What are the infrastructural improvements needed to boost tourists’ inflow into Goa?
We need to improve basic infrastructure. Infrastructure to clear, recycle and treat garbage and waste is the first priority. We need to keep our beaches and tourist spots clean and free of litter and garbage. The industry itself needs to be responsible and lead the way. The industry must find ways and means to protect their environment by collecting and disposing waste scientifically. At the same time there is a need to discipline the domestic tourists, who unlike the foreign tourists are the biggest cause of litter and garbage. Domestic tourists have no respect for our environment. They are largely responsible for dirtying our beaches and tourist spots. This is driving away the international tourists. Goa has natural beauty and it does not need anything else, except cleanliness. It needs to get rid of garbage, garbage and garbage all the way. The other issue is making available public facilities such as public toilets, dressing/changing rooms etc.
What is the basic infrastructure needed to woo high-end tourists to Goa?
High-end tourism needs only basic infrastructure which provides for segregation, collection, disposal and recycling of waste. However, this requires participation by the hospitality industry, locals and educating tourists. We need to also set up new attractions in the form of museums, entertainment centres, marinas, golf courses, high-end low rise hotels including heritage hotels, farmland hotels and hinterland hotels, which preserve and showcase the Goan identity.
Define high-end tourists according to your criteria. Is it their income level or specific countries from which they come?
When we speak about high-end tourists, we mean high-end quality tourists, who know to behave themselves, respect our culture and environment and keep it clean. It is not related to their income levels, though clean and environmentally friendly tourism automatically raises the income levels. Sometimes the rich and so called high-end tourists have no respect for the environment. They tend to create the same problems that the low-end tourists create. We do not want tourists that drink on the beaches, live on the roadside in their buses. We do not want tourists who do not book a room and the only thing they leave behind is litter and garbage. We do not want groups of “males only” that come to Goa to drink and ogle and stare at women, especially bikini-clad foreigners and misbehave with them. We do not want tourists that think that a woman is available for the asking in Goa and we want them to respect all women, be it local or other tourists. In my opinion, these are low-end tourist which we should not welcome.
