World Tourism Day 2015 is being celebrated today. The World Tourism Day celebration was started by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in 1980. Its purpose is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value. The event seeks to address global challenges outlined in the United Nations Millennium Development and to highlight the contribution the tourism industry can make in reaching these goals. The theme for this year’s Tourism Day is “One Billion Tourists, One Billion Opportunities”. Goa is being promoted as a tourism destination by the government. Another big step is the launching of e-registration on Sunday. Now all hotels and guest houses will have to submit details of occupancy online. However, the government also needs to improve the infrastructure to handle large numbers of tourists.
There needs to be better road infrastructure. As per statistics, Goa has reportedly beaten all other states and Union Territories to have the ominous distinction of most number of accidents per lakh population for 2014. The state reportedly recorded 221 road accidents per lakh population in 2014 which is six times the national average of 40. The study has shown that most accidents have taken place in December and January when the tourist season is at its peak. It may be concluded that tourists contribute to the high number of road accidents in the state.
It is pertinent to note that tourists throng into Goa in their own vehicles or hire two-wheelers in the State. It is obvious that the askew figure of road accidents is because of the increase in the number of tourists driving on the roads.
Another important aspect that the government needs to tackle is garbage disposal. Tourism in Goa is reportedly attracting negative reviews among international travelers because of the State’s unresolved garbage issue. Some countries are issuing advisories to their citizens not to travel to Goa saying that it is a dirty place. Scandinavians are reportedly advised not to travel to Goa because it is an unclean place. Goans settled in Canada have a desire to invest in the tourism sector in the State. But what keeps them away is the garbage issue, innumerous vendors on the beach who hassle tourists and touts who take tourists for a ride. On World Tourism Day the government should resolve to address these issues in right earnest.
