Good bye Goa, I will now winter elsewhere
John Thomas, UK
I think I have some ideas about the tourist side of Goa, as I have wintered in Goa for six months.
Every year for the past 20 years, I have seen the good and bad sides of Goa. During my 20 years visiting Goa, I have spoken to thousands of long termers and tourists such as myself. This is my last season in Goa, as things have changed and not for the better. Goa and the Goans were lovely once but I am afraid mass tourism has spoilt both the place and the people. Once when Goa was good value it was very easy to overlook the dirt, rotting garbage, bad smells, packs of stray dogs sometimes rabid, overpriced taxis and autos etc.
Now, Goa is no longer good value, with everything touristy getting far overpriced, the tourist restaurants with mostly unhygienic kitchens hugely increasing prices every year, and serving much smaller portions, when they still pay their staff as little as possible. Accommodation is often dirty basic rooms, beds that were worn out 10 years ago never replaced etc.
We are promised that taxis and autos will be metered to stop the taxi driver mafia ripping us off, but meters are a piped dream like so much in Goa.
The Goan people touched by tourism are now a greedy, jealous race, and they now only see us as walking ATMs. It is a shame and it is us that have ruined both Goa and the Goans with our money. I now find other countries in South East Asia far, far better value for my money, cleaner, less greedy, so I for one am voting with my feet and will now winter elsewhere.
One thing I really notice now if a restaurant, beach shack, guest house have a good season, the owners hardly ever reinvest, they just increase prices and go out and buy a new car etc.
I doubt if any locals will shed a tear at my departure, but I hear from other long termers and tourists they have also had enough of being ripped off.
