As the sun rises on the New Year and the State empties itself out of tourists over the next few days, there is one niggling little doubt that remains. Have all the tourists returned with fond memories of Goa, memories that will bring them back to the State for another holiday, or even memories that will make them recommend the State as a holiday destination to relatives and friends back at home?
The doubt arises from the fact that there are tourists who claim they have faced harassment on the roads from traffic police and others who rue that they have been over charged by taxis. The complaints are not new. They are the same ones that have been made in the past, but since they continue, there apparently has been little done to address them and bring in a change that would make the holiday for the tourists more enjoyable.
Domestic tourists Herald spoke to were very vocal on the ‘harassment’ they have suffered only because they had been riding a rented two-wheeler that is easily recognizable because of the black and yellow number plate. One tourist complained that the moment the police see such a number plate, they stop the vehicle, even though no traffic rules have been broken. Another tourist, this one who claimed to be coming to Goa annually, said the situation is worsening every year as they are stopped for no reason, and was more forthright in asking whether the police only want to extract money from the tourists. That is not the reputation that the State as a tourist destination should have.
Last week was the peak of the tourist season, when the number of visitors that pours into the State cannot be gauged, as every hotel room is booked, and it is not uncommon to see tourists making their vehicles their overnight sleeping quarters.
Tourism is a major contributor to the Goan economy in terms of earnings and employment, so it’s good for hotels to be booked fully. But tourism is also a very fickle industry that can crash even merely on perceptions and reputations. To avoid any drawback, the State has to offer travellers a pleasant stay, which will make them return to the State. At the same time it has to ensure that its magnanimity as a host is not abused by the tourists.
If tourists complain of being harassed, Goans too complain of the ugly spectacle of tourists cooking on the roadside, drying their clothes on sidewalks and even washing up next to their parked vehicles. For tourism to flourish, there has to be a middle ground that the State and the visitor have to arrive at. As a tourist destination the State has to play the gracious host, but has to also firmly draw the line when the visitor oversteps the limit.
It is not to Goa’s benefit to have tourists cooking on the roadside and drying their clothes on the pavements. This has to be stopped, but tourists following the rules should not be unduly harassed. Tourists should be able to ride a rented two-wheeler without the fear and anxiety of being stopped by a traffic policeman and asked to show every possible document. The law can make it mandatory for those who rent out vehicles to tourists to check that all necessary documents – the driving licence in this case – are valid, before renting out the bike. In the event that the police find the licence to be not valid, perhaps the renter of the vehicle can also be penalised, along with the tourist. This will force those who earn from renting out vehicles to be strict when doing so.
There’s a year before the next New Year eve comes, ample time to make whatever changes are required.
