Overview

• On The Prakhar Gupta Xperience podcast, Aman Gupta said that in the early 2000s Anjuna Beach catered almost exclusively to Israeli tourists, often leaving Indians without accommodation.
• He described underground forest raves at venues like Bamboo Forest where he and his friends were frequently the only Indian attendees among largely foreign crowds.
• Gupta noted that over the years Indian tourists have become Goa’s most lucrative visitors and are now welcomed and respected by local businesses.
• Goa’s tourism sector has suffered a recent slump, with domestic arrivals down about 60% and international visitor numbers falling by roughly 40% since mid-March.
• The drop in footfall has led to the closure of nearly 10% of beach shacks this season, intensifying economic strain on local operators.