Panaji, Dec 19 (IANS): Goa's tourism industry may have suffered a loss of between Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 7,200 crore and job losses in the range of 35 per cent to 58 per cent on account of the Covid-19 pandemic, an official report said.

The report 'Coping with COVID-19: Survival and Revival of Goa's Tourism Industry' compiled by the Goa Tourism Ministry and consultancy firm KPMG Advisory Services Pvt. Ltd, also said that the state tourism industry directly contributes 16.43 per cent revenue towards the state Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and approximately 35 per cent of state's population is directly employed by the tourism sector.

The report was based on a survey conducted by the Goa Tourism Ministry and KPMG which involved reaching out to 600 respondents.

The objective of the survey was aimed at examining the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the tourism industry in Goa and also offers recommendations to allow tourism stakeholders to "survive, revive and thrive".

"This survey was really a ground-breaking initiative as, for the first time, it covered the tourism industry in a very comprehensive manner, from upscale starred hotels to guest houses, from shacks to taxi drivers, independent guides, freelancers, etc," a statement issued by the Goa government said.

The data collected from the survey, will be utilised for mitigating the challenges posed by the pandemic, the statement added.

Goa is regarded as one of the top beach and nightlife tourism destinations in the country and attracted nearly eight million tourists last year. The Covid-19 pandemic has however severely impacted tourist footfalls to Goa this year.