While Goans may be divided on whether the
departure of both the annual mega EDM-festivals – Sunburn and Vh1 Supersonic
from Goa is good or bad for the state, the revenue loss that the state is about
to face this peak tourist season cannot be denied. The hotels, restaurants and
taxi operators that used to be benefited directly from this ‘extra chunk’ of
moolah are looking at alternative options to fill this void. Hospitality
establishments along the belt of Candolim and Vagator-Anjuna, that is the
venues of Vh1 Supersonic and Sunburn respectively, are busy making alternate
plans to compensate for the expected revenue loss. Or, is the reality a bit
different?
In the past, Antares, best known for its
Consulting Chef and Partner, Masterchef Australia fame Sarah Todd, has made the
most of being in extremely close proximity to the venue of Sunburn. And to cash
in on the Sunburn crowd, the property has hosted after-parties featuring DJs of
international repute that have featured in the artiste-roster of Sunburn. This
year, that is going to change. However, Ashish Kapur, Partner, Antares is
rather unperturbed and is looking at it positively. Kapur says, “Considering
that Goa is the holiday destination of India, the loss of Sunburn to another
state doesn’t impact Goa in its entirety. Goa’s patrons will keep flocking in
during season for various reasons, such as food, culture and its beaches to
which Sunburn was an added attraction. Goa has its own charm. We, at Antares
Restaurant and Beach Club, are expecting great business in Vagator despite this
change in events. We have a full calendar for the season which ranges from live
acts such as Transalento who perform at sunset with a didgeridoo and vocals, to
the Sundowners, Deep house parties and the Champagne Sunday Brunches. We are
launching the Antares Beach Club this season, which will host a great line up
of international DJs and our own branded parties. The Club has a separate
calendar from our regular events. Thus, we don’t see a loss happening, and are
very excited for the upcoming season.”
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Things South from Anjuna, in Candolim
aren’t too different either. A host of accommodation options scattered around
the narrow in-roads of Candolim near the venue of Vh1 Supersonic used to run to
full occupancy for the entire duration starting mid-November to mid-January.
Joaquim Fernandes, Proprietor, Infant Jesus Beach Huts says, “We used to get a
lot of young crowd looking at renting our beach huts during Supersonic.
Everything is expensive in Goa around this time of the year, so a lot of people
look at cutting down their costs by opting for cheaper accommodation options.
But with Supersonic not happening this year, I don’t think it is going to
really affect us. It is normal for us to be full throughout the tourist season
and this has been happening even before Supersonic started happening.”
So does the exit of Sunburn and Supersonic
bring great opportunities to the locals who can now look at building a
long-term sustainable brand? Sean Faia, one of the countless EDM fans in Goa,
seems to think so. Faia, while commenting on a related post on social media,
had recently commented, “Why can (Sunburn and Supersonic) not come in and
support events in Goa by collaborating with event guys in Goa?”
A point for the local event managers and
artistes to ponder over, maybe?
