Viable solutions to save Goa’s tourism industry

Facts To be considered:

●     
2018-19 saw a 50
per cent decline in Russian charter flights and 62,000 lesser Russian Tourists in 2018-19 as compared to
2017-18

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●     
In the period from
2017-18, airport arrival and departure figures saw a decline of more than 21
per cent.

●     
While domestic
tourism has seen an upswing of 25 per cent to 30 per cent, the appreciable drop
in average room rates and occupancies across Goa, indicates a fall in the
quality of domestic tourism.

●     
There is also a
sharp drop in the number of charter flights which arrived in Goa in 2013 (1128)
to 840 now which is lower the previous season by 154.

Problem areas

Ø  The sudden unorganised
boom in the growth of the unregulated bed and breakfast and homestay facilities
has led to an unhealthy surge in oversupply of accommodation for tourists,
disrupting pricing levels, which has impacted the hospitality industry.

Ø  There is no adequate
infrastructure which can host large scale MICE events with a capacity of over
3000 guests.

Ø  Parking management and
road traffic arrangements are in poor shape, especially in tourist locations.

Ø  The Dabolim international
airport, which is the first touch point for tourists visiting the state is an
eyesore.

Ø  Public spaces are occupied
by low budget tourists, who travel to Goa in large groups in buses and large
jeeps and end up cooking and performing daily ablutions in public.

SOLUTION

Ø  The Tourism Department, TCP, PWD,
municipalities, panchayats and other relevant government departments need to
work together, to
evolve holistic planning of high-density tourist locations to resolve traffic,
parking, congestion issues, which such areas commonly face.

Ø  Set up public awareness
and education kiosks at access points to all beaches and tourist attractions,
including biodiversity hotspots with ‘Dos and Don’ts’ in order to sensitise
visitors and locals alike.

Ø  Create paid camping sites
on the lines of caravan parks in Europe and US, which are equipped with basic
amenities like washrooms for low budget tourists, so that they too can enjoy
their holiday in Goa in a dignified manner.

Ø  Since an airport creates
the first impression about a destination for a tourist, it needs to be managed
properly. Privatization has done wonders for airport facilities in Indian
metros, perhaps Goa can opt for the same method to better the amenities and
passenger flow at the Dabolim international airport.

Ø  A golf course is an
absolute must to be able to attract high-end tourists to Goa. Setting up such
facilities will also help Goa up its profile as an upscale tourism destination.

Ø  Create infrastructure like
large convention centres to accommodate MICE events of up to 5000 guests in
North and South Goa respectively as well as develop other elite facilities such
as a golf course to attract high-end tourists.

Ø  Create
special entertainment zones in isolated areas with permission to operate at extended hours to provide
alternative options for tourists and lessen the tourism load on beaches.

Ø  Goa needs to develop attractions for children like a theme or
waterpark, as children play a large role in influencing their parents’ choice
for holiday destinations.

Problem areas

Ø For tourists and visitors, taxi drivers the world first touch-point and informal
ambassadors of the destination. It’s  the opposite in
Goa. Taxi drivers in Goa exploit tourists. They lack personal
grooming and are intimidating and inadequate at guest-handling

Ø Taxi services at the
Dabolim international airport are mismanaged with long queues often resulting
in chaos, which ends up frustrating both the locals as well as tourists
alighting at the airport and looking for a quick ride out.

Ø Taxi fare pricing is non-transparent.

Ø Goa lacks an efficient public
transport system. Most international tourist destinations provide multiple
transport options to tourists through monorail, bus transport system and
regularized taxi services.

Ø The proliferation of rent-a-car services has resulted in
unruly use of such vehicles by tourists, who hire them, but do not comply with
prevalent traffic rules and regulations, often leading to accidents.

                                                 

SOLUTION

Ø Taxi drivers need to be
groomed to appear as ambassadors of the state. A grooming test could be made
mandatory at the time of granting them licences to operate.

Ø There is a need to run the
taxi sector as a corporate-driven or co-operative run operation to rid Goa’s
taxis of the ‘mafia’ tag.

Ø  Like most tourist
locations, there is need to provide tourists with an efficient public transport
system and options for transport in Goa.

Ø  Taxi pricing in Goa has to
be transparent, standardized and it needs to be done soon, using regulation and
enforcement

Ø  App-based taxi operations
need to operate effectively and efficiently

Ø  Improper and uncivil
behaviour by taxi drivers must be accordingly penalized.

