Goa’s luxury cruise liner season just kicked off with the arrival of MV Viking Orion at MPT’s cruise berth terminal on Monday and very soon the State will welcome yet another tourism season. But while a new season beckons with no refreshing change, we are still grappling with our old issues. From infrastructure to legislations and tourism add-ons, Goa continues to remain buried in the past.
Our tourism master plan is stuck in the pipeline and despite the department’s assurance on the eve of every season it is still to see the light of the day. In the absence of a plan and a roadmap, Goa continues to meander aimlessly season after season.
With the recent deluge sinking Kerala’s tourism, Goa should have been able to capitalize on the advantage. It may take months, if not a year, for Kerala to rebuild itself and reach out to its tourists who once embraced its rustic greens and backwaters. For this to happen, the State needs to look beyond its beaches, casinos, spas and nightlife. GTDC has been talking about shifting its focus from the beaches to hinterland with concepts like eco-tourism, but very little has moved in this direction.
On the ground, Goa has not tied its loose ends. Key legislations, including ban on drinking and smoking in public places including beaches have not been enforced seriously. And we still find domestic tourists lining up to relieve themselves in the open. Talk about security and we have long forgotten the chilling Betalbatim rape case last summer. Police had shot off a letter to the tourism department to install high masts, CCTV surveillance cameras and warning boards at beaches to keep criminals at bay, but nothing has changed and visitors continue to grope in the dark.
Calangute which has now emerged as the epicentre of Goa’s tourism continues to grapple with issues like garbage and sewage. Work on the sewerage treatment plant has been dragging on laboriously since 2013. Tourists may have heaved a sigh of relief to hear of GTDC’s Goa Miles, but with a bumpy start over registrations, it will have miles to go if tourists are to compare it with Ola and Uber services.
While Team Drishti takes guard on the beaches, gearing up for yet another tourism season, shack owners are counting on their luck for the government to meet its September 15 date to kick-start the allotment process.
Goa heads into another tourism season with no significant changes. On the contrary there is a scare of dwindling charters with even the Russians set to give Goa the slip. At a time when even Japan has shown keen interest in Goa’s tourism story, Goa must roll up its sleeves and reinvent itself as a tourist destination.
