Today, tourism is considered as a back-bone of Goan economy. But it seems to be in dumps. Thomas Cook UK, a once renowned travel company, chartering over dozens of flight to our country each week, with thousands of tourists coming down to relax on our tranquil Goan beaches has collapsed. This has also cancelled international hotel booking by foreign tourists in the State. This year we religiously pumped up our human resources and allocated budget to promote and catalyse the tourism related promotional events. Thanks to the wonderful sandy beaches along our 105 km long coast, blended ecstatically by the swaying of palms, along our silvery beaches.
Goa, which we visualised as the Rome of the East or the Kashi of India attracting many tourists all over the world for its hospitality, has slumped for being a Paradise on Earth to a living Hell.
I have not to talk about how the Indian media is made to sing songs of glory across print and television media, but bring home some talking points tourism is steadily declining from being a service provider into being a White Elephant for the people of the State of Goa.
If one diligently does serious research on the contribution of tourism in Goa, to the growth of our economy, the fact remains that the Goan tourism industry is today largely in control of migrants, who today guide and direct the hospitality industry in the State. The owners, waiters, administrative staff and even ancillary service providers are not from Goa.
The large scale economic manipulations involved in the business of hotel bookings, services provided, discounts afforded all truly go to fill the pockets of the outstation service provider. The main point to ponder about is the process of digital manipulation whereby Goans suffer the most due to lower tax collections and manipulated tariffs. No doubt Goans are not much preferred in the process of digital servicing as they pose a threat to the larger scale adjustment and fudging of accounts in the “virtual world”.
The growing unemployment has forced our youth to sail to foreign shores, with a Portuguese passport, or at best be honourable card shuffling experts at a casino.
Look at Goa of today – our taxi owners do not want metered taxis or competition. Our shack owners do not want to be regulated by the coastal zone regulations and our politicians; especially our ministers and the government officials want to go for foreign jaunts, road shows in other countries. We all know that every year, while locals are busy dancing during Shigmo or Carnival festivities those in the governance of Tourism lavishly spend over Rs 4 cr each year in the garb of tourism promotions. The readers of Herald in particular are exposed in details about the growing garbage woes at Sonsoddo, Panjim and Calangute. In this essay, I will touch upon only the events associated with Goa tourism in the last 15 days.
Those of us who are in the know-how of Goa tourism and economy have realised that Government of India wants to identify ten of our Goan beaches for “Blue Flag certification”. During the stakeholders meeting held in the Science Centre last week, Miramar beach was identified for the “Blue Flag Certification” by the local government as well as central government departments. Ironically, although Miramar was identified to be certified the Goa govt has not done any home work to ensure that the St Inez creek does not discharge sewage into Mandovi.
The tourism industry is a double edged sword. We may mistake it as a cash cow or a money tree designed to generate wealth both by fair or foul means. Sadly tourism is not a one track one direction train to make money. To generate wealth we must also invest money to attract high end tourists, which are shunning Goa, due to our polluted beaches, seas laden with tar balls, our rivers brimming with pathogenic bacteria from sewage releases.
To add salt to the injury, our Ramponnkars are uneasy about “Blue Flag Certification” and opposing their certification as a safe and secure destination by the International Agency Denmark, which has already certified over 250 beaches in Europe alone specifically in Spain.
It is time for the average Goans to wake up from the deep slumber and act judiciously to save for themselves and for Goa, a healthy and a sustainable approach to the tourism trade. Scientifically, we must understand that tourism is a fragile sector which is dependent on various other factors to sustain itself.
International security to tourists is also of prime importance. We must also understand, Goa in particular faces challenges of better facilities and value added incentives by our competitors. Thus, diverting Goa bound tourists to other destinations. At the moment, with worldwide economic recession too, tourism worldwide, including Goa, would be badly hit.
We must offer the tourists who today prefer Sri Lanka, Kerala, Thailand or even Turkey or Egypt a better deal in term of competitive hotel tariffs, good connectivity, and attractive leisure and adventure activities. Herald editorial has justified rightly some days ago as to why “Blue certification of Miramar beach” and the others too are imperative for the greater good of tourism as well as for our health and economy of Goa.
Or else like mining, we would soon have to say goodbye to the hospitality sector in Goa forever.
(The writer is a retired University Professor and an environmental activist)
