The New Tourism Policy Goa, 2020

I went through with interest the new Tourism Policy 2020 for Goa. I’m not sure why it’s called “2020” when we’re actually migrating to 2022 in less than a couple of months.

But first, a background of the Master Plan Report 2016, to which the Policy refers. The Master Plan in my view, is an excellent paper and it visualizes quantum jumps, not incremental inflation-corrected existence. The report comprises of 6 modules of which, Module 3 – the Master Plan itself and the Policy that derives therefrom is of relevance here. 

My Take: Before I proceed further let me put perspectives to my discussions. The Economic Survey for Goa 2020-21, puts the GDPs generated from Hotels and Restaurants and Transport at Rs 1,657 crores in 2015-16 (just 3.6% of the State GDP at constant prices); went down in 2019-20 (Pre-COVID), to Rs 1,495 crores (just 2.4% of the State GDP). The Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for the last 5 years was in fact (-)2.03%. I would also like to mention here, whereas Malaysia gets foreign arrivals of around 26 million a year, India gets less than 18 million a year (World Bank), Goa’s share is only 9 lacs – coming 10th among Indian States in terms of foreign arrivals. Secondly – whereas Mauritius has a promotion budget of $11.04/- an arrival, India in totality gets $3.45/- and Goa’s numbers are just $0.52/-. So that’s where we are in terms of priorities although 40% of our state population depend on Tourism directly or indirectly. 

I must say, if we are to prioritise on our Tourism – we must be able to think differently – and think big. In that context, I think it was highly positive, of the Government to have appointed Internationally Reputed Advisers to draw up the big-picture in proper contexts, set to appropriate international benchmarks. 

My third point concerns the process. I hope the ultimate stake-holders – not only the tourism bodies or the chambers of commerce – but down to the Municipal Councils, Panchayats and Gram-Sabha’s have been consulted during the development of the Modules 2 and 3 – simply because huge change initiatives require superb change management champions – and that cannot be done unless the local stake-holders OWN the plans. Particularly, in view of apparent lack of adequate trust between policy-makers and beneficiaries – given that the IIT-Goa has not been able to find a campus for 5 years and so hasn’t the IT Park Project and with the Zuari Bridge, the Airport Parking Plaza or the Cruise Terminal Highway, going on perennially shifting dates.

Next – arising from the Master Plan – the Action Plan in the Policy, and I missed it – particularly the fundings! 

The Plan document is interesting; Sri Lanka is best in Nature Tourism – where we are somewhere in the middle, we see we are low in Luxury Tourism and Maldives is the best. In Sports and Adventure, Bali is the best though Goa is quite high in its products and Kerala tops in Culture & Heritage where we seem mediocre. So, in a way our road map is clear – the Master Plan suggests we prioritise Culture and Heritage Tourism and Nature Based Tourism, where we fare currently as rather pedestrians. Today’s world goes with “specialists”, no longer “generalists” any more.

So, “Prioritisation” is the key. The Vision Statement is excellent: “to be the most preferred destination around the year for “high-spending tourists” in India by 2024, and a world-class international tourism destination by 2030” is excellent proposition – but how? It’s 2.1 million foreign tourists we speak of in 2030! With quantum growths in segments such as Culture and Heritage Tourism and Nature Based Tourism as in the Plan.  We speak of growths of 42,000 rooms today, to 84,000 rooms by 2030, Visitors’ average expenditure Rs 4000 a day average, to Rs 8000 a day; investments from Rs 4,000 crores today to Rs 10,000 crores in ten years! The total funds required are forecast at Rs 4,200 crores in ten years – of which Rs 3,800 crores would come from private initiatives and just Rs 400 crores from the Government. I found it too good to believe when I compare the promotional expenditures as I mentioned. 

Then come down to the ambience creation – the internal mobility in the State and conditions of roads, decent parking facilities, or the irritably frequent Power-Outages or the Beach-Safety perceptions of a “cheap party” destination, or the Garbage Management infrastructure, (the Niti Aayog SDG rankings’2021 seem to confirm this particular point, looking at our poor scores on “Climate Actions” and “Responsible Consumption”). These are the areas I thought, the Policy would clearly spell out directions and ownerships, rather than putting in newer layers and layers in the administrative set-up with apparent overlapping roles with multiple Boards and Committees. The GTDC itself should do the job, with world class specialists, with no incremental “layers”, putting “Ease of Business” to peril.

I am a bit disappointed, having found no sufficient priority for the Mopa Airport and its infrastructural requirements. Today, where Dabolim handles 8 million passengers a year in just 4 years the number of passengers would have more than trebled to 25 million – plans for Mopa and infrastructure like a North-South Metro Rail corridor, both indispensable for the kind of growths envisaged. The other area is the off-shore casinos. There has to be more clarity in the plans, I think.

And in conclusion: I think tourism is THE industry for Goa – for our economy, for our sustainability, for jobs and entrepreneurship for our children. Let’s not defocus our attentions on unnecessary non-value-added activities – let’s go after tourism whole hog. To start with,  let’s for example, put a date on point 10: “Skill Development and the HRSCs”.

(Binayak Datta is a Finance professional)