everyone knows the internal factors that powered goas spectacular tourism growth over the past three decades the gorgeous weather and landscapes the states magnificently rich and diverse cultural heritage the wonderful food and latterly sparkling nightlife have all become worldfamous and so the states tourism brand steadily increased in value despite chronic mismanagement and negligence by successive state governments less recognized are the global and national trends and developments that have uncannily consistently played out in goas favour steadily decreasing international airfares the deregulation of domestic airspace and especially a string of unforeseen setbacks from terrorism to tsunami to civil war to its potential rivals in the region have come together to maintain the states nonstop rise to becoming a global tourism hotspot like no other in the region in 2013 that pattern seems likely to repeat as two separate phenomena are combining rapidly to once again deliver a tourism bonanza to goa the precipitous fall of the rupee in recent weeks as well as the glare of media attention on attacks on women in the rest of the country both have strong potential implications for travellers to the state as the last monsoon clouds blow across the horizon all signs are pointing to the tourism industry having another record year of sustained demand for its services while some other industries in goaand the common man in the marketplaceregard the rapid degradation of the rupees value as a disaster it is clearly the exact opposite in the case of tourism foreigners now find the state an even greater bargain than before 1520 cheaper than last year most fivestar hotels in goa are already reporting an exactly corelated rise in bookings from abroad another even bigger impact on occupancy rates is likely to be registered from the huge number of moneyed indian travelers who have been pouring out of the country in recent years to europe north america dubai singapore and thailand many are finding themselves priced out of those markets now earlier this week the economic times headlined a report rupee crash forces indian holidaymakers to ditch italy for goa were going to see many more such stories by the yearend far less pleasant to contemplatebut almost surely no less beneficial to goas tourism prospects for 2013is the nowwidespread international perception that many other parts of india have become hostile to women travellers in just a few years we have gone from reports of few isolated cases every year including one or two in goa to an unending stream of horrifying incidents of harassment assault and rape the creepy indian lecher has become a constant presence in visitors accounts of the country and a staple of international media coverage to indias great shame it is the only country in the region now distinguished by stern travel advisories including from the usa and uk warning women about potential danger it will be small consolation to those who have experienced similar harassment in the state because we all know it does happen