MAPUSA
Working on a fresh tourism approach for next season, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Wednesday said the government’s focus will be on action against illegalities along the coastal belt and ensure clean and safe beaches for tourists visiting the State.
Khaunte also said the impression of harassment of tourists by traffic police has to be stopped and they have to be made to feel at home.
“We will ensure proper monitoring, action against illegalities and use of technology in the next few weeks so that in the coming season we are able to create an impression of safe and clean beaches,” said Khaunte, after holding a review meeting with the Director General of Police and the police officials concerned. Khaunte said one of the problems tourists faced on roads and highways was the unwanted fines imposed on them while they travelled on a two or a four-wheeler. “The challaning of tourists has to be reviewed and ensure how we can be more hospitable towards them and show that we mean ‘atithi devo bhavo’,” he said.
Emphasising on beach management, he said, besides the presence of police personnel, steps will be taken to install surveillance cameras to improve the security quotient and provide better facilities to tourists.
“For beach cleaning, we will require integrated management policy where not only cleaning but surveillance, clearing of illegalities, ensuring safety surveillance not only through police but through cameras, will be taken up in coming weeks,” he said.
The tourism minister also said that there was a need to have smooth coordination among different agencies to achieve the desired goals.
“Drishti, which is involved in lifesaving, Director of Tourism, Police, etc. need to coordinate to ensure we can get the designated output. We will ensure smooth coordination so that in the first instance all the stakeholders are involved and later the public will also be involved,” he said.
He further informed the need to take immediate action against illegalities happening along the coastal belt that send a wrong message to tourists.
