Team Herald
MAPUSA: North Goa coastal belt crowded with domestic tourists as they are in town to welcome the New Year 2021 but are seen violating the COVID-19 norms.
North Goa coastal belt, especially the famous Calangute, Baga, Vagator, Morjim, Ashwem and Arambol beaches are crowded with domestic tourists to welcome the year 2021. While most of them have come to celebrate New Year, many are on long vacations in the State from Christmas to New Year. Most of them are reportedly violating the COVID norms totally.
While the north Goa coastal belt is flooded with the Indian tourists, there are hardly any foreigners who can be seen on the beaches this season.
The lockdown has hit the economy of State for most part of the year, especially the tourism industry. However, this festive season has given some relief to a few tourism dependent businesses.
The shacks on the beaches are still vacant. The shacks owners are reportedly not earning huge profit due to the absence of foreign tourists. They claim that domestic tourists hardly prefer to sit at the shacks and enjoy the beach beauty.
Along with the shack owners, the other tourism dependents who are suffering are the taxi owners since most of the Indian tourists prefer renting a cab or a bike. It is also noted that many tourists have entered the State with their own vehicles especially from Gujarat and Karnataka. The stakeholders say that these tourists do not contribute much to the State economy but profit the owners of the wholesale liquor stores.
Calangute, Baga, Candolim, Vagator, Morjim, Ashwem and Arambol are witnessing massive crowd for the last five days from the Christmas Eve. These intrusions are also leading to traffic congestion on the coastal belt especially during the late evenings.
“Alcohol is cheap compared to other States and this is the common factor that attracts domestic tourists in Goa. Also since Goa is open for everyone, the Goans are also risking COVID-19 infection in the State by welcoming these tourists,” a local claimed.
“With such people coming to Goa, who do not contribute to any business such as taxis, shacks, restaurants as well as to hoteliers leaving aside few, the government needs to roll up their sleeves to safeguard the sinking boat of tourism,” say the locals.
The shack and taxi owners, hoteliers from different parts of North Goa said that due to the pandemic restrictions their income has suffered since the quality tourists have been missing this season.
