Empirically Mapping the Evolutionary Phases of Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC): The Case of Goa, India

This paper aims to simulate the stages of the Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) in Goa, India, based on the number of tourist arrivals and tests whether the stages correspond with the stages of TALC as predicted in the theory. The graphs are plotted for total, foreign, and domestic tourists from 1962-2018. A compliance assessment of the indicators with the TALC stages is also done to ascertain the extent of development. The leading indicators of the exploration, stagnation, and decline stages are identified. The lagging indicator shows sluggish tourism planning initiatives. It is observed that the TALC differs for domestic and foreign tourists' arrivals. The study provides an important historical perspective on the pattern of growth of tourism in Goa. The pattern can further be employed as a basis to guide the process of strategy formulation.