The war between Russia and Ukraine has brought Goa’s charter season to a standstill. This is because of the Russian airlines suspending international flights from March 6. The charter season in Goa was already impacted due to reduced bookings from Russian destinations. The last charter had returned to Russia on March 7 with the passengers which arrived in Goa on March 3.
Charter Season
Charter flights from Russia usually arrive in large numbers from October to mid-May. During the Charter season, Russians come to Goa in such large numbers that several shack menus and stores include a Russian version. But looking at the current war scenario, not much can be said over the resumption of these flights.
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Tourism and Hospitality Industry
The tourism industry in Goa had already faced a huge blow because of the Covid-19 pandemic. When the charter flights were resumed in December, it was a huge sigh of relief for the industry. The first charter after the pandemic to land in Goa was from Russia. Russians would spend about 14 to 21 days which helped the businesses survive. Many hotels depend on charter flights for their survival as they have been struggling for the last 2 years.
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The tourism and hospitality industry in Goa is largely dependent on foreign tourists. With the restrictions being eased with respect to international flights and charter flights, things were on the verge of turning normal. But now the war between Russia and Ukraine has pulled everyone’s spirit down again.