Team Herald
MARGAO: Shack owners in South Goa are hopeful of starting the season as early as September 15, as the process of setting up the shacks is now underway. This marks a significant difference from previous years, where the shacks were often not ready until much later in the season, causing shack owners to miss out on months of valuable
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tourist business.
According to the president of the Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS), Cruz Cardozo, the early start this year is a welcome change. In the past, the shack demarcation process would often not begin until the end of September or even mid-October. Last year, it didn’t start until November, severely limiting the shack owners’ operating window. This year, however, it began in the first week of September itself after the tourism department granted the provisional licences to the shack owners in advance, allowing them to quickly secure the necessary permissions and approvals from the relevant authorities.
With the shacks now being actively constructed, Cardozo is confident that many will be ready for operation by mid-September and he added that the speed at which shacks are being built across Goa depend on the capability of individual shack owners and their own respective strategies for the season. This early start will give the shack owners the opportunity to capitalise on the start of the tourist season, unlike in previous years, when they began full-fledged operations as late as November.
While a few issues remain for some owners, the overall sentiment is one of optimism.
