PERNEM: As if the miseries of Covid-19 were not enough to kill the tourism goose that laid golden eggs for Goa, now it’s perhaps the chilling effects of the Russia-Ukraine war which is having a negative effect on the tourism trade by keeping the international guests at bay.
Russians and Ukranians who would normally make a beeline to the beaches of Morjim, Ashvem, Arambol, Keri and Mandrem earlier are nowhere to be seen now as the number has comparatively dropped ever since the pandemic lockdown. Chartered flights from East European and Central Asian destinations have slowed down since the war has begun.
The love for Morjim and the privacy it offered the East European guests was so much that the beach was vastly referred to as ‘Mini Russia’. Locals stated that many Russians would make their best of their long term visas and would often get into real estate and hospitality business here. In the coastal village even menus, avenue signs and guidelines were written in Russian for them.
Today these coastal villagers are a worried lot as the foreign tourists swimming in their lakes, seas, moving around through lanes, frequenting cafes and stalls are hardly to be seen. With the tourists gone, the locals who heavily depended on them for their daily bread have begun to feel the pinch as well.
Local tour operators are a worried lot as they feel the pinch of loss in business but there are others who say that it’s the domestic tourists who prefer the peace and quiet offered by the beaches in the Pernem constituency and keep the domestic tourism lately abuzz and kicking in Goa.
“The number has dwindled because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war which has weakened Russia’s economy. We can hardly see around 4,000 Russian tourists in Mandrem constituency but on the bright side however, the domestic tourists have considerably increased here,” said Sujay Kolvalkar, manager of beach resort based in Mandrem.
He also added that earlier tourists would have their meals in the same hotels where they would be staying which would benefit the local restaurant owners. However, now tourists only book accommodation but cook on their own.