London may be a very attractive place for several Goans to
visit. They can meet with relatives and soak in the culture. The virus however
has put paid to such plans? The borders are not so easy to cross and the
increasing number of cases due to the virus does not make it safe to travel.
Perhaps the The time has come for Goans to get to know their own state better.
A popular Vietnamese communist politician once said
“You can spend your whole life traveling around the world searching for
the Garden of Eden, or you can create it in your backyard.”
Ashutosh Naik loves travelling the world but unlike many
others equally loves travelling in his backyard. Ashutosh said “I love visiting
historical places and places not usually explored by people. I travel with my
friend recently and visited the Raje Saundekar cave in Old Goa. It is a palace
which as now broken down and is in ruins. An underground structure is still
present. It is very beautiful. I have travelled all over Goa and visited
various historical sites. I used to earlier do this every month but now with
the virus I am much more careful.”He said it gave him an opportunity to observe
the traditions of the places and also try the food of the locals. Ashutosh
plans to visit a broken church in Chimbel and explore the ruins.
Maria Victor who conducts walking tours said her tours
focused on unraveling different facets of Goa that many Goans would
not have explored. She said they received a lot of bookings from Goans on the
Heritage Walks and Village experiences. During the holiday season we get a lot
of calls from Goans for our diverse experiences like Fontainhas heritage walks,
ebike experiences, Campal Heritage walks, etc. Interest she said was certainly
increasing amongst Goans which was wonderful.
Poonam Ribo who skso runs a travel experience company said it
was interesting to see Goans between the ages of 20-55 signing up to learn more
about their state. She said many of them loved travelling and were now stuck in
Goa and had decided in learning more about the wildlife sanctuaries, the
waterfalls and kayaking, bird watching and other nature based activities. She
said “We get calls every day and we are waiting for the green signal from
government bodies to start”.
Raya Sankhwalkar architect and one who has always talked
about taking a holistic view of tourism felt it was important to encourage the
seeds of local tourism where people would move within the state and learn more
about it. He said “One has to only go on a trail of Government protected
monuments. It will take you across the length and breadth of the state from the
backwaters to forests. Watch birds, stay in villages and spot crocodiles. There
is so much to see, it is important to know your own backyard before stepping
out to see the world”.
Sunil Jadeja is a runner but he combines it with his love for
visiting places of historical importance. He said “ The conditions now are
perfect, it’s all green and there is less traffic on the road and I recently
ran all the way to Amthane dam then later I went to Alorna fort in Pernem. I go
on a long run on Sunday that is anywhere between 20-40 kms and check out new
places. I love running in the interiors and we take a lot of photographs. I
like to travel to see new places and to keep fit and I do this by combining both
my loves”.
Finton Dorado has cycled to each and every nook and corner of
the state. He said “I do this every day but in Sundays it is a long ride. On
Sunday I will be going to the Borim waterfalls in Shiroda. I step out of my
house and travel around 50 kms in any distance. I have visited historical
places all over the state as well as waterfalls. It has been an education”.
Aditya Mukharji another sustainable tourism stakeholder said
it was important that Goans travelled more around their state and understood it
better because no one else could be a better ambassador in promoting the charms
of the state. This he said was a fantastic opportunity for Goans to do this.
The trend he said was going to be domestic tourism and hyper local tourism.
This was the ideal time to promote the various sanctuaries, places like Mollem
which were unique in the country.
The time perhaps is ideal for Goans to learn more about their
own backyard. This virus may have given the state an unprecedented opportunity.
Perhaps this could be the start of a change in the way tourism is conducted.
