The new Tourism Master Plan and Tourism Policy elaborates on the major areas that the State needs to focus on in order to bring quality tourists to Goa.
The State Cabinet approved the Tourism Master Plan and Goa State Tourism Policy 2020, which focuses on nature–based tourism and cultural tourism as one of the many pillars for Goa to reinvent itself as a tourist destination.
This policy calls for creation of high-quality infrastructure and facilities which can help attract high-end tourists to Goa’s hinterland.
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant made the announcement at a press conference that the State Cabinet has cleared the Tourism Master Plan and Goa Tourism Policy 2020, which was waiting to take shape for many years.
The 25-year vision document is the State’s first serious attempt to chalk out a systematic path for the tourism industry. The vision of the Policy is to make Goa the ‘most preferred destination’ around the year for high-spending tourists in India by 2024, and a ‘world class international tourism destination’ by 2030.
The Masterplan illustrates the path that Goa should take, emphasizing on its various attributes that have remained out of focus, as the State yielded huge profits by concentrating on its beaches. The Policy further states that regeneration of beaches will also be taken up as many of the beaches in the Northern coastal belt have been exploited due to commercial activity and their conservation won’t be neglected, even while promoting coastal tourism. The Policy states that environmental sustainability shall be the key determinant for coastal tourism development.
The Policy also said that the State will pursue blue flag certification or its comparable standard. A recent certification was opposed and Goa lost out on the opportunity to receive the tag while other beaches in India qualified for the certification.
“So far, Goan beaches were an attraction for the tourists. In the Tourism Policy, which was approved by the Cabinet, we will promote ecotourism, hinterland tourism, adventure tourism, education tourism, sports tourism, coastal tourism, culture tourism, heritage tourism and nature based tourism” Manohar Ajgaonkar – Deputy CM / Tourism Minister
The document lists various aspects that Goa’s tourism sector should concentrate on. The Masterplan is divided into six modules, including development of an action plan to implement previous modules.
Deputy Chief Minister Manohar ‘Babu’ Ajgaonkar, who holds the Tourism portfolio, said a Tourism Board comprising stakeholders and various experts would be formed under the Tourism Policy 2020. He said the Tourism Board will work out strategies for promotion and marketing of Goa Tourism worldwide.
“So far, Goan beaches were an attraction for the tourists. In the Tourism Policy, which was approved by the Cabinet, we will promote eco-tourism, hinterland tourism, adventure tourism, education tourism, sports tourism, coastal tourism, culture tourism, heritage tourism and nature based tourism. We want to showcase the natural beauty of Goa to the tourists. As per the Tourism Master Plan, the Tourism Board will guide the government in developing the required tourism infrastructure in the State,” the Minister said, adding that the government will develop the infrastructure through a public-private partnership model.
Ajgaonkar further stated that the government wants to promote a drug-free Goa among tourists and also wants ‘rich and quality tourists’ to visit the State. “We don’t want tourists who come to consume drugs and cook by the roadsides. The image of Goa is getting tarnished due to such types of tourists,” he said.
Ajgaonkar maintained that the government has already implemented stringent laws to tackle the nuisance created by hawkers on the beaches in the State, as well as against tourists who cook in public places. “We are imposing fines against such tourists. Those failing to pay the fine would be imprisoned,” the Minister warned.
Ajgaonkar also urged Police to act against tourists, who fail to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines including wearing of masks and maintaining physical distancing. “There is no vaccine or medicine so far. The only medicine is to wear masks, maintain social distancing, and maintain personal safety. All have to follow this,” he said.
The Tourism Minister said the State Government will also seek financial assistance from the central government for developing tourism infrastructure in the state.
“Projects on public private partnership (PPP) would be encouraged,” he said, adding, “It is time to rebuild the tourism sector, which is hit hard due to the current pandemic.”
Ajgaonkar said that the Cabinet has also approved a proposal for waiving off 50 per cent fees for beach shacks. “Due to COVID-19 pandemic, our shack owners have faced huge losses. Thus, the Government has decided to waive off their 50 per cent fee for beach shacks. This will help the shack owners revive their business during the upcoming tourist season,” he added.
Goa receives around 80 lakh tourists annually, with more than 8 lakh foreign arrivals. But over the last few years, the arrival of foreign tourists has dropped. Charter arrivals too are dismal as the State has lost out to competition from Sri Lanka and South East Asian countries.
The Masterplan is expected to facilitate and streamline the development of tourism in the State with significant focus on infrastructure development and raising the quality tourism related facilities and services, with an emphasis on sustainable tourism development over short, medium and long-term periods.
