Most of the projects that will be up for approval at the next meeting of the Investment and Promotion Board (IPB) will be in the hospitality sector, projects that will bring in hundreds of crores worth of investment and also create thousands of jobs. This certainly brings into focus the growing opportunities in the hospitality sector in Goa, despite the often touted signs that the tourism industry in the State is on the decline. Major investments into a sector can surely boost this industry and perhaps even prompt the government to speed up work on the comprehensive tourism policy that has failed to come out.
Out of the 30 projects up for approval at the IPB meeting, 20 are projects that will service the hospitality sector. Most of these are for a resort or a hotel, with a few even venturing into eco-resort territory. Of the 20 projects, six are in Bardez, four in Pernem and an equal number in Tiswadi, two in Salcete, three in Canacona and one in Quepem. This does bode well for certain ‘neglected’ parts of the State. While many companies have opted for developing properties in tourism hotspots, a few will venture into areas like Cola in Canacona, a great spot already occupied by a few small ventures run by locals. The same goes for some in Pernem, where four hotels and an entertainment centre are planned, a massive set of projects considering that the existing hotels and resorts will not match the standard of luxury planned.
So what does this mean for tourism in Goa? This certainly means that there is hope that the industry will get revitalised, not just from the investment into it, but also that the government’s efforts to streamline the industry via a policy will materialise soon. What these projects will certainly do, is create many jobs in areas that see little investment. This will also stop migration towards the far more ‘industrious’ areas. The local economy will get a boost and that is a good thing in the long run.
But along with massive investment comes that familiar feeling of dread. No matter the legal largesse brought in by these projects, there has to be proper diligence and scrutiny over the environmental impact of these projects. In Cola and Mandrem, the existing resorts stay small due to the topography of the land and the rustic lay of the land. If those areas are swarmed with concrete, they will lose the very things that made them special.
There is no doubt that such investment and the quality of the projects are good for Goa, but care needs to be taken so that these projects enhance Goa’s image.
