Goa, May 3 -- Goa's golden sands, vibrant culture, and charming hospitality may continue to lure tourists in record numbers, but behind the glitz lies a transportation crisis that threatens the very core of the state's tourism economy. The taxi service, a lifeline for over 1 crore tourists annually, remains fragmented, only partially digitised, and embroiled in political and social contention. In 2025, the irony of a digitally advanced India watching one of its premier tourism hubs wrestle with analogue transport policies is difficult to ignore.

According to official data from the Goa Tourism Department, tourism has seen an encouraging upswing. The year 2024 recorded 1,04,09,196 tourist arrivals, up from 86,28,162 in 2023. However, this ...