So they finally arrived. 33 of them, supposedly the first batch of “charter” tourists, a fast diminishing and soon to be rare species from Ukraine in a Fly Dubai flight via Dubai.
But as is so typical of the manner in which we deal with the man or the woman who feeds the state – the tourist – no one quite knew that they were arriving. The Tourism minister was confused and managed to figure that this was a flight operated by Minar Airlines, and so this was not the “official” first charter landing. And so his Excellency Tourism Minister Parulekar was not “officially present”. He is now officially waiting for the “first flight” and is preparing for it, but he doesn’t know when it will land. So what about the 33 who have already landed? Well they may have landed but they are still not state recognized charter tourists. They are merely Minar Travels (the company which brought them) recognized ones.
Seriously, do we have to suffer this ignominy and shame year after year? With tourism seen as different profit centers for different lobbies, the simple act of making a Goa trip convenient for tourists bypasses the government, even as tour operators still try and keep tourism alive by at least bringing in the guests. But not withstanding their efforts, foreign tourists are left to the mercy of the chaos and the disorder, which make them pledge not to return. This is the sad story of Goa’s tourism. The numbers speak for themselves. In 2013-14, 1147 charter flights came into Goa. In 2014-15, this dropped to 864 and in 2015-16 (this season) the number of flights signed up for is further down to 662.
So among the 20 odd countries where our tourism junket kings and queens travelled to in the last three years who is coming? Or are they waiting for our frequent fliers to come again. After all, if Rome wasn’t built in a day, Goa Tourism will not be built on a solitary junket to one city or land. And in any case the castles sold to them, like sea planes, will take time to build. But one must say, the seaplane project was a masterstroke. With the land full of garbage and roads full of potholes, it’s perhaps best that the tourist is kept in the sky or in the sea and a sea plane can do both.
Meanwhile when it comes to tourism, every stakeholder including the Navy which controls the Goa airport, play their part each year to spoil some part of the season in their own way. If the shacks remained shut till mid November last year, the airport runway will be shut at night this year. Imagine, the Naval Authorities chose the absolute beginning of the international tourist season to do its airport expansion by keeping the runways shut from 10pm to 4 am which is when most international and domestic flights connected to international ones arrive and take off. Of course the Navy thought nothing of how passengers on long haul connecting flights to and from Doha may have to reschedule their connections since the Goa-Doha or Doha-Goa leg timings will change, by suddenly announcing the night time runway closure.
And then look at this, the Airports Authority of India claims that the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), for airport runway closure at night, a communiqué issued by the Navy when crucial announcements have to be made, bypassed them. Which is why, the AAI has not been able to inform the airlines on time which means that airlines have not been able to pass this on to passengers and travel agents.
Tourism is therefore not about world wind tours and attending exhibitions. It’s about the simple things. Like coordination and joint efforts. But when a Tourism minister doesn’t even know if the first arrivals by a charter should be welcomed or not, we are perhaps looking at just the very tip of this giant iceberg which is about to melt very soon.
