“An integrated Goa centric policy approach strategized through a holistic Tourism Master Plan driven by merit, sensitivity and passion is much needed to drive sustainable and optimum levels of tourism. Sluggish policy making will only impede brand Goa.”
Goa is widely known as the paradise on the country’s west coast. Bountiful natural beauty, rich biodiversity and a palm fringed fragile coastline of 105 kms together with the grandeur of peculiar architectural traits, rich cultural heritage and hospitable people have made Goa an unbeatable brand across the globe.
With such copious virtues, the deserved impetus in boosting the State’s tourism in the desirable sense appears to be a low priority for our State government. The misplaced priorities and sluggish attitude of the government is resulting into lost opportunities and consequent economic pitfalls which overall reflect a poor governance regime at work.
There are various views and opinions which we have to consider if we embark to objectively discuss the subject of ‘sustainable and Goa centric tourism promotion’ if our honest endeavour is to chart out a long term and holistic policy approach which could be executed through a tourism master plan.
Tourism industry provides scores of employment opportunities inter-alia thus sizably contributing towards the State’s GDP. It is also credited for bringing in huge annual foreign exchange to the State. We therefore need to deliberate on capitalizing our strengths and formulating a customized ‘state centric tourism vision’, so that we adopt a ‘Goa suited’ model upon analyzing the exclusive character and tremendous potential of our strengths. In the said endevour, it is imperative that our government ensures that all concerned stakeholders from the society come to the forefront in the policy making process so that a reasoned and Goa centric tourism policy is envisaged, ensured, adopted and implemented.
Our government must ensure that monuments of architectural, historical and archeological significance are restored, maintained and promoted. These marvels can independently serve as an attraction for quality tourists visiting the State. While more and more tracts of fragile and eco-sensitive land in the nature of khazans, hills, fields, ‘kulagars’ and the like are netted by the land, thereby creating a land bank operated and held by such persons and companies, the State Government is actionless to prevent the catastrophe of identity crisis which is staring us in the face thereby permitting a demographic catastrophe. Genuine concerns pertaining to the dilution of Goa’s culture, traditions and societal values due to unregulated immigration coupled with the strain exerted on the Goan landscape and resources owing to poor planning, random, sporadic and unsystematic growth also need to be satisfactorily addressed in the quest of preserving, protecting and nourishing ‘Brand Goa’.
There is no doubt that we need tourism. However there must also be no doubt that we need optimum levels of tourism. Hence, we need a mechanism to create an atmosphere in which tourism promotion and touristic activities do not result in inflation in the economy, conflict in societal fabric, threat to the demography, decline of traditional occupational base, destruction of flora, fauna and sand dunes through proliferation of beach activities and as such dilution of culture. Thus for Goa to progress in the right direction on the tourism front, it is imperative that deculturization of Goa which threatens the very identity of Goa must be checked and curbed. The Government must ensure that Goans do not find themselves in the thick midst of unregulated, unsystematic, unplanned and uncontrolled tourism which prompts them to feel insecure.
While Goa is blessed with a rich biodiversity comprising of diverse flora and fauna, our sanctuaries, parks and forests must be well looked after. Exploitative and disturbing tourism should not be promoted in the name of eco tourism. Our administration must realize that every tract of fragile eco system cannot be exposed to human interference in the name of eco tourism. Our administration must emphasize on clean, optimum and sustainable tourism with a goal of projecting Goa as a perfect family destination, which goal our government has failed to pragmatically conceive and achieve.
We thus need a ‘Goa centric’ tourism policy with holistic vision and integrated approach which envisages a long term, sustainable and a consolidated tourism master plan. Such policy must be finalized in a participative and merit driven method and must involve the Travel and Tourism Association, taxi operators, travel agents, shack operators, hoteliers and all such other stakeholders in the process.
(Adv Yatish A Naik is a practicing lawyer)
