It appears the beach is finally back on the itinerary – something many travellers have been aching for and many beachtown workers have been hoping for considering it’s their livelihood.
Goa opens its borders to domestic tourists today, and many hotels can now welcome visitors, keeping in place strict hygiene checks.
The state tourism minister Manohar Ajgaonkar announced the news, mentioning that there would be certain stipulations to follow. Around 250 hotels are allowed to reopen.
Travellers will need a confirmed hotel booking before they arrive, and they will also need either a recent COVID-19 negative certificate or will have to take a COVID test on arrival.
If they opt to take the test on arrival, they will have to stay in their hotel rooms till the results are out. This would take around 24 hours.
People had a range of reactions to the news.
Goa reopens for domestic tourists from tomorrow. But Covid -ve certificate needed (or get tested at border n stay in quarantine till results come), hotel pre-booking mandatory and most likely home quarantine again for tourists once they return to their home states
— Shrinidhi Hande (@enidhi) July 1, 2020
Goa calling!
— Vi (@Dramaibaaz) July 2, 2020
https://t.co/8fujoYj40o
As #GoaReopens,
— Ruchi Mohotra Kalia (@RuchiMohotra) July 2, 2020
Menu redesigns, increased use of local ingredients & innovative campaigns: these are some of the steps #restaurants in #Goa are taking to welcome their dine-in patrons. @oltraveller 🌊 🏖️ 🧑🍳 🦞 🍲#DineIn #IncredibleIndiahttps://t.co/0IOS2gDX2j
At this stage of my life, a vacation in Goa is on number 250 on my list of top ten things to do while a Pandemic is on. https://t.co/yZ1smzoqpP
— Naomi Datta (@nowme_datta) July 2, 2020
Goa is onnnnhttps://t.co/DIqDv16odt
— Kokka (@JasoosMohtarma) July 1, 2020
Goa set to open for tourists. Fernweh 😟https://t.co/3rDe6AIRRd
— Gaurav Devdutt (@gauravdevdutt) July 1, 2020
There are currently around 1315 covid cases in Goa, of which 716 were active while 596 patients had recovered.
