Goa, July 25 -- Calangute MLA Michael Lobo on Thursday questioned the government's claims of a rise in tourist arrivals in Goa, alleging that the data provided by the Tourism Department was inaccurate and misleading.

Raising a starred question in the Legislative Assembly, Lobo stated that the figures for foreign tourist arrivals were inflated as they included Goans holding Portuguese passports who had returned to the State. "Is the government aware that there is a decline in tourist footfalls in the State in the last five years, particularly after the Covid pandemic?" Lobo asked.

He asserted that the data furnished by the department was incorrect and demanded to know the methodology and parameters used to compile the statistics. Lobo al...