The collapse of UK-based firm Thomas Cook comes as a severe blow to Goa tourism which is already grappling with the decline in European tourists in recent times. Britishers maybe second to Russians in terms of tourists visiting the State, but they are much sought-after because they are the high-spenders contributing significantly to the State’s economy. Also, they usually opt for long holidays averaging around two weeks. Last year, Thomas Cook ferried nearly 2,000 tourists every week to Goa, during the tourism season from October to March and this is a figure that will be a worry now.
The 178-year-old group, which has been struggling to survive against fierce competition declared bankruptcy after failing to secure 200 million dollars from private investors. This has left around 6 lakh tourists stranded worldwide even as alternative arrangements are being made. But Goa stares at a different problem altogether. It had a dismal tourism season in 2018, and the Thomas Cook setback is only going to rub salt to the wounds. The State currently is banking heavily on tourism for revenues with mining resumption still being uncertain. With a deteriorating fiscal situation, Goa cannot afford to lose out on tourism too.
Nearly 1.48 lakh British tourists, including the charter ones, arrived in Goa during the previous tourism season and this is something that Goa has to be conscious of. Despite the gloom situation, the State government must step up the paddle and get its act together very quickly. The leadership should engage all stakeholders to draw up an emergency plan. We must learn lessons from the UK government which went into an immediate overdrive and launched emergency plans to bring back holidaymakers from destinations like Bulgaria, Cuba, Turkey and the US. Code-named Operation Matterhorn, the UK government hired planes to fly home its people in a mass repatriation plan.
Pro-active measures need to be taken if we are to salvage the situation. Immediate government intervention is the need of the hour since tourists have already started cancelling their hotel bookings for Goa. The government has to study the feasibility of connecting with other tour operators and work out packages that could entice visitors to switch seamlessly. Tourists who have already booked their schedules with Thomas Cook and opted for cancellation would be awaiting a refund. In the interim, paying another operator and going through the processes all over again could be out of the equation.
To make matters worse, there is uncertainty looming over the shacks too. And this could be deterrent even for the middle and lower class tourists visiting the State. While the government goes about its job of putting up a coastal plan to kick off the tourism season, it can’t ignore the Britishers. Surprisingly, Tourism Minister Manohar Babu Ajgaonkar is yet to connect with the stakeholders or even make a move as tourism hangs by a thin thread.
