Allegedly, Goa won’t open to tourism until everyone in the state has received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. In making the announcement, Goa’s chief minister Promod Sawant added that the government intends to achieve this goal by July 13th.

State Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar had previously added that tourism should not resume until the entire population of the coastal state is fully vaccinated against COVID-19. However, while saying this, he admitted that Goa’s tourism industry cannot be closed forever as it is the backbone of the state’s economy.

The latest statement comes after the Goa Travel and Tourism Association (TTAG) was informed by the government that the state’s hospitality industry cannot be fully opened until the positivity rate drops below 5 percent.

In this regard, the chairman of the association, Nilesh Shah, had previously proposed four different strategies to ensure that the entry of travelers does not lead to the spread of COVID in the state. He recommended that travelers should only be allowed to enter Goa with a negative COVID-19 certificate or vaccination card.


He also suggested that if a traveler does not provide it, testing facilities should be set up at borders or at airports, train and bus stations, and airports where people can get their tests done at affordable prices.

Among other recommendations that TTAG has to the government is the operation of casinos and cruise lines, tourism companies, including Hotels and restaurants to only operate at 50 to 75 percent of capacity until the pandemic is over; Establishment of quarantine centers for travelers at all designated locations; Deployment of the Goa Police and Tourism Police in all centers to monitor compliance by companies and others.

The association has also warned against holding high-capacity events until March 2022.