Are Vietnam, Thailand cheaper than Goa for a beach holiday?

livemint.com:

₹30,000 for Novotel Goa resorts, which are not even on the beach. In contrast, we paid ₹9,000 for a hotel on the beach in Phuket that had a private pool and the rooms were almost three times bigger. Similarly, in Vietnam, we paid ₹6,000 for Movenpick Camranh, one of the best resorts I have ever been to," said Rai.

A quick search on any online travel aggregator (OTA) site will tell you a similar story. A highly rated 3-star hotel in Goa will easily cost ₹4,000-6,000 per night. These properties are located nearby beaches but are not sea-facing.

In comparison, a similar property in Phuket or Pattaya (Thailand) can be booked at half the price. In fact, one can find a sea-view Airbnb in Pattaya located right at the beach for ₹5,000 a night. In Da Nang, a coastal city in Vietnam, sea view hotels are even cheaper starting at ₹3,500 per night.

Beach properties in Goa are priced over ₹10,000 per night. Hotel tariffs pinch the most in a trip to Goa. Revenge travel post the Covid pandemic, rising real estate prices and Goa emerging as a top wedding destination have pushed up hotel prices in the city over the last 2-3 years.

Rai said he paid about ₹14,000 per night for Taj Aguada Goa in late 2021, which is more than ₹35,000 currently. In an interview with Mint in December 2023, Rohan Khaunte, state tourism and IT minister, said about 10 million visitors had come to Goa since March, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Given the rise in tourist influx, the cost of food and bike/car rentals have also gone up.

Mumbai-based Viraj Mehta, who regularly travels to both Vietnam and Thailand due to his work, said one can afford luxury in these countries. “A luxury 5-star hotel in Goa is selling for ₹35,000-75,000 a night. You can book a similar