FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024
Alexandre Moniz Barbosa is Editor, Herald. He tweets at @monizbarbosa
Hotels have opened but that in no way implies that tourism in Goa is getting back to where it once was. Far from it, the industry has entered a new phase for which it can hardly be prepared. And it comes at a time when the political dispensation appears confused over the future of the industry, which is not a good sign. Less than 24 hours after a minister publicly said that tourism would not restart in the month of July, the Goa government green signaled the opening of hotels for tourism. Such impromptu statements before a cabinet meeting indicate undercurrents in the government, but more importantly for the industry that is looking forward to throwing open its doors, it does not inject confidence in the stakeholders who are caught unawares of what is in the mind of the authorities. In the current tense situation, it is best to avoid such unconfirmed statements, for if the government places hurdles for itself in restoring confidence in the industry, how will it convince the traveller that Goa is safe for a holiday?
Goa, as a destination has been rather vulnerable and stakeholders have in the past couple of years complained bitterly of low footfalls. Merely giving permission to hotels to open is not the answer to the crisis that the industry is facing. The government and the tourism industry have to coordinate their efforts to make this a viable re-start. More particular, the government would have to indulge in some handholding, especially of the smaller tourism businesses that run the risk of collapsing under the weight of the current crisis. The smug looks of the tourism officials that hotels have been opened will not lift the industry from the disaster that has befallen it. Let’s get real, yes this is a catastrophe and so let’s treat it as one, and not act as if it is a picnic that got cancelled and is being now held.
Not just in Goa, but the crisis arising from the pandemic has impacted the tourism ecosystem across the world. There is not country that has remained unscathed, so Goa as a tourism destination is not facing the crisis alone, and importantly, can take a leaf on how other countries are rebuilding their destinations as it takes the baby steps towards reopening the industry. One aspect that is clearly certain is that the industry in the coming months is going to depend entirely on domestic tourists. International travel restrictions are still in place, and it is unclear when these would be lifted. Even when international flights do begin to take off and land, the possibility of immediate gains to tourism from this is uncertain. The best possible scenario is of international tourism slowly picking up late this year, and then seeing a very limited rise in the first half of 2021, as health protocols in home and destination countries will serve as deterrents to travel.
At the current point of time, Goa can set aside the Tourism Master Plan that has been years in the making, is paid for, presented to the government and never been made public. What Goa needs urgently is a recovery plan to rebuild the tourism industry that will help it tide over for the coming months ahead. Has this even been thought of? If Goa expects that it will open hotels and that tourists will flock to the State, it is pathetically ignorant of the market demands and how they work. While decisions on international travel and health protocols will be taken at other levels, here’s what Goa needs to do in the coming weeks before October 2020 dawns and the tourism season begins:
l Ensure liquidity in the market for the industry to return to operations. It has been a financially bad year for the stakeholders, so an infusion of working capital in the market may be required to keep some of the businesses from folding up.
l Aggressively sell Goa in the domestic market as a safe destination so that demand is built up and hotel rooms are filled. This will restore the confidence of the traveller and even create new markets that Goa can tap into in the future.
l Revise strategy to rebuild the destination, by focusing on strengths and innovating; the objective being that Goa can be marketed anew just as corporates regularly come up with ‘products’ in a new packaging.
If ever there has been a time when Goa can turn its back on its past tourism failures and start anew, it is now. If the State lets go of this occasion, it would amount to an almost criminal waste of an opportunity. It cannot be allowed to happen. The steps taken in the current period will be the foundation upon which Goa Tourism can build its future, directing the path that the tourism industry will take in the long term. The colossal ignorance of what is to be done that is currently on display is no remedy to the failing sector. It is instead a wedge being driven into the industry that can shatter tourism for all time. Is this what Goa wants?
In these uncertain times, this will not an easy challenge for a government that has other issues to deal with and are taking up its time. But, tourism cannot be ignored or left to the private sector to determine the course. As the clouds of recession hang over many economies across the world, there is also not much time to take leisurely decisions. The government and the industry have to either act now in tandem, or lose the tourism plot for all time. The latter would be a disaster to the Goan economy that today depends heavily on this sector.
One has got accustomed to seeing hotels and restaurants that were once gaily lit up at night now standing in complete darkness. In the early days of the lockdown, this presented an almost eerie picture, but three months later, doesn’t cause much consternation. It is when lights on the tourism properties return, when the music even if some false notes are struck is heard, when the clatter of restaurants and chatter of patrons is audible, will tourism in the State can be said to have picked up again. Goa waits for that day.
