log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) Merry Christmas THURSDAY DECEMBER 25, 2025 GOA 15 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 188 Survivor reveals how VP secy groomed her with promises of money & marriage 2 GOA Goa seeks one-month extension to submit inputs on Mhadei projects 5 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 LIFE When Christmas rides along: The quiet magic of festive drives 10 SPORTS Ro-Ko bring festive fireworks to Vijay Hazare Trophy 15 Calm on roads; tourists trickle in, but festive frenzy missing TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS ANXIOUS AS FESTIVE SEASON STILL FALLS SHORT OF EXPECTATIONS THE GOAN I NETWORK JOY TO THE WORLD: The parish priest Fr Cipriano Da Silva ceremonially places the statue of Baby Jesus in the manger, to commemorate His birth, at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church, Panaji.  Narayan Pissurlenkar CHRISTMAS GREETINGS THE GOAN wishes its readers, advertisers and well-wishers a Merry Christmas. May the love of Jesus fill your homes. OUR OFFICES ARE CLOSED TODAY The offices of  THE GOAN will remain closed on December 25 on account of Christmas holiday, hence there will be no edition of this newspaper dated December 26, 2025. Festivity grips Goa, midnight services usher in Christmas THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Pealing of bells at churches and chapels in parishes reverberated all over the State on Wednesday night, as the Catholic community joyfully participated in Christmas services with traditional fervour to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. One of the most revered feasts for the Catholic Church and second in importance only to Easter in the Catholic calendar, Catholics headed to parishes for the solemn mid- night Christmas services. Christmas services began shortly before midnight in all parishes of the diocese, with hymns, carols and prayers. Most parishes conducted the midnight services outdoors on open grounds in the foreground of the church. Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao presided over the Christmas service at the Se Cathedral in Old Goa, while Auxiliary Bishop Simião Fernandes presided over the Christmas service at the Archbishop’s House in the courtyard at 12 midnight, which was preceded by a preparation prayer-service at 11.30 pm. During the midnight religious services, priests placed the image of Child Jesus in the crib in the backdrop of the choir singing carols before the actual liturgical service commenced. During their homilies, priests recalled that God entered human history two thousand years ago and was born as a little babe in Bethlehem. The faithful were reminded to let their inner light shine, not >Continued on P9 PANAJI As Christmas week settles over Goa, highways leading into the State are seeing steady traffic, but without the usual rush. About 150-200 vehicles from other States are entering Goa daily through border check-posts during this holiday period, industry sources said. But while the numbers indicate some movement on paper, the flow of drive-in tourists suggests a season that is yet to return to its traditional peak momentum. Officials stated that the numbers are “within expectations”; however, the industry is less convinced. “There is footfall, but not the kind we are used to. The State is witnessing non-Goa registered vehicles during this holiday period but not up to the mark,” President of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) Jack Sukhija said. He maintained that the last peak period was much better. “This time, a pile-up of unresolved issues has taken its toll,” he added. A series of shocks have MISSING FOOTFALLS: VOICES OF CONCERN „„President of TTAG Jack Sukhija says there is footfall, but not the kind we are used to. State is witnessing non-Goa registered vehicles during this holiday period but not up to the mark… last peak period was much better „„Former TTAG president Nilesh Shah feels while Christmas traditionally guarantees sell-out rooms, this year it portrays a different story as the volume of footfalls we normally see are lacking... this time, despite a drop in flight fares and even hotel rates, that pressure is missing „„Senior member of Shack Owners Welfare Society said this season, by comparison, feels tentative… cars are crossing the borders, flights are landing... but Goa’s winter peak is missing THE RED FLAGS „„Fallout from Birch fire tragedy „„Closure of several clubs operating illegally „„Absence of marquee events like Sunburn „„Indigo aviation crisis „„Long-running taxi disputes unsettled the state’s tourism ecosystem -- widely reported by The Goan: the fatal fire at Birch by Romeo Lane, disruptions owing to the Indigo aviation crisis, and the long-running taxi disputes, among several other pending issues, have repeatedly flared into controversy.   The past TTAG President Nilesh Shah said that while Christmas traditionally guarantees sell-out rooms, this year it portrays a different story. “There are bookings, yes, but not the volume of footfalls we would normally see,” he said adding, “By December 31, we usually talk about wait- lists. This time, despite a drop in flight fares and even hotel rates, that pressure is missing.” He too conceded that outstation vehicles are not up to industry’s expectations. Shah said the fallout from the Birch fire, followed by the closure of several clubs operating illegally, has dimmed the nightlife that once pulled crowds to the coastal belt. The absence of marquee events has compounded the problem. “Sunburn isn’t happening. That alone takes away a huge chunk of tourists. Clubs operating illegally and are shut down in the latest drive by authorities... All of this sends red signals.” In 2024, Goa recorded a strong surge during the Christmas-New Year window. Between December 20 and 31, Dabolim airport handled 1.2 lakh arriving passengers on 683 domestic flights, along with 4,700 international passengers on 27 flights. Domestic arrivals rose 27 percent compared with the same tenday period in 2023. Two years earlier, in 2022, hotels reported over 90 percent occupancy for Christmas and were virtually sold out for New Year.