Podcaster Ravi Handa has sparked a heated conversation after revealing why he ditched Goa for Vietnam this New Year. In a series of candid remarks, Handa shared his frustration with the behavior of North Indian tourists, both in Goa and abroad, describing their antics as disruptive.
“I went to Vietnam for the New Year break, and Goa was a choice,” Handa wrote. “But not for the reasons any of you people on Twitter go bonkers about. Goa has too many North Indian tourists, and they ruin the experience.”
He didn’t stop there, recounting incidents during his Vietnam trip that further cemented his views. “Even in Vietnam, the only bad behavior was from North Indian tourists,” he said. Handa detailed a series of encounters, including a group loudly chanting “Bharat Mata ki Jai” in a train coach filled with Indians and another couple brazenly cutting in line with the excuse, “Aage chalo. Yahan koi nahi rokega.”
In another incident, he confronted someone jumping the queue at a cable car line, only to be told, “Hum logon ke pass special pass hai.” “Did not want to argue and gave up,” he added.
Handa’s remarks came as a response to a tweet by Deepak Shenoy, founder of CapitalMind, who shared his reasons for skipping Goa in favor of Thailand for the New Year. Shenoy posted, “I went to Thailand for the New Year break, and Goa was a choice. But not for the reasons any of you people on Twitter go bonkers about. The lifeguards in Goa whistle like mad when you swim even a few meters into the sea. And that ruins the experience for me and my kids.”
Handa’s observations coincide with a broader conversation about Goa’s declining appeal as a tourist destination. Viral photos of empty cafes and deserted streets during peak season have reignited debates about Goa’s struggles with expensive flights, high hotel prices, and what locals call the “taxi mafia.” Many Goans have also voiced complaints about unruly tourists, with Handa’s remarks adding fuel to the fire.
The Goa government, however, has pushed back against this narrative. On December 31, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant insisted, “The months of November, December, and January in Goa are going to be filled with tourists. All the hotels here are full, and I believe all flights to Goa have been booked.”
Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte echoed similar sentiments, accusing influencers of spreading misinformation. “We need to ensure a wrong message is not created by someone,” he said, defending Goa’s status as a premier destination.