MARGAO
World-famous Colva beach played host to thousands of visitors on Sunday, signalling the arrival of the tourists to the tourist state.
Neighbouring Benaulim beach also witnessed Sunday crowds at the beginning of the new tourism season.
Sadly, Covid protocol, including wearing masks seemed to have been thrown to the winds, with visitors descending on the beach belt sans masks. A posse of policemen, including lady police officials drafted for duties at the entrance to the Colva beach, had no answer to the thousands of visitors on the beach sans masks.
In fact, a Colva police official in the know pointed out that it is not humanly possible for the law enforcement agencies to enforce the Covid protocol when people descend in thousands at one location. Instead, the official said that the police will lay stress on awareness amongst the visitors to take precautions while on the beach, reminding them of the Covid protocols in force across the country.
The arrival of the domestic tourists is expected to ring in good news for the local tourism industry, including the shack operators. Though the business is not as usual, shack owners on the Salcete beach belt said things are improving for the operators.
President of Shack Owners Society Cruz Cardozo said things are slowly improving for the tourism business. He said the operators are only hoping some good days in the next one month and half, the peak tourism period.
The Colva beach square, which had received a facelift under the Colva Circuit plan, was packed with vehicles, including outstation vehicles. The beach belt including the adjoining Sernabatim beach and Benaulim saw motorists finding it difficult to park with any parking facilities worth its name for the visitors.
