Tourism Minister, Manohar ‘Babu' Ajgaonkar has spoken his mind on the electronic dance music (EDM) festivals saying that they bring in not only the money but also quality tourists to the state, which clearly shows that the state government acknowledges the relevance of events like Supersonic and Sunburn and the impact it has on tourism in the State. However, it's unfortunate that the state government doesn't have a clear policy towards such events with everyone kept guessing whether the EDMs will happen in the State or not till the eleventh hour.
Goa is known for hosting two EDMs - Sunburn and Supersonic which decided to shift away to another State last year due to issues with the Laxmikant Parsekar-led government over pending payments.
However, Ajgaonkar has struck a positive chord while supporting the festival in terms of the revenue to the exchequer as well as to the hoteliers, taxi, tour operators, locals and other sections engaged in rendering various tourism related services. The EDM festivals attract tourists from across the globe and also fetches good revenue. The state has earned a revenue of Rs 20.46 crore in the form of different taxes from EDMs during the last five years.
If the government is ready to wave a green signal to the EDMs, it is the state government's responsibility to plan for these events in advance. The tourism department should have a calendar of events at the beginning of a financial year. This calendar should mention EDMs lined up for the year so that all the departments can plan accordingly much ahead of the events. Government's delay in decision-making not only jeopardises planning work but also throws departments, including Police into a tizzy.
While preparatory work suffers, the worst hit are music-lovers who have to keep guessing whether Sunburn and Supersonic will happen in Goa or not. Indecision on EDMs is unfair to the locals and music-lovers, as these are big-ticket events. Last year, when both Supersonic and Sunburn had moved away from Goa, even the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) had expressed its displeasure.
The State government should make its stand very clear with the organisers and come to a definite conclusion on hosting EDMs. The government must also involve stakeholders from the tourism industry while planning for EDMs. They will also be able to give valuable feedback to the government on infrastructure requirements. The time has come to have a professional approach towards EDMs.
