India, July 24 -- Goa has witnessed a 39% growth in domestic tourist arrivals between 2019 (pre-COVID) and 2024, tourism minister Rohan Khaunte said on Thursday, slamming "paid social media influencers" for "attempting to paint a wrong picture" of the state.

Speaking in the Goa legislative assembly, Khaunte said the department has improved its data collection systems, which show that Goa recorded 71.27 lakh domestic and 9.37 lakh international tourists in 2019, and the footfall surged to 99.41 lakh domestic and 4.67 lakh international tourists in 2024. "This reflects a 39% growth in domestic tourism compared to pre-COVID levels and a 50% recovery in international tourism. These numbers clearly show that tourism is thriving," he said.

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