PANAJI: Flying in to Goa from Mumbai on New Year's eve was cheaper for revellers than entering a nightclub in the state to party into the new
year.

With hordes of Indian tourists descending on the state to ring in the year's first moments, nightclubs anticipated a windfall in earnings and hiked their rates ten-fold. But, the fact is that most of the tourists arrived by road and airlines normally exhorbitant at this time of the year which were practically begging to be sold.

"Mumbai-Goa is the busiest sector for New Year traffic to Goa. The demand for air tickets was such that you could fly by Kingfisher to Goa for Rs 3,000," says Nilesh Shah, chairperson of the Travel Agents Association of India, Goa.

Earlier, TOI had reported that a Bangalore-Goa flight on December 31 was available for just Rs 2,925. Conversely, boogeying the night away amidst strobe lights was far more expensive for revellers.

A nightclub at Baga charged Rs 4,500 per head, while a couple of nightclubs at Candolim allowed revellers in for a sum of Rs 4,000 onwards per head.

Airlines usually tweak their pricing during the peak period December 20 January 5 to match the demand for the Goa market. Prices have fallen sharply from the earlier rates, averaging at Rs 14,000, for a Mumbai-Goa flight due to cancellations and a lack of bookings. Incidentally, this is a time where air fares usually soar as high as between Rs 18,000 to Rs 22,000 for a Delhi-Goa and even a Mumbai-Goa flight for the days preceding Christmas and New Year

Source: Times Of India