Tourists usually throng Goa during Christmas, but this year seem to have given the coastal State a miss, as arrivals of both foreign and domestic tourists have dropped 30 per cent, a local industry association said on Sunday.

Goa is known for its night-long parties, which begin from Christmas (December 25) and continue till the New Year is ushered in .

“As far as Christmas is concerned, there has been a drop in foreign and domestic tourist arrivals by almost 30 per cent compared to last year,” Savio Messiah, President, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), told PTI.

Messiah claimed that such factors as GST have affected the high-end tourists because of the “high air-fares” and the “high cost of holidaying”.

He said the situation will hopefully improve during the New Year celebrations, with more people arriving in the State. However, the Goa Tourism Department claims the tourists have just begun arriving and the number would go up during the coming week.

“Tourists have already begun arriving in the State. We expect more footfall this week. You can see how streets are abuzz with people,” said the State’s Tourism Director, Menino D’Souza.

A senior Department official said the tourism industry trends indicate that more than four lakh tourists will come to Goa to usher in the New Year.

Beach-shack owners, who recently went through a tough time due to Cyclone Ockhi, are back on their feet and expect a good season.

“The shack-owners have reconstructed their structures and are waiting for a good tourist season,” said Cruz Cardoso, President, Shack Owners’ Welfare Society.

He said the number of tourists arriving at the beaches is expected to surpass last year’s figures.

Cardoso said tourists have started arriving on the beaches and a majority of them are domestic travellers.

“There is not much response from the international tourists,” he claimed.