TTAG on guard against terror

PANJIM, MAY 20
Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) has said that hotels across Goa are taking adequate security measures to ward off any potential terror threat.
Disclosing this at a press conference, TTAG President Ralph DSouza said that though there has been no untoward incident reported in the state yet the industry is taking preventive measures to tackle any possible threat.
“While starred hotels were putting in place mechanisms like luggage scanners and CCTV cameras to spot any possible terror or mischievous elements walking into their hotels, small guest house owners too were being sensitized to the importance of security in the tourist belt,” D’Souza said.
He said the hoteliers and tour operators are trying their best to cope up with the security scenario.
“Even small guest house owners of taking steps of informing the police about the guests and basic information about them,” D’Souza said.
The TTAG president also said that hotels had taken care to ensure that entry and exit points into the hotel were minimized and put under observation.
“We have also trained our staff to keep an eye out for suspicious movement of guests who come in,” he said.
Ralph also said that the setting up of a tourist security force, manned by ex armed forces personnel would be a step in the right direction.
“The vehicles will be equipped with state of the art tracking and monitoring devices as well as wireless transmission services and will be deployed along the coastal belt for regular patrolling,” he said.
The state government has already been handed over a fleet of 14 jeeps and 7 two wheelers which will be a part of the special tourism force.