Foot soldiers of Goa’s hospitality preying on foreign guests have been hitting the headlines recently, bringing a bad name to tourism and the State. Wednesday’s assault on a Dutch tourist by a bartender of the Mandrem resort where she was staying comes within a week after two hotel staffers in Morjim assaulted a Russian woman in her room. Early December last year, a 27-year-old Russian woman was sexually assaulted at a hotel resort in Calangute by two Nepali room boys.
Tourists engaging in altercations with locals or vice-versa are familiar with Goa, a destination known for its casual environment, lackadaisical enforcement and high tolerance towards tourism-related nuisances. However, foreigners are now being manhandled, sexually assaulted or even abused by hotel staffers, and this is something that hospitality stakeholders need to ponder.
Goa houses tourists from across the world, and they expect a level of comfort, safety and security, at least within the hotel or resort they are staying in. Tourists should not be constantly worrying about safety here; if they do so, the purpose of Goa being a tourism destination would be lost. A sexual assault or an attack on hotel premises is the worst thing to happen to any tourist. If criminals emerge from the hospitality on offer, what kind of comfort and touristic experience are we promising?
The police may have acted swiftly and effected arrests in all the cases by booking the culprits under various sections, but that does not erase the horrors that the tourists carry back home. In an overly-intrusive environment, there is a need to put stringent systems and discipline before such ugly and embarrassing incidents spiral out of hand.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has consistently maintained that establishments must cross-check the credentials and do a background check of their workforce. There is an urgent need to compile a registry of all ‘outside’ workforce. It may be noted that a Dehradhun man was involved in the Mandrem resort case, while in the assault of the Russian woman, there was an alleged involvement of natives of Assam and Jharkhand.
Atrocities against tourists, especially assaults and rapes, are counterproductive to the government’s efforts to push tourism. The Goa Tourism Department, in partnership with Pacific Asia Travel Association, India Chapter, will embark on an international roadshow from April 18 to 26 and will cover places like Frankfurt, Zurich, Vienna and Paris. Goa’s tourism officials have to have the confidence to speak globally on the hospitality the State has to offer.
While Goa looks to up its tourism with ambitious plans like caravan tours, homestays and other tempting initiatives to woo upmarket visitors, it must look at the many grey areas weighing us down. Authorities need to tighten the nuts and bolts so that deterrents and high standards are set to guarantee a safe, secure and pleasant stay.
Goa has evolved over a while, and with the influx of visitors, certain liberties of foreigners are being threatened. Goa police may be managing to guard the privacy and security of tourists in public places, but movement in private spaces remains a question. The government must work out ways to streamline and manage crucial areas where the tourist could stay vulnerable. The confidence of Goa being a safe destination is on shaky ground.
