Tourism is the backbone of the Goan economy, with 40% of the population directly or indirectly dependent on it. The sector has shown strong growth with total tourist arrivals increasing from 2.3 million in 2005 to 7.8 million in 2017, an annual growth of nearly 11%.
The tourist mix is dominated by domestic tourists that comprise nearly 89% of total tourist arrivals. The peak season of October to December sees nearly half of the annual tourist arrivals, putting immense stress on Goa’s ecology, infrastructure and tourism assets.
The Goa State Tourism Policy 2020 and the Master Plan introduced by the State government a couple of years ago are supposed to be game changers for Goa's tourism sector.
The tourism policy broadly covers various aspects, like coastal, educational, cultural and nature-based tourism, leisure, entertainment, and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE). However, the provision for constituting the Goa Tourism Board, which will chalk out strategies for promoting and marketing Goa at the international platform, is the most important aspect of the policy.
Tourism activities and related infrastructure would be planned and implemented according to the policy and master plan.
Moving beyond beaches, churches, temples and heritage, the policy speaks about introducing eco-tourism, hinterland-tourism, adventure and sports tourism, educational and cultural tourism along with entertainment.
Despite this, there are teething issues in the tourism sector, like transport, security, cost of services, weak infrastructure and a host of other aspects which need to be addressed urgently. The emergence of new tourism spots in Goa’s neighbouring States is not making things any better for Goa in terms of long-term sustenance of the tourism sector and attracting quality (foreign) tourists. The dwindling numbers of foreign tourists is a perfect indicator of the fact that all is not well with the State’s tourism scenario.
A State which fully depends on tourism to bail out its cash strapped economy, can’t afford to falter any more. But does Goa government and the various tourism stakeholders have the wherewithal to ward off the challenges staring at its face and become an ideal tourism destination?
“There are many questions which are confronting the tourism industry currently. Let alone the challenges involved in getting various government permissions, the day-to-day operations with lack of trained staff is a bigger issue,” Gaurish Dhond, President, Goa Hotel and Restaurant Association.
There are a couple of institutes that train people for the tourism industry. Goans are quite fluent in English and are exposed to work culture.
“However, once they pass their Hotel Management degree, they are soon picked up by cruise liners. Goans do not stay and work in Goa for too long. Hence, we have to be dependent on people who come from Nepal, Bihar and Odisha. Trained Goans work with us on a short-term basis and then leave for foreign countries as they pay much higher,” Dhond said.
Casinos, whether floating or offshore, run 24 hours and so they need a large manpower too. Many times people working in the hotel industry leave the job and join casinos.
“On top of that the government’s licensing policies like garbage fees, traders license, health license etc are time consuming. Then there are statutory licenses such as Excise, Labour, Shop and Establishment, FDA etc. There is no single window policy for all this yet and all the departments work at their own leisurely pace. It’s not easy to run a hotel business here,” Dhond said.
He also pointed out the issue of touts. “If you go to the Miramar beach, you will find many such people who do various businesses right from spas, cruises and motorcycle pilot rides. They charge double the actual cost of service. These are not Goans and there has to be a control over such businesses.
There are many components from the industry which are attached to TTAG. Based on their feedback, which are the threats faced by the tourism industry?
Nilesh Shah, President, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) said that tourism in Goa began in 1970 and it got a major push in 1983. Somewhere in 1987-89, Europeans started visiting Goa which is considered as a boom to the industry.
“Indians saw the job opportunities in the Goan hotel industry, which made them rush to the small state. There are many issues. The ease of doing business is just on paper and once that happens the illegalities start. The honourable High Court of Bombay at Goa cracked the whip on shacks operating without consent of operation. Of course, the person operating it without license is ultimately liable for the consequences, but the government also has to find the reasons why it happens in the first place,” Shah said.
“Ease of doing business is beneficial in the long run to remove the illegalities. What the government did during Covid was they asked the small hotels to register, who were not registered and then obtained the rest of the licenses within a year. This helped in a lot of hotels registering themselves, which reduced the illegalities,” the TTAG President said.
This has to happen on a bigger scale because the government says locals should run their businesses instead of only seeking government jobs. But for that to happen, there has to be some policy.