Ø  Where-ever feasible, one-way traffic
to ease congestion in crowded tourism zones should be introduced.

Ø  Standardised number plates
for vehicles in Goa, which can also sport a ‘Brand Goa’ icon will help
reinforce the philosophy of Goa Tourism.

Ø  Govt should play a role of
facilitator and regulator rather than getting into the business of running of a
service/s.

Problem areas

Ø  Goa’s beaches, tourist
locations as well as the state’s cities, roads, even villages, are littered
with garbage, which is an eyesore for tourists.

Ø  Those who litter and dump
garbage in public areas, do so with impunity due to lack and awareness about
its hazards and lack of enforcement.

SOLUTION

Ø  Introducing water ATMs will cut down on the utilisation of
plastic bottles and a  ban on single use such as straws and sachets will
help reduce trash in the state.

Ø  Include modules on civic sense, traffic rules and
regulations, garbage segregation and management, communication skills, etc, in
school curriculum to inculcate the habit of cleanliness and a hospitable
nature.

Ø  Special focus on keeping
approach roads leading towards beaches, tourist locations clean and garbage
free by the panchayats

Ø  North Goa has a
functioning garbage treatment plant. The government has to work towards
starting a similar plant in South Goa too.

Ø  Hotels and restaurants should
compulsorily adopt the usage of recyclables such as liquid soap dispensers
(instead of sachets) and paper/steel.

Problem Areas

Ø There is increasing
concern about illegal operators involved in the business of all taxi
operations, accommodation, event organising, etc, who receive political
patronage for their illegal operations

Ø Some government
departments like the GCZMA often take nearly a month for processing of
applications, a practice which is not feasible nor practical as far as the
tourism sector is concerned, where prompt decision-making is key.

Ø Current prevailing laws
prevent playing of music as early as 10 pm, which damages Goa’s reputation as
of one of India’s top destination for nightlife. Illegal shacks and unlicensed
establishments in coastal areas flout the 10 pm deadline with impunity, due to
political and police patronage, while those from the organised sector are harassed
into winding up playing of music at 10 pm during events. This is demoralising
to those who promote businesses legally

Ø Documentation required to
register smaller homestays is very cumbersome while online travel agents like
Booking.com and Airbnb are registering rooms without the mandatory tourism
licenses, a trend which needs to be brought under the ambit of government
regulation.

Ø There is no outreach from the government towards tourism
industry stakeholders during formation of policy for the sector or key
decision-making.

SOLUTION

Ø There needs to be harmony and
standardisation in the designs of Goa’s beach shacks and restaurants,
especially along the Calangute – Candolim stretch which sees heavy footfalls.

Ø Usher in a strict ban on
carrying plastic articles, including bottles, on beaches and other tourist
locations, with a provision for paid lockers to store disallowed articles.

Ø  Set timelines for granting
of permissions by local bodies, GCZMA, police and other concerned departments
dealing with event management agencies, along with instituting a single window
system for event companies for the required permits

Ø  There is need to revisit
visa fees, airport charges and local taxation like GST, which makes Goa an
expensive destination.

Ø  Nurture SMEs and small
hotels by facilitating easy permissions and licensing processes to bring them
in the organised bracket and thus prevent illegal businesses.  

Ø  Charter tourism has been
the foundation of Goa’s tourism industry, and its decline is a cause for
concern. Charter operators should be given similar advantages as in the other
countries competing for tourism.

Ø   Security at hotels
needs to be tightened and constantly improved to meet with newer challenges
which can disrupt a healthy tourism industry.

Goa Tourism Board: Goa needs it now more than ever before

Ø Goa needs a legally-backed independent Tourism Board with
decisive representation to stakeholders and powers to decide on all tourism
matters, with complete independence and a fixed term.

Ø Trade and industry should have a strong representation on the
Board. Representative of trade bodies like TTAG, GCCI, CII, SMEs and other
tourism-related trade bodies should automatically find a seat on the Board by
virtue of them holding a responsible position in their respective trade body.

Ø  Yearly fees for tourism licensing, registration and
renewal should be increased to set off the financing of the Board.

Ø The entire development and control of tourism should be left
to the Board. Both the present administrative and regulatory machinery should
be brought under the control of the Board.

Ø Money from the tourism budget should be put aside for
utilisation by the Board

Problem Areas

Ø Goa has no had no major
brand promotion campaign that can draw the attention of prospective tourists.

