‘Too many North Indian tourists…’: Podcaster reveals why he skipped Goa for Vietnam on New Year
Podcaster Ravi Handa has caused a stir after he revealed why he left 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 over New Year’s break,” Handa wrote. “But not because any of you on Twitter are snarky. Goa has too many North Indian tourists and they’re ruining the experience.”
He didn’t stop there, recounting incidents during his visit to Vietnam that further reinforced his views. “Even in Vietnam, the only misbehavior was from the North Indian tourists,” he said, detailing a number of encounters, including a group chanting loudly was in a ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ train carriage filled with Indians and another couple brazenly cutting the excuse, ‘Aage chalo: Yahan koi nahi rokega.”
In another incident, he confronted someone queuing on a cable car line, only to be told: “He didn’t want to argue and gave up,” he added.
Handa’s words were in response to a tweet by CapitalMind founder Deepak Shenoy, who shared his reasons for skipping Goa in favor of Thailand. “I went to Thailand on New Year’s break. But not because any of you twitter. Lifeguards whistle like crazy when you swim even a few meters into the sea. And it spoils me and my children’s experiences.”
Handa’s observations coincide with a wider 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 expensive flights, high hotel prices and Goan’s fight with the “taxi mafia”. have also voiced complaints about unruly tourists, with Handa’s words adding fuel to the fire filling
The government, however, pushed back on this story.On December 31, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant asserted: “November, December and January will be full of tourists in Goa. All the hotels here are full and I think all the flights to Goa are booked.”
Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte echoed similar sentiments, accusing influencers of spreading misinformation. “We need to ensure that a wrong message is not created by someone,” he said, defending Goa’s status as a top destination.