“Re-invent Goa as a clean and a safe destination”
HERALD: Does the tourism policy and masterplan present a sustainable roadmap for Goa’s tourism.
Francisco Braganca: Tourism Master Plan is a must to salvage whatever is left of Goa. The plan needs to provide a road map for sustainable tourism. The TTAG has made detailed representations to KPMG who are entrusted with the preparation of the Tourism Master Plan so as to:
1. Protect the natural beauty of Goa.
2. Re-invent Goa as a clean and a safe destination.
3. Protect the coastline by limiting and controlling the activities on the beaches and in the waters.
4. Safe guard Goa’s culture, cuisine, music and heritage.
5. Skilling the youth to rekindle the “Goanness” in them to treat our visitors as our friends and guests, rather than an opportunity to be exploited.
6. Restore the natural beauty of Goa.
The Tourism Master Plan is not yet finalized and the module that is published is a precursor to the final Modules which will give specifics of the road ahead. The road map is not yet clear. It is premature to comment on the same. However the TTAG has made detailed represenations and has been providing suggestions and input on a continuous basis. We hope that our suggestions and representations are taken up seriously not only by KPMG but also finally the Government accepts the same.
HERALD: Is there a need for public participation in the process of preparing the master plan and policy where villages should have been deciding the kind of tourism they want in their village?
Branganca: We have a parliamentary form of democracy where the elected representatives have to voice the opinions and wishes of the villagers. The plan has been kept open for objections from the general public and the villagers therefore are free to voice their views and opinions. But taking the decision making process to the villages, will result in utter confusion as each village may want a kind of tourism which displaces tourism as envisaged by another village. Goa as a whole must have a plan and such plan has to be decided at the state level.
HERALD: Considering that the govt wants to make Goa a logistics hub and govt is unable to stop low-end tourists in the state, will this impact high-end tourism? And what plans does govt have to restrict low-end tourists in the state?
Branganca: There is no doubt that high end tourism is desirable compared to low end tourism. But in order to attract high end tourism we need to have better infrastructure, clean environment, good roads, high end hotels and restaurants, clean beaches and entertainment to engage the attention of the discerning tourists. Every destination in the world is raising its standards so as to attract high end tourism. We need an independent Tourism Board so as to bring about these changes. Every successful tourist destination is governed by a tourism Board. Larger countries like Spain, Italy, France or the US and Brazil have Regional Tourism Boards, while smaller countries like Singapore, Maldives and Mauritius have a National Tourism Board. Goa being a small state of the Indian Sub-Continent, a Regional Board namely, Goa Tourism Board is the required to consolidate and take tourism in Goa forward in a focused manner and in the right direction. This aspect is taken care in the Tourism Master Plan.Countries like Maldives, Mauritius, Singapore and Islands of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea like St. Martin and St. Lucia sustain the economies on revenues generated through tourism. They all have well established Tourism Board to run their affairs. Hopefully the Final Module of the Tourism Master Plan will provide for the constitution of an independent Tourism Promotion or Tourism Board, which will comprise of members of the Government as well as the stake holders of the industry and have independence to guide the future of tourism in Goa and achieve higher standards comparable to the best in the world.
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“The Goa Tourism Policy 2018 lacks the basic empirical data on tourism in the state”
HERALD:Does the tourism policy and master plan present a sustainable roadmap for Goa’s tourism?
Freddy Braganca: Ideally the policy should be a broad framework from which the plan should emerge. A thorough reading of the draft raises foundational questions whether this is a policy or a plan? There seems to be no road nor map in this Master Plan. In the draft, both are mixed up.
The Corner stone principles state about sustainability with regard to only tourism infrastructure, which means that people and their livelihoods are totally absent in their intent and design.
HERALD:Is there a need for public participation in the process of preparing the master plan and policy where villages should have been deciding the kind of tourism they want in their village?
Freddy: The Goa Tourism Policy 2018 lacks the basic empirical data on tourism in the state. It is devoid of the necessary statistics of the number of tourists, both foreign and domestic who visit the state. It also fails to reflect the revenue generated and how much of the revenue is re-invested in the state.
In the absence of which very serious issues of environmental degradation, violation of Coastal Zone Regulations, cultural decay, sex tourism, easy availability of narcotics, child labour, child and women trafficking, alienation of communities from their lands have not been addressed by the draft Master Plan.
Tourism being an important aspect of the State there should be a mass movement to initiate the village plan, a biodiversity plan, mapping of water bodies and studying the carrying capacity of each village along with the demands on the resources which can result in a genuine people’s plan for tourism. Wide ranging consultation with the people can result into a sustainable and genuine tourism policy followed by a realistic plan.
HERALD:Considering that the govt wants to make Goa a logistics hub and govt is unable to stop low-end tourists in the state, will this impact high-end tourism? And what plans does govt have to restrict low-end tourists in the state?
Freddy: The uniqueness of Goan Tourism is the involvement of the large number of people from the locality. The Government need to realise that it is beneficial to support the small operators as such economics curtails the leakages in a significant manner. High end tourism drains the economies of the host state while straining exorbitantly the natural resources and the garbage that is left over.
However, this Master Plan of the Government is skewed against the local people. It is nothing but backdoor privatisation of the tourism sector of Goa by the government and this cannot be allowed.
