The tour guides at the protest on Saturday.
PONDA
Tour guides at the Dudhsagar waterfalls on Saturday strongly objected to the additional fees levied by the Forest Department and Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC).
The agitated tourist guides from Collem on Saturday threatened stop trekking activities if the increased fees are not withdrawn immediately.
They complained that the GTDC has suddenly imposed Rs 177 as fees for tourists visiting the iconic Dudhsagar waterfall without providing any facilities to tourists, while the Forest Department has increased its fees from 100 to 150.
Since the tourist guide charges Rs 200 per passenger, the new and revised rates mean that tourists would have to pay Rs 527 per person to visit Dudhsagar waterfall.
Such a hike, feared the tour guides, would affect the tourist footfall.
Dudhsagar waterfall attracts a large number of tourists during monsoons and about 180 local youth from Collem have been appointed as tourist guides by the forest department.
The tour guides claimed that the forest department suddenly hiked the fee of Rs 100 to Rs 150 per tourist from August 14.
To make matters worse, the GTDC suddenly made applicable fees of Rs 177 per tourists visiting the Dudhsagar waterfall even though no facilities have been provided by the corporation near the waterfall, they complained.
The sudden hike in tourist fees have led to arguments between the tourists and the tour guides.
When contacted, GTDC Chairperson Ganesh Gaonkar stated that GTDC has started charging Rs 177 per tourist and forest department has increased the trekking fees by Rs 50 from this year.
“The applicable charges will have to be paid by the tourist,” said Gaonkar.