Ø As a tourist destination,
Goa has been largely relying on past glories and its beaches to promote
tourism. It is not enough anymore.

Ø There is no comprehensive
event/happenings calendar, which can help tourists plan their travel, is
missing from our promotion narrative.

Ø Festivals exclusive to Goa
and very integral to our culture, such as Carnival, Shigmo are not being
promoted as must-see events.

Ø Goa, both in letter and
spirit, is virtually absent from the bouquet of tourism experiences sold in the
state. The state’s unique ethos, culture, music, food, dance, is missing from
Goa’s tourism menu, which is becoming extremely mainstream, thus losing out on
the indigenous USP.

Ø Agencies appointed for
promoting, managing Goa as a brand and as a destination are not Goan and
therefore fail to understand the nuances of ‘Brand Goa’ that they are selling.

Ø Government participation
in trade fairs, both in India and abroad, is haphazard, erratic and
unaccountable. Tourism industry stakeholders are either kept in the dark about
the itinerary of trade fairs, which government agencies are participating in,
or informed at the last minute. Rules for trade bodies/private tourism-related
enterprises in such events are ambiguous.

SOLUTION

Ø  The process of defining ‘Brand
Goa’ and identifying the brand’s core values should be conducted with
collective inputs from industry stakeholders, brand experts, marketing
specialists and tourism officials.

Ø  Goa’s distinct ‘vibe’ which
is linked to its unique Indo-Portuguese heritage spanning centuries, needs to
be leveraged.

Ø  Identify strong, weak and
new markets, through collaborative efforts between the industry and government.
 

Ø  Trade needs to be more
involved in the promotion of Goa. Trade fair participation should be
accountable and trade driven.

Ø  Effective execution
requires political will from the government and active enforcement from private
agencies, which requires harmony between the government and private sector.

Ø  A fact-based system which is reliant on real time data is
critical. This can be done in conjunction with the Goa University.

Ø  There is need to create
separate tourism-related categories like medical/wellness tourism, hinterland
tourism, bird-watching tourism, adventure tourism, MICE, etc, for effective
marketing.

Ø  Calendarize events and
market according to the calendar year communicated well in advance in order to
ensure sustained tourism activity throughout the year.

Ø  Initiate a strong public
relations outreach to create a positive image for Goa.

Ø  Brand Goa should have a strong
integrated presence across all digital platforms. Building and maintenance of
this brand needs to be handled professionally and preferably by a Goan Agency
that has an in depth understanding of what the state and the brand stands for.

Ø  Goa needs to re-invent as
a tourism destination and keep evolving its bouquet of tourism products.

Problem Areas

Ø  There is no competently
managed helpline available to tourists in Goa. Hence, harassment of tourists in
Goa is rampant and almost unchecked in absence of such a facility.

Ø  There are unlimited touts
at every point of sale of any tourism activity, leading to harassment of the
tourist.

Ø  No police kiosks closer to
beaches (for e.g., if an IRB personnel needs to penalize someone on Calangute
beach, he has to report the case to the local police station which is far
away).

Ø  Curbing providing of
illegal ISPs which can potentially aide terrorists or anti-social elements.

Ø  Prostitution and drug
menace, is major issue that is on the rise and needs to be curbed 

Ø  Constant harassment of
tourists by police, especially traffic personnel.

SOLUTION

Ø TTAG should evolve SOPs
for hotels/restaurants/shacks on how to deal with intoxicated individuals, with
the help of Goa Police.

Ø Tourists should also be equipped with phone numbers of local
police, hospital, etc, at tourist-dense areas like beaches. 

Ø  Run a sensitisation programme for the police force to
understand that every tourist who is on a holiday is not a potential criminal.

Ø  Provide a dedicated
helpline number for safety/ emergency/ that should be informed and properly
displayed to tourists at all tourist locations.

Ø  We need to have
information counters which are empowered to deal with crime and issues of
safety.

Ø  Given the current scenario, an agency needs to be appointed to
control that damage caused by any untoward incident that takes place

Ø  Issue stickers for
vehicles checked by law enforcement agencies to prevent repeated harassment of
tourists while travelling in Goa.

Ø  Urgent need to arrest
prostitution and drug menace in Goa.

●       
TTAG must lobby
for best practices and institute penalties against law-breakers.

●       
SOP documents to
be created for criminal nuisances for a hotel owner or a restaurant owner to
deal with such situations properly.