PORVORIM, Feb. 8 -- Arrival of foreign tourists in Goa registered a rise of 138.69 per cent as of November 2023 compared to 2022, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte said on Wednesday.

He was replying to a starred question tabled by MLAs Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira and Vijai Sardesai in the Legislative Assembly.

The Minister said that total tourist arrivals in the State in 2023 are estimated to be 80.48 lakh indicating an increase of 17.9 per cent over the previous year,

"As of November last year, 4.03 lakh foreign tourists have arrived in Goa. The arrivals of domestic tourists too have seen a rise. In 2019, the year that saw the Covid-19 pandemic disrupt the entire world economy, there were 71.27 lakh domestic tourists. Up to November 2022...