“Goa as a brand is known for sand, sun and sea. Now the government is talking about eco-tourism, hinterland tourism, health tourism etc but the study regarding carrying capacity of each place has to be conducted. The beaches of Calangute and Baga owes its poor situation to over-tourism. If this continues, then locals will grow restive against tourism then their lives will be disturbed,” Shah said.
The government-appointed consultancy has already done the study on carrying capacity and presented the report to the government. It has suggested that thelocals be taken into confidence before taking up any activity.
“The government had come up with a policy where they would be earmarking a number of villages to promote hinterland tourism there. I suggested that they ask if the villagers want it or not. Hinterland tourism, eco-tourism sounds good to the ears, but it has to be sustainable. Another major problem is transportation. If the bus services are provided, then hinterland tourism will be effective automatically,” the TTAG President suggested.
“If it is economical, then tourists will naturally visit the hinterlands. There is no one in my staff who is from Panjim. They all are from the outskirts and have to let them go by 5:30 pm because there are hardly any buses after 5:45 pm. So, bus services are affecting employment too,” he said.
“If the public transport system is put into place, then it will help generate blue collarred jobs, tourism industry and will add to the overall growth of the State. Non-Goans are ready to work hard, but Goans want jobs in their backyard. But if the proper transportation is provided then things will improve automatically,” Shah added.
The shack owners too have their own set of challenges. Since applicants for starting shack business have to be Goans, what are the difficulties they face?
“The shack policy is faulty. The people who had put up shacks in the 1970s, 80s and 90s have been thrown out because of this policy. Newcomers who are into shack business, sublet their shacks as they don’t want to run the business, but only want to make money. Once they sublet the shack, the owners want to recover money quickly, at any cost. That’s when do the illegalities start,” said Cruz Cardozo, President, Goa Shack Owners Welfare Society.
“The shack business runs on a lottery system and lots are picked up in November or December. It takes around 15 days to set up the shack and by then, people go elsewhere to find jobs. Getting staff is a big problem. So, sometimes we run by involving our own family members,” Cruz said.
“There are so many licenses to be applied for. It becomes almost impossible to obtain all of them. There are 365 shacks and everyone needs manpower to erect these shacks. We had suggested to the government to grant us licenses by June-July so that we get enough time to set everything. By September, we can obtain all the licenses. You won't believe, we are running on provisional licenses,” he said.
“Till today we don’t have a license. So, who is at fault? We want them to take us into confidence and form the policy. They don’t take anyone with them to form the policies and we are suffering. It's not like they give you a license immediately after you apply. It’s very time consuming. Now there are private shacks too and they don’t want us to put our shacks in front of theirs. We want the government to form a proper policy so that everyone survives,” he said.
Government releases the data every year stating how many tourists visited the State. They are claiming that the tourism industry in the State is expanding. But some of the people from the government itself have pointed out the flaws and illegalities in the industry. Sindhudurg and Karwar have emerged as competitors to us with many other states in the country are also opening their doors. Where does Goa stand in all this?
“Goans are truly kind, courteous and treat the visitors usually well. The hospitality is there. Goa also has a good multi-cuisine culture. You get good Thai food, Mexican food, Goan food, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Almost 30 to 40% of the tourists repeat their visit to Goa and not every state in the country has that to their credit,” Gaurish Dhond said.
“When you have 30-40 lakh people visiting every year, obviously there are some services that are complementary such as spas, dance bars, nightlife etc. The government has to tighten its vigil on these activities, as common people can’t do anything about it. If punishment is severe, then these things will stop. If you are found with drugs in Dubai, then you are imprisoned,” he said.
“Corruption has to be reduced and it should start from the top. If the people from the government know what is wrong and yet they are not taking any action, then what can ordinary people do? The areas of shack owners should be properly earmarked and give them long-term licenses on condition that they are not going to sub-lease,” Dhond said.
There are hotels in Arambol, which are run by foreigners. The boards, menu cards are all printed in Russian. Indians and Goans won’t even have access to these hotels because we won’t be able to read anything from the menu.
