Herald: How different will this tourism season be from the previous ones?
Messias: This year, we expect a slight increase in the arrival, compared to last year. We hope the rise will be anything between 10 and 20 percent, reason being that Goa will be getting an additional flight every week from the United Kingdom. The picture is still not clear on how much tourists Goa will get from Russia though. From the feedback we received, this season will see a certain surge in numbers.
Herald: How many charter flights is Goa going to expect this season?
Messias: We really can’t say how many charters Goa will expect this season, but in British charters, there is an increase by one charter every week. The charter slots are booked but sometimes they don’t materialise, as a reason we cannot say the exact number of charter flights that will finally fly in to Goa in the coming season, but definitely there will be a soar in number of charter flights as compared to previous years.
Herald: Why does Goa being a international tourist destination does not get high spending tourists?
Messias: It not that Goa doesn’t receive high spending tourist, but we have to keep targeting more and higher end tourists and I want to make this very clear. We are also happy with the domestic tourists but we don’t want low-end tourists as they are a big nuisance because they the beaches dirty, a lot of misbehaviour is reported, mostly when they see foreigners in swimsuits, and this is one of the main reasons behind decline in high-end tourists. It’s also terrible to see those low-end tourists cooking on the roadside and littering the place.
Herald: What are the efforts made by TTAG to get high spending tourist in Goa?
Messias: TTAG does not play a major role in marketing Goa; we are an association of all hoteliers and travel agents and our main aim is to keep the industry united and sort out the problems they face. The marketing is done by GTDC and not TTAG, but sometimes our association members are involved in marketing strategies with the GTDC and contribute to their experience.
Herald: Why is it that tourists are gradually moving to other destinations like Sri-Lanka and Thailand?
Messias: I fully agree that a lot of domestic and international tourists are travelling to Sri-Lanka and Thailand, because they are cheap and very good value for money destinations. The main reason behind this is that our taxes are very high as compared to the above mentioned destinations and that is one reason probably for the decline in tourist in Goa.
Herald: Will the tourism master plan really benefit Goa once implemented and will cause a drastic change in tourist arrivals?
Messias: The department is preparing a master plan, but its implementation will depend on the cooperation of the local people. As of now several projects are embroiled in cases and wrapped in PILs. Practically, every project in Goa is stalled or opposed by the locals, environmentalist and the NGOs. Once the master plan is ready and during its implementation, if the locals, CRZ or other departments like NGT start objecting, then there is no point in having such a master plan. Public should have a responsible attitude; we just can’t simply oppose everything. If the scene remains like this, how will Goa progress?
