It is a topic that has been talked about for several years. But now when the new minister of tourism Rohan Khaunte expressed his desire to focus on hinterland and backwater tourism after taking charge of the portfolio, interest has been regenerated on this topic. It is like stating the obvious that there needs to be a reworking of the tourism strategy being followed by the state currently. However when the minister talked about hinterland and backwater tourism, what did he have in mind. Members of the tourism industry had much to say.
Jack Sukhija a hotelier and one who is involved in hinterland tourism said it would be really great if it took off in the state. He however said it was important to remember that the environment ought to be protected and it should not be intensive. He said” Goa has great birdlife and a tiger reserve which has to be protected without hesitation. It is also important to remember to not allow resorts in these areas. We should curate experiences for visitors that are unique to Goa. Visitors can be part of the lives of the residents and take part in village pottery classes for example and yes have the local food. All this needs to be curated. The industry should come around the villages and not the other way round. The lifestyle has to be maintained. And yes hygiene standards have to be maintained”.
Poonam Ribo who runs a company that focuses on providing varied experiences in the state said it would be fantastic if the state had decided to focus on the hinterland and backwater because it would help spread the industry around the state. She said it would be really nice if the villages would be brought into the scope of the industry. She said “Responsible tourists are looking for this experience. They want to go beyond the beaches and the parties. One has to remember each and every village has its own unique flavour. We are getting more people who want to experience and not tick mark tourism”. She said some companies were already curating experiences and this statement by the minister would certainly encourage them.
Savio Messias former head of TTAG said in the past there was talk about promoting medical tourism, adventure tourism and marine tourism to name a few but nothing had happened. He said “You have to be serious about it. The chamber had organised a seminar and after that nothing happened. We keep hearing these terms. People talk of one window clearance but a person from the hinterland will spend his life trying to get the permissions. I know people who are working in this space. They are struggling with the fees and the licenses which are stiff. It gets difficult to run the business after making these payments. It gets really tough if you want to do it all legally. A lot of issues need to be tackled. Let us hope for the best.”
Nilesh Shah the President of the TTAG this move was always on the agenda and it was good the government had made the move at the earliest. Goa, he said, had a unique rural culture which was not tapped and it had to be done in a sustained manner. He said “Promotions were done considering the life, the culture, the unique food in these places. The government informed the panchayats that tours would be coming to the village”. He said several companies were providing experiences and it was important to have connections to these places. Kadamba he said could help by providing a special bus service in the morning and later in the evening. This would help everyone and help people living in those villages to earn a steady income.
A long time player in the industry who did not want to come on record said he had heard many such statements in the past and he would believe it when there was action on the ground. When the process to set up a business in the village was eased thus making it easy for the villager to start earning a steady income.
One can only hope for the best because in all this Goa and Goans stand to gain.