“Now if the foreigners are going to run the businesses and decide what they are going to serve, should this be accepted by locals? The government needs to take strict action against such elements as the tourism industry is very fragile. After mining, tourism is supporting the State majorly and hence, we need to protect it,” the President of Goa Hotel and Restaurant Associationsaid.
The new Mopa airport is seen as a vehicle to boost tourism. The government for the past two months has been dilly dallying on the issue of giving taxi stand at the airport owned by locals. TTAG had gone to the court regarding the taxi app and its regularisation. What is the situation?
Nilesh Shah said that TTAG had gone to court in 2006 or 2007 because taxi drivers weren’t allowing the tourists to choose the mode of transport as per their choice.
“It’s democracy, they can choose whichever mode of transport that’s convenient for them. As per the law, the taxi meters are compulsory, which the taxis weren’t implementing. So, we went to the court again. After the court maintained that the meter is compulsory, the government also came forward to give free meters,” he said.
“When we filed the case, they said there are 18000 taxis. During the hearing, they said there are 12,000 taxis. I think around 9,000-10,000 taxis installed the meter, but they didn’t operate them. This is the problem. Law is there, but it has to be implemented and followed. GoaMiles is a good service in which GTDC is also a partner. Such initiatives which are helpful to everybody should be encouraged,” the TTAG President said.
“Now the government has also introduced its own app where all the taxis have to register and the charges notified are very high. The fare fixed in government apps rates are more than GoaMiles and yet the taxi owners are not ready to enrol. The attitude of taxi owners is such that they want to make just one trip which would earn them enough to last whole day or even next three days. They’re not willing to work,” Shah said.
Taxi owners are ambassadors in a way and their impression on the tourists matters. Tourists should be willing to come back to the State. We also have Kadamba buses operating out of Manohar International Airport (MIA), Mopa. It provides good service, that is why commuters are finding it convenient travelling to and from MIA, otherwise people wouldn’t opt for the airport as cost would be too high.
Other options that are available are self-driven rental vehicles and private radio taxes. The government introduced a scheme of giving free taxis to 1,000 locals which would be funded by GoaMiles. This is a very good system and the first slot of 55 taxis have already given.
“Goa being a small state there is politics over everything. Government should also take a firm stand on its decisions and not give in to the pressure tactics of taxi union. Policing needs to done strictly and law should be equal for all,” he said.
“There are no signages on any beach in Goa about dos and don’ts. When Indian tourists go abroad, they follow the rules because they fear the law, same should be the situation here as well. Locals and tourists alike should follow the rule of law to bring back the discipline,” Shah added.
There is a common narrative that the food in the shacks is priced by keeping in mind tourists and locals can’t afford it. Considering the licensing fees and other costs, how does one balance the earnings and recover the costs?
Cruz Cardozo said that it takes minimum Rs 2 lakh to erect basic structure of shacks. Besides, the government fee is Rs 2 lakh per shack and it increases every year.
“If you go the fish market, you will find that the King Fish costs Rs 900 per kg. Our prices of sea food depend upon the market rates and we mention on the menu to ask us the rates prior to giving the order. Competition has increased. earlier there were shacks only on the beaches. Now there are private shacks and restaurants, which are operational all the time and hence the seasonal shacks have to keep the rates high to cover the costs due to delay in getting the license,” Shah said.
“Yet, some still can’t recover the costs. Some who sublet their shacks, they start selling drugs etc to make money and that is how illegalities start. There is a lot of competition and some shack owners from Candolim and on South Goa beaches have shut down their shacks,” he said.
“Most of the Indian tourists come with the attitude that they can do anything in Goa. They come in shacks with their own drinks, they come and sit on the beach beds. According to our assessment, 50% domestic tourists are well behaved and they spend lavishly too. Rest of the 50% tend to drink and create ruckus on the beaches and won’t even listen to the police. They’ve even beaten lifeguards,” Shah said.
“However, one thing is for sure. Goa as a brand will never finish, be it Sindhudurg or any other competitor because one won’t be able to find such hospitality elsewhere. That’s why lot of Goans are on cruise ships. Goa became famous because of Goenkars. The drinks here have quality which, you won’t find in Karwar and Sindhudurg. Tourism began in Goa in an unplanned manner but at least now we should put all things in place. That is not happening because of faulty policies and policies need to be formed by taking stakeholders into confidence,” the TTAG head said.
