The “Party Capital” tag is not Enough

HospiBuz Desk 

Goa In need of Reincarnation

The Brand Goa necessitates reincarnation and the inscription 'party capital' is clearly not a good enough calling card. The white paper formed by local tourism and travel industry stakeholders, which cites harassment by traffic police, taxi operators, touts and shortage of infrastructure, public transport and garbage management as difficult areas for promotion of quality tourism.

"Reinvent Goa", drafted following various consultative meetings by the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa, one of the most experienced industry bodies, also says that the current inequality of domestic tourists far outnumbering foreign tourist visitors, an unethical tax regime, lag in permissions and high visa fees need to be examined into by the state and central governments.

Taxi fare pricing is non-transparent. Efforts to assign the trade are hindered by obstruction from politicians who handle it as a vote-bank. Taxi business is a cash-only affair, which leads to loss of revenue for the government, claiming that taxi drivers were intimidating and exploitative.

The white paper was drafted with inputs from stakeholders, after a dip in tourist arrival figures over the last couple of years triggered panic in the industry and the government. It was presented to Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar on Thursday.

The white paper calls for stern action upon the dumping of garbage offhand littering of empty alcohol bottles, cans or plastic bottles on beaches and water bodies is choking the state's rivers, seas and lakes and also discouraging tourists from visiting Goa," it says, calling for a ban on plastic in areas popular with tourists.

The paper also calls for setting up of a State Tourism Board with both private and government representatives to help streamline permissions and eliminate overt political interference in tourism administration.

"There is no outreach from the government towards tourism industry stakeholders during the formation of policy for the sector or key decision-making. There is hardly any cohesion between various government departments, which hampers deliberations on policy issues and quick decision-making," it said.

The white paper also demands a comprehensive survey to determine the carrying capacity of Goa's beaches and tourists locations while also urging state and central governments to rationalise the visa fee and tax composition on the lines of Thailand and Sri Lanka to ensure affordability for visiting tourists.

There is a need to revisit visa fees, airport charges and local taxation like GST, which makes Goa an expensive destination. Take a cue from Thailand's dropping of visa fees altogether for Indian tourists. We could incentivise loyal international tourists by reimbursing visa fees," the report states, adding that revenue earned from a tourist through indirect taxation, is much higher than monies earned through visa fees.

"We have been unable to develop a sustained brand identity for Goa for decades and, therefore, we cannot get a fix on the kind of tourists we want to attract as a state and how we should go about grabbing their attention. ‘Brand Goa' badly needs a determination, the paper says, while also demanding a vital, innovative and sustained marketing policy for the coastal state.

"One of the ironies is that despite being one of the top tourist destinations in India, Goa, is not even highlighted in the Central government's high profile 'Incredible India' campaign, which is India's tourism pitch to the world," it says

The report also highlights poor policing as a key reason behind the tourism dip, blaming the absence of a tourist helpline to check unabated harassment.

"There are unlimited touts at every point of sale of any tourism activity, leading to harassment of the tourist... Tourists are constantly harassed by police, especially traffic personnel," it says.

HospiBuz Take

The Tourist destination in India has without a doubt a matter of concern and attention. Goa is the smallest state of India which known in the world for its beautiful beaches and night life. In recent years, Goa is losing its identity in term of providing tourists with free space. This article lamps on both the problem and difficulties faced by the locals and Tourists and the provisions taken. The white paper about which the article talks about is the sight of opened eyes of the government and activists of Goa.