Foreign visitors poured into Goa this September during monsoon season, registering a 60 percent increase compared to the same month last year.

September 2012 saw 16,141 foreigners visiting Goa, compared with just 5,938 during September 2011.

Goa recorded a 6.5 percent rise in monsoon tourism for the four months from June to September 2012, compared with the same period in 2011.

Domestic tourists registered a marginal rise of 3.87 percent during the monsoon months, compared with figures for the same period last year.

MICE tourism in Goa took a blow this past monsoon season.

“Incentive conferences and dealer conferences were less this monsoon but we saw sizeable increase in FITs (free and independent travellers), families, young executives, etc.,” Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) spokesperson Ralph de Souza said.

Though airfare prices increased hoteliers garnered business by offering customers discounts, transfers, free boat cruises and half-day sightseeing tour packages.