart depicting a decrease in foreign tourists accompanied the post, referencing data from the China Economic Information Center (CEIC). Kale argued that the data’s credibility was questionable as it was neither verified with the Department of Tourism nor validated independently.

The Tourism Department’s statement emphasized Goa’s enduring popularity and adaptability, pointing out that market forces affect the cost of travel and stay, sometimes making Goa more expensive compared to other locations. It also cautioned against comparing Goa to a country like Sri Lanka, which could provide “an inaccurate perspective.”

As of now, Goa's Superintendent of Cyber Crime, Rahul Gupta, said that they have not formally received the complaint but will investigate the concerns once filed.

Here is the post below:

This is my response to the journalist pic.twitter.com/XWEORsPBuq

— Ramanuj Mukherjee (@law_ninja) November 9, 2024