The government at one point said Goa was for all. Then after sometime, they said only high-spending tourists should visit Goa. If you see there is Antruz Mahal (Ponda), where people come for spiritual tourism. Same is with Old Goa church. Then there are some who come during monsoon for trekking, then some come for beaches. Goa has a mixed tourism. Which type of tourism should be taken forward?
According to Gaurish Dhond, there were lot of chartered flights from Russia, which brought low-spending visitors. They would stay in a room, go to the beach in the morning, have free breakfast in the hotel they’re staying in and then spend all day at the beach.
“Free Individual Tourists, they spend a lot. Some come during weddings, some come with families after school exams. Destination wedding is becoming a big industry in Goa and they spend a lot of money. Besides that, companies choose Goa as a venue to have their product launch event and conduct training programmes. Conferences of social organisations are held in Goan hotels,” Dhond said.
“I am in some of the government committees and soon the system of giving pass to the vehicles while entering the border will be introduced. These passes will be given after checking the required documents and will have a validity period. Because of this, the vehicles won’t have to produce their documents often,” he said.
Recreational points with toilets, cafés, charging points will be built too. There is there is land belonging to Goa Tourism at the Keri check post, which is now not operational and is being considered for resorts.
“I had visited Nebraska and there is this old railway station, which is not in use. They had nicely preserved it and people were allowed to visit it by purchasing tickets. This could have been done with Adil Shah Palace too. I’m not saying we are incapable, but there has to be some will,” the President of Goa Hotel and Restaurant Association said.
Nilesh Shah said that there is no point in discussing high or low spending tourists. There is a need to change the mindset and promote well-behaved tourists.
“We have to send a crystal clear message that we want well-behaved tourists in Goa,” he said.
If you go to Delhi or Agra or Mumbai, there are popular local items, which one can get as a souvenir. What does Goa have?
Nilesh Shah said that Goan cashew nuts were famous. But even that market is gone.
“We have to study these issues and the reasons behind it. We used to get a lot of tourists from Germany, Finland and other European countries. They don’t come anymore because of the garbage issue. Now the government has sent groups to do road shows to Europe for promoting Goa tourism. While promoting tourism, we should tell them that these issues are now being addressed,” he said.
How do shack owners resolve the sewage and garbage issue?
Cruz Cardozo said Tourism department picks it up. They give the job contract to a contractor, but there is no supervision.
“Now regarding sewage, there is nothing, not even a pipeline. Sewage Treatment Plant is different from sewage. Now if we were given long-term licenses for 15-30 years, then we would have installed compact STPs and treated it ourselves,” Cardozo said.
Gaurish Dhond said that in Calagute, STP is ready. The Central government is funding for the garbage plants. There is one in Talegaon, Mapusa while the ones in Sangem and Sakhali are underway.
What is the suggestion to run the tourism industry smoothly?
Dhond said there has to be better implementation of policies. Nilesh Shah said better planning and public transport are necessary.
“There are plans to connect Porvorim and Mapusa with a flyover. The construction is going to take at least three years. So, the government should plan traffic management first, by taking locals into confidence. If whatever is happening in Panjim (traffic jam) starts happening on this route as well, then tourists won’t be willing to come at all,” Dhond said.
“This is to be kept in mind for the MIA at Mopa as well, since people landing at Mopa will use this same route. The taxi companies such as Ola and Uber should be allowed in market for healthy competition which will give tourists more options to choose from,” he said.
The President of Goa Hotel and Restaurant Association also added that safety of tourists should be of paramount importance. All the areas in Goa should be sewage connected because as far as garbage and pollution is concerned, that’s going to be a major issue.
Cruz added that Police should be kept at entry point of beaches and monitor the activities.
It is clear that there is still a huge gap between cup and the lip. The administration must look into the demands made by tourism stakeholders and take necessary steps to enable Goa’s tourism sector to flourish, without worrying about the growing competition from neighbouring States.