A stakeholder said that with the masterplan in place, GTDC will now not be able to incur mindless expenses on projects as the Tourism Board will have a final say.
Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) president Nilesh Shah said that the industry is happy that the government has finally come out with the Vision Document and Policy, but that some of their important suggestions haven’t found a place in the Policy.
Hotelier Francisco de Braganca, who was part of the consultative process for the Tourism Master Plan, said that what they had envisaged under former CM Manohar Parrikar when the process for creating it started in 2014 is missing in the document.
Braganca said that the roles of Tourism Department, Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) and proposed Tourism Board are overlapping, and that the new exercise will not yield the desired results.
The 12-member Tourism Board, with the Tourism Minister as Chairman will also have representatives of government and industry. A vice-chairman will be nominated by stakeholders.
Given the State’s glorious past, culture and heritage tourism needs to be marketed in a better way. The Policy states that conservation, regeneration and promotion of Goan culture and heritage are one of the key initiatives. Goa Tourism Board would identify essential infrastructure and public amenity requirements for identified tourism assets of historical and cultural importance.
The Masterplan and Policy seeks to encourage tourists to visit Goan villages, especially to explore traditional Goan houses. The Goa Tourism Board will have to designate villages conducive for development as tourism villages, which could have a focus on old Goan houses, handicrafts and Goan cuisine.
The Policy also recommends that mangrove swamps, freshwater crocodiles, adventure and sports tourism, spice plantations and agro farms, need to be encouraged in order to give the State’s tourism sector a much needed boost
Decision to fill Tourism Board with Government appointees irks stakeholders
While the tourism industry in Goa is elated over the implementation of the long awaited Tourism Policy, the government has received flak over the presence of majority of government appointees on the Goa Tourism Board.
Nilesh Shah, President of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), while pointing out regarding the government appointees on Board stated that the Tourism Board will not be industry driven and the CEO is a government appointee and not a professional, as was requested.
Savio Messias, the Immmediate Past President of TTAG has also voiced his concern over the absence of tourism experts while comparing the appointment to municipalities/panchayats.
“It is fully loaded with government bureaucrats and government appointees. You may have an excellent Policy but if the Board has no tourism experts but instead some political appointees; it would be a very ordinary body like most other bodies. We have 12 government appointees and only 5 stakeholders, out of which 3 will have tenure of just one year. It sounds more like our municipalities and panchayats that have a rotation policy.”
Regarding this decision of the government, former TTAG President Francisco Braganca has called the Tourism Board a creation of another Tourism Department and Goa Tourism Development Corporation.
The shack operators, on the other hand, have urged to include them on to the Board. President of Shack Owners Welfare Society Cruz Cardozo said they will make a representation to the government to include one shack operator from each district on the Tourism Board. “Like other stakeholders, we also want to have our representation. Shack operators in both districts have different issues and including us will give us a platform to bring to the fore our issues,” he said
Tourism infrastructure worth Rs 24 crore to be created at Dudhsagar through central funding
The tourism season at Dudhsagar waterfall season was officially inaugurated at a function at Collem, in the presence of Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar, PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar and other officials.
Due to heavy rains and the rising water level in the river, tourists will be ferried to Dudhsagar only after the rains and river water level reduces. PWD Minister Pauskar said that tourists have been facing a lot of hardships at Dudhsagar due to the limited facilities available there. In order to address these difficulties, he stated that tourism at the waterfall will be promoted by developing tourism related infrastructure at Dudhsagar, which would be worth Rs 24 crore through funding from the Central government. He added that the infrastructure will include improvement of rough forest roads leading to Dudhsagar; construction of toilet blocks; creation of drinking water facilities etc. He said the NOC for the construction of improvement of the road to Dudhsagar was given by the Forest Department at a meeting held in the presence of Chief Minister. Also a causeway will be built and money will also be sanctioned for the same.
“We are hoping to create a road at the forest leading to Dudhsagar waterfall, which would be made of mud pavers, just on lines of tourism at Matheran, which also falls in forest area,” said Tendulkar.
Meanwhile, the 400-odd Jeep operators who ferry the tourists to Dudhsagar, were firm on their demand that the forest department waives of the fee of Rs 10,000 for this season against the backdrop of the pandemic. Dudhsagar Tour Operators’ Association President Dilip Maynekar said that last year, each jeep operator paid a fee of Rs 7,500 but could not get much business as the season was closed half way in March. He questioned the decision to hike the fee to Rs 10,000 while repeating their demand for the same to be waived off
