teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The Russian Information Center in Goa, expressing its concern over the detention of 11 Russian Citizens in a bus and the injury suffered by the bus driver, has argued that toughening measures against Russian nationals by police could result in decreasing volumes of Russian tourists.
“… Instead of solving the problem of illegal business in Goa through lawful procedures (this) will lead to the situation where all companies working with Russian tourists in Goa, both legal and illegal ones, will suffer,” says a communiqué by Ekaterina Belyakova, Head of Russian Information Center in Goa pointing out that most Russians do not speak English or the local languages. Stating that they have seen several cases in past few days when Russian citizens employed by Russia’s largest tour operators and assigned for 6-months work in Goa and having valid documents prescribed by the law had been deported from Goa, and this would result in “lack of Russian-speaking personnel able to assist Russian-speaking tourists,” the centre warned that they would be forced “to inform Russian tourists and tour operators in Russia that staying in Goa may become less comfortable for those tourists not familiar with English language.’
“This may lead to decrease in volumes of Russian tourists coming to Goa which is unfortunate for all business in the state,” Belyakova said addi9ng that after the detention incident a number of Russian tourists have approached the Russian Information Center in Goa and expressed their fear to walk on the roads or travel as a group in any vehicle in Goa.
During the current season as many as 2,00,000 Russian tourists are expected to visit Goa.
It said that it is a fact that many businesses in Goa depend on foreign tourists and particularly Russian tourists, considering their huge inflow. The tour companies, tour operators, hotels of all categories, restaurants, retail stores and, of course, taxi business depend on the income earned within these six months of the year when majority of foreign tourists visit Goa.
Also a “Third important fact is that Russian tourists, unlike other foreign tourists, are not conversant with English language, many of them don’t speak English at all. In turn local people in Goa don’t speak Russian language,” so it becomes almost impossible for Russian tourists to check-in at the hotels, order food, go for sightseeing and even find out information about the places for sightseeing on their own.
Due to this it is necessary for many companies related with tourism, especially hotels, restaurants, tour operators, to have Russian people working as translators.
Admitting that there are a few companies established by Russian-speaking people who are not Russian citizens but the citizens of CIS countries and some of these companies do not have full compliance with all the required stipulations of Indian law and are in technical violation of compliances required.
“Such companies who follow the laws of the state, pay taxes and also employ Indian citizens fully support the Goa business community against illegal companies or persons involving themselves in the tourism sector” she said and said that they have recommended to Russian tourists to check company’s certification and licenses before ordering its services. “Moreover, we are preparing the list of legal tour operators working with Russian tourists in Goa which will be available for all Russian tourists on our website,’ the centre said adding, “We suggest all parties involved in this situation to start a round-table discussion as soon as possible. Discussing the problems and finding solutions satisfying everyone’s interest will be a more efficient method than going into the streets and disturbing the atmosphere of peace and serenity that makes Goa so unique and so attractive to tourists.”