With the draft of the tourism department’s master plan partially complete and stressing on the oversaturated coastal belt and environment degradation in these sensitive areas, the stakeholders feel successive governments have miserably failed to crack down on violators which hinder streamlining of the trade.
The industry stakeholders bluntly blame the unabated corruption as the reason behind State government’s inefficiency towards curbing the evils in the coastal belt.
Moreover, the industry which is currently reeling under unjustified taxation feels that 25-year-lifespan vision document should keep at bay the politicians who often make it a political exercise. They opined that tourism might walk the same way like the mining industry if it is marred with political interference.
“There are advantages and disadvantages involved in every field. If you want to have a good living, then one must welcome tourism but at the same time, environment needs to be take care of. The government agencies should immediately conduct the pending beach carrying capacity to accordingly allot shack licenses,” President of Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS) Cruz Cardozo said.
Admitting that corruption certainly plays a major role into the shack allotment, Cardozo who owns beach shack at Cavelossim warned that tourism industry could collapse like the mining and now fishing business if no precautions are taken.
Echoing similar opinion, other beach shack owners demand proper utilization of funds to create tourism-related infrastructure besides upgrading the existing ones. “Unfortunately, grants for this sector is instead poured in other areas like Saligao and Porvorim for non tourism infrastructure,” President of All Goa Private Shack Owners Dharmesh Saglani alleged.
“We are asking for basic infrastructure like access to the beach, clean toilets and changing rooms, garbage free beaches and its adjoining area, illumination of beaches, etc. But none of it is happening,” he said.
Similarly, considering the haphazard manner in which tourism is heading in Goa, SOWS member Sebastian D’Souza claims that the industry is directionless. “Everything is improper and a classic example is the beach cleaning management scam. Is any attempt for protecting tourism in the next 20 years? Where is the money going,” he questioned demanding a separate tourism board on lines with Singapore to address tourism related queries and grievances.
On the environment front, the tourism partners demand that government should come down heavily on the violators without indulging in corruption. Cardozo suggested that law should be properly implemented and strict fine be imposed on the illegal-doers while Saglani stated that government should specifically spell out dos and don’ts for the traders.
“Government should come out with a clear cut policy before anything else. If they give the dos and don’ts then the entire mess (referring to the mushrooming beach shacks and commercial establishments at the beach stretch) would not have arisen,” Saglani shot back adding that environmental damage can be controlled for which government should spend the money in the required areas.
In the module 2, one of the biggest stakeholders Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) has suggested blocking unnecessary expenditure on non-essential infrastructure until the finalization of the plan. It has also suggested the department that Goa should focus its attention to eastern countries that has in the recent past emerged as strong competitors.
TTAG also pointed out that master plan is as of now silent on the casino issue and how the growth of the casino industry is to be planned and controlled. It also criticized government’s spending on events like the food and wine festival, which it claims attract few tourists, while suggesting spending on events that could garner more visitors.
“After giving the representation there was a meeting with the Master Planners, during which many of the concerns were discussed in detail and which will find place in the Module 3. Module 4 will follow thereafter,” TTAG President Advocate Francisco de Braganca said. “Let us not jump the gun on module 3 which is only setting the path for the way forward.”
While the hotel industry that also contributed its inputs has asked the government to spend on tourism development besides ensuring uniformity of the businesses in this sector. “We need to do something to attract and give back to the tourists, not forgetting it should be environment as well as people friendly. However, government should ensure that there is uniformity like on the types of shacks, its area, workers’ uniforms, umbrellas, beach beds, etc. Moreover, the water, sewage, garbage, toilets, and other basic amenities should also be taken care of,” Goa Hotel and Restaurant Association President Gaurish Dhond suggested adding that tourism cannot go alone.
In his list of suggestions, he also mentioned about creating quality infrastructure if State has on its target high-end tourists – who are capable of giving revenue to the State. “Do we need tourists who not only dirty the locations but also give back nothing to the State,” he questioned.
Dhond, who is also on the State Level Marketing Committee and Beach Cleaning Monitoring Committee, advocated the need for healthy competition considering that 30-40 percent families are directly or indirectly dependent on tourism industry.
The TTAG has meanwhile given inputs on the module 3 or rather specific areas where it wants the Master Plan to take care of the future planning.
