Travel & tourism is the world’s largest industry and creator of jobs across national and regional economies. Research on this issue has indicated that travel & tourism will generate, directly and indirectly nearly 255 million jobs in the world. Our tiny state of Goa is fully involved in tourism & travel activities. Tourism & travel in Goa, no doubt, has helped in providing jobs and infrastructure but at what cost is the serious question to which a clear answer is not available.
Jobs generated by travel & tourism include construction, telecommunications, manufacturing and jobs in hotels and resorts directly. Besides this tourism & travel provides jobs to locals in many different ways such as transport, horticulture, accommodation, retail and whole sales, entertainment, etc., etc. These jobs employ a large proportion of men and women, young and old and help the economic growth of the area. However all these jobs are seasonal and hence it creates insecurity. Even the people employed in hotels and resorts are purely temporary. The temporary nature of the jobs only creates disappointment and frustration among the people particularly the youth.
Analyzing the job scenario in Goa due to travel & tourism, first and foremost I do not see any Goans working on the construction sites. Hence there is no other alternative than to bring labour force from other states. Unfortunately this trend has helped non-Goans, particularly the labour force, to make their permanent living in Goa. The jobs provided in hotels and resorts too are not attractive as far as salaries are concerned. Again we find more non-Goans than Goans accepting such jobs. There is an urgent need to devise ways and means so as to how we make tourism & travel industry attractive to Goans as far as earning their daily bread is concerned.
Travel & tourism is one such industry which is able to contribute to development which is economically, ecologically and socially sustainable. I say so because of the following reasons: It has less impact on natural resources and the environment than most other industries; it is based on enjoyment and appreciation of local culture, heritage, and natural environment, due to which the industry has a direct and powerful motivation to protect these assets; and it provides an economic incentive to conserve natural environments and habitats which might otherwise be allocated to more environmentally damaging land uses, thereby, helping to maintain bio-diversity.
In spite of having so many advantages of tourism & travel, I regret to state that we have misused tourism & travel for our selfish interest. In the name of tourism and development the authorities have gone to any extent to satisfy the needs of the builders and hoteliers and thus damaging the environment. No one has taken care to see that the growth is balanced. This has adversely affected the ecology as well as people living in the area. People have seen that in the name of tourism anything and everything is permitted. People have experienced that they are not permitted by the concerned authorities to build a small residential house for the family members in a particular area but builders and outsiders easily get licenses to construct huge structures in similar areas. This has compelled the people to lose faith in the authorities. The consequence of this attitude is manifested through strong opposition from the people to any and all projects that are proposed in villages. The report from Gram Sabhas is a concrete proof of this resentment. When people are not taken into confidence, this is what ultimately happens.
Travel & tourism, no doubt, has facilitated rapid development of a wide range of infrastructure services such as airports, air navigation, roads, railheads and ports, as well as basic infrastructure services required by hotels, restaurants, shops, and recreation facilities. But is the common man really benefited in the true sense of the word with all these developments? From the happenings in the villages of Goa, it appears that the people are not satisfied with what has already happened in Goa. The common man today analyses each and every proposed development in their villages with a critical mind. This has resulted in creating an anti-development, anti-builders and an anti-government attitude among the people. This situation needs to be altered because beneficial and valuable projects too are objected by the people. The mind-set of the people must be changed before it becomes too rigid. And this can be achieved by taking the common man in confidence. After all the ultimate power in democracy is the common man
Travel & tourism has come to stay. But it has to exist by creating a friendly atmosphere with all the stake holders including the poorest of the poor from the Goan soil. Today for a Goan, it is not only jobs and wealth that matters but environment, ecology, culture, heritage, etc., has become more precious than other aspects. Hence this industry should move ahead in such a way that it carries with it the feelings and emotions of the people of Goa. Thus managing tourism activities in Goa is the core issue on which its success will depend.
If travel & tourism is managed badly, it can have a detrimental effect – it can damage fragile environments and destroy local cultures. The challenge is to manage the future growth of this industry by minimizing its negative impacts on the environment and the people and maximizing the benefits it brings in terms of jobs, wealth and support for local culture and industry. Otherwise the tourism & travel industry will have to live always in confrontation with the local people which will be highly disadvantageous to the future growth of tourism in Goa.
(Tomazinho Cardozo is a former Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly)
