TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Claiming that Russian reps are involved in weaning away tourists frequenting Colva beach, Tourism stakeholders and local MLA Caitu Silva demanded deportation of Russian reps involved in running businesses in the State.
Caitu displayed a pamphlet before the media at the Colva police station to drive home the point that the Russian reps are indeed trying to shift the tourists from Colva to elsewhere. “When I spoke in the Assembly on the business activities of the Russian reps, even some MLAs were not agreeing to our point of view. Now, this pamphlet is clear evidence that the Russian reps are trying to woo tourist visiting Goa to some other place,” Caitu alleged.
The tourism stakeholders, including the water sports operators, shack owners and tourist taxi operators along with the local MLA descended at the Colva police station after they apprehended a Russian couple allegedly distributing the pamphlets to lure away the business from Goa. The Russian couple was also present at the police stations during the discussions.
“If locals are not allowed to do shack, water sports and taxi business, then for whom is this tourism business meant,” Caitu asked, while demanding deportation of the Russian couple and a ban on their entry into India.
President of South Goa Water Sports Operators Domingos Rodrigues feared that the presence of Russian reps will spell doom for the local players dependent on the tourism industry. “The tourism department insists that we should not contact the tourists for business,” he said, while demanding to know why the same department is silent on the activities of the Russian reps.
Tourist taxi operator Conny Rodrigues said that local taxi operators will be left high and dry if the Russian reps are allowed to use private vehicles to transport tourists. “The Russian reps are using private vehicles to carry on their business. This will deprive us of our legitimate business,” he added.
Shack owner Marcelino wondered how the shack owners will survive if the tourists are weaned away from Colva. “How will we survive and pay our employees if we don’t get any business in the shacks,” Marcelino wanted to know.
