SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 2024
Team Herald
MARGAO: Shack owners are hoping that next season will be a far better one as compared to the difficulties they faced in the recently concluded tourism season.
The past season proved financially challenging for many shack owners, with some forced to cease operations as early as March due to unsustainable overhead costs amid lower-than-expected visitor numbers.
While some of the shacks did remain on till the end of season, including those who sought for an extension till mid-June, shack owners believe that the only profitable months were from December to February when they got the highest footfalls due to the end-of-year holiday season, Christmas before that and tourists who visited in January and February too.
Looking ahead, the shack owners don’t want a repeat of last season’s problems.
“The biggest issue we faced was regarding the delay in getting all the permissions needed to start our shacks. This was a long delay compared to previous years and lost nearly three months,” said Cruz Cardozo, President of Goa Shack Welfare Owners Society (SWOS).
He added that this went against the policy itself regarding when the shacks should begin.
He pointed out that this is an important factor as shack owners pay a huge amount for permissions and invest in setting up their infrastructure so they need a full good season to do well and not suffer losses.
“Therefore, we want the Tourism Department to issue licences by August itself. As it takes time to get all the other permissions from the departments concerned. Then it takes time to put up the shack. This way hopefully by September end, we can begin the next season,” Cardozo added.
On the issue of sewage management, he felt that the government should intervene and see that sewage connections of the shacks are connected directly to the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP).
Addressing the shift in tourist arrivals favouring Mopa over Dabolim Airport, Cardozo acknowledged its adverse impact on South Goa’s tourism sector.
He cited instances of regular visitors cancelling their plans due to the increased distance between Mopa and South Goa. He feared what will happen if this trend continues in the years to come too.
Finally, regarding the issue of tourist harassment by Lamanis and vendors, Cardozo defended the State government’s efforts, highlighting the availability of a dedicated phone number for reporting such incidents.
