‘Tourists have stopped coming to Goa during IPL’

Panaji, Aug 11: Tourists have stopped coming to Goa during the months of April and May because of the Indian Premier League (IPL), a Goa legislator said on Thursday.

Speaking during a discussion on tourism during the ongoing monsoon session of the Goa legislative assembly, Independent MLA from Benaulim Caitu Silva also said that domestic tourists spend more money on hotels and food, but blamed the Goa tourism authorities for splurging money on foreign junkets.

"I believe that IPL games should not be held in the months of April-May, because tourists do not come to Goa at that time. Tourism drops. Tourists who normally come to Goa (during the period), have stopped coming because they prefer to go for the IPL," Silva said.

"It is the domestic tourists who stay and eat in hotels and spend money. But we are not interested in inviting them. We are more keen on promoting tourism abroad, so that people can on foreign tours," Parulekar said.

Goa is one of the leading beach tourism destinations in the country and attract more than four million tourists every year, out of which half a million are foreigners.