A nd they all come down. As the epitaph of Goa’s tourism is being
written with candles being lit on a few graves marked infrastructure,
sewage, rogue taxi operators and so on, the sun never really sets. Even
in the melting afterglow there are joyous leaps with the horizon of sun
meeting sky as a perfect backdrop. So what’s the story? Why do tourists
still come to Goa? Why are figures still showing green when the mood is
black and the bottom line red? The bottom line is this: There’s a world
beyond road shows, travel marts, deals and discounts. It’s a world of
bonds and linkages kick- started not through a handout or a Goa tourism
ministers August presence, but by a very solid tourism industry beyond
government. Built and nurtured by solid travel professionals.
The
head of Cox and Kings, in Goa says that there is 25% in increase in the
number of tourists each year. A figure like this completely beats logic
and yet it happens. Does Goa sell on its own? To a large extent it
does, with industry, not government, being catalysts. While Cox and
kings was polite giving the government credit where it is due, Bruno
Gimindes of Travco hit where it hurts “ We get absolutely no help from
the government. They have not talked to us at all. They should talk to
people in the business to get ideas as to what needs to be done to
promote the state. The present tourism minister Dilip Parulekar is not
very aware of what is going on. Look at the recent episode surrounding
the government’s attempt to promote the exposition in Europe. Was there
thought given if the people of Spain for example would be interested in
coming over to Goa for it. Are they aware of St Francis Xavier hails
from that country? When the government wants to promote the state they
should talk to people who are aware. They should send bureaucrats and
people from industry not politicians.
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The government by its entry
in travel marts and road shows is targeting a different class of people
than the ones that actually come via charters. According to those in
the business, chartertourists come to Goa, because Goa has become a
brand; and is synonymous with beaches and sun for targeting high end
tourists. Most of foreign tourists who come to the state, come from cold
countries with harsh winters, especially from Russian speaking
countries. At least 2,00,000 of them descend on Goan beaches, especially
Mandrem and Ashvem in the North.
The challenge is to retain
them. While Goa attracts them all here, the number of repeat guests is
going down, and therefore the swell in numbers, though on the upside is
negligible compared to the quantum leap in tourism in Sri Lanka or
Thailand, inspite of the unrest in the latter.
However, what the
government has failed to do; is improve and upgrade the basic
infrastructure in the state as well as specifically related to tourism.
As of now, tourism still uses the infrastructure that was built in the
70s and 80s. And besides some cosmetic road widening and putting of
lights and pipes, the infrastructure that is in place supports the local
populace and the tourists who in season outnumber the locals.
After a flash strike by taxi operators that almost got out of hand
guides were beaten up as well as many tourists had problems catching
their flights. Eleven issues were put up by the taxi operators after a
late night meeting with the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. Six were
accepted including the formation of special police squads to pick up
foreigners doing business illegally. Local taxis were told to operate on
point- to- or kilometre basis. Once the season starts one must see if
this happens.
The Travel & Tourism Association of Goa ( TTAG)
has sent the Chief Minister a three- page note after that which has
suggested that taxis be radio controlled, metered and have CCTVs for the
safety of the tourist.
Truly, there’s a lot Dilip Parulekar and
the bureaucracy he controls, needs to fix. But perhaps he can begin by
looking at what really goes on in international travel marts and
therefore does it warrant these exercises in complete futility. While
there is no audit report of his tenure yet, the report of the previous
government has become standard benchmark of no performance.
The present dispensation will not have to struggle hard too hard to maintain similar standards.
there are no ” sometimes” in Goa’s tourism footfalls. We may be getting
the ” wrong” kind of tourist, but numbers growing, not all are wrong.
But there’s another narrative that seems to be missed.
Goa’s
tourism is bigger than its tourism department. and has silent solid
friends like the industry and travel professionals who make the
difference. Glenn Costa reports Foreign Perestroika in the land of
Parulekar
