the goan I network
PANAJI
Tourism stakeholders have expressed concern over the strike called by tourist taxi operators, even as they mentioned that the first day didn’t affect them much, however, they remained apprehensive on how the second day will turn out to be.
Most hoteliers said that they did not face too much trouble on Friday, but the situation will become difficult if the strike continues.
Polly D’ Cruz, General Manager, The Golden Crown Hotel & Spa in Colva, said, “Today (Jan 19), we didn’t face much problem. Few guests wanted to go to a nearby beach, but we told them that it wasn’t possible. But if the strike continues for more days, it will create a difficult situation for us.”
D’Cruz continued, “I had to send one guest to the airport. For that one guest, I sent my mini 16-seater bus because I thought it wasn’t safe to send him in a car.”
Although the strike remained peaceful, hoteliers were apprehensive and didn’t want to take a chance with the safety of their guests.
Another source said, “The government has provided bus service for tourists from bus stops and airport. But it’s tough to find conveyance if tourists want to go from a hotel to some other part of Goa.”
The tourism industry is also worried because the second day of taxi strike happens to be a Saturday, when domestic tourists come to Goa. The industry was, however, appreciative of government’s efforts to keep the strike peaceful.
Bhushan Bordekar, general manager, Windsor Bay in Calangute, said, “We did not receive any complaints from our guests on account of the strike. There were cops everywhere and the situation remained peaceful. Only one of our guests wanted a drop today (Jan 19) and we used a private car for that. Besides, I noticed that a lot of auto-rickshaws also helped tourists in commuting.”
