With the onset of the monsoon making it dangerous to venture into the sea, the Goa tourism department has launched activities which provide much more fun than being on the beaches for the travellers.The department is all set to provide alternative activities to the visitors during this monsoon, like ‘Sao Joao’, an activity of jumping in the water, playing in the mud and trekking through the Western Ghats.
“The rainy season in Goa is a magical experience. The rivers joyfully overflow with their rushing streams, the trees dance to the tune of the winds, the mountains and the fields get covered with a verdant green carpet ready to welcome to a land of eternal beauty,” Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) General Manager Gavin Dias said.
As per figures of the state tourism department, there was a 22 per cent surge in tourist arrivals in Goa between June and September 2015 compared to the year earlier.
The year-on-year growth was 55 per cent in 2016, Dias said.
A senior tourism department official said Goa’s traditional reputation as tourist destination for just half of the year has now been changed and there are activities for the visitors on all the 365 days. ???
The department promotes the state as a monsoon tourism destination considering Goa’s weather, lush greenery, waterfalls, festivals and other activities.
“Today, tourists think of Goa during the monsoon as it offers a different kind of adventure which is unique at this time of the year,” the official said.
In one of the most recent activities, the department has launched trekking expeditions from June to September.
“These expeditions give the tourists an experience of the hinterlands, water bodies, lakes, waterfalls, wildlife sanctuaries and eateries specialised in serving monsoon delicacies,” the official said.
The department is also offering adventure sports like white water rafting at Mahadeyi river in Sattari taluka, he said.
Some unique events like Sao Joao, Chikalkalo (playing in mud), Patoleanchem fest (of sweets), Touxachem feast (the annual cucumber festival), Konsachem fest to celebrate harvesting, Sangodd (boat in the water) and Bonderam, the traditional float parade at Divar island), are also held in Goa during the monsoon, he said.
“Thousands of tourists come to witness these festivities,” he added.