With the Government stepping in to regulate domestic air fares, Goa's tourism industry hopes the move will provide a fillip to tourist inflow during Christmas and New Year.

"There should be rationalisation of the air fares, especially during peak season. This will stop travellers from spending holidays in neighbouring countries," Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) spokesman Ralf D'Souza told PTI.

It is ironical that travelling in the country is costlier than international travel, he said.

"If it costs more to travel to Goa than Malaysia or Singapore or Sri Lanka, its natural people will go abroad," said the spokesman of Goa's apex tourism body.

The air fares to Goa see immense rise during Christmas and New Year, making holiday in the beach state an expensive affair, he said, noting that "plane ticket from Mumbai to Goa crossed Rs 20,000 per passenger for last New Year," he said.

"For everything there is a limit," D'Souza said, reacting to the high air fares to Goa, especially during the peak season. "When short domestic flights cost more than international flights, we take a beating."

Goa attracts around 24 lakh tourists, 20 lakh of them from within India, annually.