PANJIM: Another of Tourism Department’s foreign travel marts has run into controversy and this time it’s not about wasteful expenditure and low attendance, but on how Goa is being projected as a land of casinos and cheap liquor. This new ‘promotion’ by ‘non-Goans’ at the Arabian Travel Mart in Dubai could be a big blow to the tourism industry at the time when the State is promoting monsoon tourism in the desert countries.
Facebook user Carol Mathias Rebello slammed the State for reducing Goa Tourism to such a low. “So angry to see the Goa tourism exhibition stand at Dubai Travel market with non-Goans representing our beautiful Goa, when I approached the counter all they were telling me was about the casinos and cheap alcohol to be main reasons why I should visit Goa, so much wasted tax payers money for nothing,” reads the post along with pictures of the stall.
Goa’s discussion forum on Facebook, Goa Speaks, carried the post by Rebello that drew a lot of comments, many calling is disgraceful, and others demanding to know what Goa Tourism and Goa Tourism Development Corporation are up to.
A comment to this post, by Renato Lourenco read, “Wish these people have a cision. Goa govt says they spend crores of rupees for tourism and yet no tourists. My friend who had put up a travel stall in London told me that The Goa Travel Mart which was held last November was shocking. Our great Tourism Dept decided to keep 2 Polish staff at the Goan stall. Do they really know Goa that well? It was total in shambles.”
The role of Tourism Minister Manohar Azgaonkar is also in question as he travelled to attend the mart along with Tourism Department’s deputy director Rajesh Kale, Assistant Director Ganesh Teli and GTDC GM Laxmikant Vaigankar.
Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) has come down heavily on Tourism Department for its unprofessionalism. TTAG president Savio Messias expressed his disappointment stating, “We have been repeatedly raising the issue of marketing Goa at travel marts but unfortunately nothing seems to be happening. There is no accountability, no direction into the marketing strategy. We have been insisting to hand over the marketing section in the hands of a professional dedicated team but the government is not paying heed to it.”
This is not the first time that Goa’s attendance in a travel mart is being questioned. The department has been cornered several times for unnecessary wastage of money amounting to crores on tourism junkets to countries where it is not necessary. “There are many countries which are not responding to our annual travel marts but the tourism teams, including successive tourism ministers, want to continue with junkets to these countries. Similarly, attending travel marts and holding road shows in countries like Russia and UK is not necessary because we anyway get huge number of tourists from there. Our focus should be quality tourism but it is only in talks,” said a travel operator refusing to be named.
Congress has also criticised the government for the latest promotion. “It is a matter of great concern for us as Goa is already suffering due to decline in tourists visiting the State and if this is the manner in which tourism is promoted by the government then it’s a disgrace. The State is definitely not just about casinos and cheap alcohol. When will the government wake up to the fact that Goa is about rich cultural heritage, serene beaches and beautiful religious places along with natural spots, which have been attracting tourists from the world much before the era of casinos,” party’s general secretary Sunil Kawthankar said.
Herald attempted to reach out to the tourism officials but none responded.
