Signboards warning tourists against photography and videography have been put up outside houses in the picturesque Fontainhas, located in the heart of Panaji’s heritage wards dubbed the Latin Quarter. Yet, one can see tourists posing in front of these houses for photoshoots and making social media reels, completely disregarding the signboards.
It’s not just the heritage structures that draw the crowd to this historic locality, but also bars and restaurants which are located in the vicinity, that do not have enough space and hence, most of the time one will find the customers gathering outside, on the narrow and congested lanes.
There has been growing friction amongst the tourists coming in hordes in this peaceful locality and the residents, mainly the senior citizens, are not in a mood to accept the noise and traffic congestion caused by the outsiders.
Distressed over unregulated tourism activities in their area, residents from Sao Tome and Fontainhas met Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) Mayor RohitMonserrate and demanded that tourism-related activities be streamlined in the heritage precincts.
The residents also demanded that the CCP impose visiting hours for the tourists and direct the visitors, many of whom were unruly, to respect the sentiments of the locals. They also called for the cancellation of Festa do Povo. The issue of parking for tourists and non-residents was also discussed at length.
In response to recent complaints by local residents over unruly behaviour by tourists visiting Sao Tome and Fontainhas, the authorities deployed police personnel in the area to curb activities that infringe on the peace of locals of the area.
This friction between tourists and locals is not restricted to Sao Tome-Fontainhas only. This issue is prevalent in other parts of Goa also, especially the coastal belt of North Goa, where there is huge crowd round the year, and the situation goes out of control during the Christmas-New Year week.
While tourists congregate in Goa to celebrate the year-end, the locals have a harrowing time. Noise pollution emanating from the local bars, violating all norms, traffic snarls and misbehaviour under influence of alcohol lead to road accidents and even conflicts with locals.
It is not just about scenic beauty accompanied by world-heritage-listed architecture, but about the culture and the vibes that Goa exudes. The State offers it all, which is tourists flock to the State. While most tourists are generally well behaved, there are those who go about creating a nuisance by littering the place, zooming around on rented bikes and cars, creating a ruckus, breaking bottles on the beach and the list goes on.
It is very important for the tourists to cooperate with the locals and respect their culture along with privacy. We are in need of responsible tourism to reduce the negative social, economic and environmental impacts tourism has on the local communities.
Respecting the environment and improving, not damaging, the quality of life of the local community is paramount to being a responsible tourist.
To have sustainable tourism in Goa the best way to go about it, is to set down proper rules and regulations while ensuring that they are properly implemented. For example, when tourists travel especially by road, signage of ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’ should be put up at every tourist spot. If rules are broken they need to be punished or fined.
Goans do not want tourists creating nuisance and those cooking by the roadside. If unruly tourists travel to Goa, it will affect the local public, as well as the other tourists travelling with their families. There should be zero tolerance towards unruly tourists. Just because they bring the money to the cash-strapped Goan economy, doesn’t mean we should tolerate nuisance.
Be it global or domestic vacationers, both ought to follow decorum and respect the local culture. Goa is known as a family destination and it should remain that way.
The authorities must strictly ensure that the tourists follow law of the land and all necessary protocols, just like they do it while visiting international destinations. Indian tourists don’t misbehave in foreign destinations, especially Europe and the US because they know the law of the land won’t spare them. There should be a similar fear of law here in Goa.
There has to be a balance between enjoyment and social responsibility. Unregulated enjoyment leads to conflict between the locals and the visitors, which is not a welcome situation.
In many international tourist destinations, there is a growing resentment against overtourism. They can perhaps afford it, but we can’t, since there is no other source of revenue in Goa. Hence, it is very important to promote sustainable tourism in a big way by regulating tourist inflow, providing sound infrastructure and strict implementation of law.