Goa Tourism files case against X user for ‘false data’ on foreign tourist arrivals

PANAJI: The Goa Tourism Department has lodged a police complaint against an X user, Ramanuj Mukherjee, accusing him of disseminating “false data through his social media handles, thereby causing significant annoyance to local businesses and inducing fear or alarm within the local community.”
The complaint, lodged by deputy director of tourism Rajesh Kale, alleges that Mukherjee shared wildly inaccurate data to make the case that foreign tourist visits to Goa had dropped significantly.
“Mukherjee referenced China Economic Information Center (CEIC) data in his post; however, the credibility of this data is questionable as he neither consulted with the Department of Tourism prior to posting nor validated the data he collected. His false assumptions regarding future tourist footfalls in Goa further exacerbate the situation. The statements made by Shri Ramanuj Mukherjee appear to have the intent to cause public unrest and may induce individuals to commit offences against the State or against public tranquility,” the complaint alleged.
Mukherjee in his tweets had said, “Tourism in Goa is down in the dumps. Foreign tourists have abandoned the state already. Look at 2019 v 2023 numbers. Russians and Brits who used to visit annually have opted for Sri Lanka instead. Indian tourists still visiting, but soon likely to ditch it as word spreads about exploitation of tourists while there are so many cheaper comparable locations abroad,”
According to the data Mukherjee shared, foreign tourist arrivals to Goa fell from 8.5 million in 2019 to 1.5 million in 2023.
However, according to official data, Goa foreign tourist arrivals have never reached these numbers. Goa received a maximum of around 0.8 million foreign tourists each year during the high years between 2014 and 2019.
“The post in question has incited considerable provocation on social media platforms and has attracted various unscrupulous elements that threaten the peace and safety of our local community. It is evident that these actions constitute a breach of public peace and could severely damage Goa’s image as a safe and welcoming destination for tourists,” the department’s complaint alleged.
Mukherjee in a response via Twitter accused the state government of intimidating him with a “baseless police case”.
“Goa Tourism decided the best course of action when tens of thousands of people are complaining about how badly they were treated in the state this year. It is unfortunate that instead of acting on complaints by thousands of tourists on social media regarding various tourist scams, they faced in Goa, which by the way I did not highlight, and merely shared publicly available data, which I also cited, the authorities are trying to intimidate me with a baseless police case,” he said.
“They should have put the correct data out there if they think the cited data is wrong, instead of what appears to be a misuse of law to shut down criticism. I will counter this intimidation through legal means,” he said.
Earlier the Goa Tourism Department had hit back at the post with a statement.
“While global travel faced unprecedented disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting foreign tourist numbers worldwide, Goa’s international tourism is on a steady path to recovery. In 2023, foreign tourist arrivals rose to over 450,000, a significant increase from pandemic lows, as travel restrictions eased and global mobility improved. It is important to note that Goa is a state within India, whereas destinations Goa is being compared to like Sri Lanka are countries,” the department said in the statement.