MELBOURNE
Goa has been ranked among the Top 10 destinations by Tripadvisor, one of the world's largest travel platforms, for carnival celebrations in the world, but the Capital City of Panaji finds itself surprisingly omitted in Tripadvisor’s list of prominent cities hosting the Carnival in the State.
Instead, there are only references to Carnival celebrations in Margao and Vasco, and as a result, tourists could be unaware that the biggest Carnival parade is traditionally hosted in Panaji.
The omission of Panaji could prove costly to the Tourism Department in its efforts to promote Goa as a major tourism destination during Carnival. Some have even suggested that the ongoing Panaji Smart City works may have deterred Tripadvisor from recommending Panaji as a destination for the Carnival celebration.
Tripadvisor, which is globally considered as the leading source of information for travellers across the world, has rated Goa as the 10th best destination for Carnival celebrations.
In its section on the 14 best Carnival destinations across the world, Tripadvisor states, “Lively float parades, fancy costumes, and street parties that get you grooving for days. The best Carnivals in the world are back, and we’ve rounded up 14 of the biggest celebrations that are worth travelling for.”
The 10 best Carnival destinations ranked by Tripadvisor are Venice (Italy), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago), New Orleans, Louisiana (United States), Sydney (Australia), Viareggio (Italy), Recife and Olinda (Brazil), Mobile, Alabama (United States), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain) and Goa.
In its reference to Goa, Tripadvisor describes the annual Goa Carnival as one of the few Carnivals in Asia and introduced to Goa by the Portuguese.
“Taking place in cities like Margao and Vasco, the parades here have a distinct local essence with traditional music and folk dances incorporated into the festivities. The event is also opened by King Momo -- a jolly, mythical monarch who’s typically present in Latin American Carnivals. Beyond that, there are plenty of impressive, themed floats to admire, sports competitions to join, and mouth-watering dishes to feast on,” states Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor’s omission of Panaji as one of the main locations for the Carnival has come as a surprise to many in Goa.
“Carnival parades always commenced from Panaji from the time the carnival started in Goa and it would commence with the Alvarado. It's strange that Tripadvisor are so misinformed and need to clarify,” said Savio Messias, a veteran from the tourism industry.
Paul Siqueira, Proprietor of Zion Tours & Travels, said Carnival is a world-wide event and is held every year in Goa.
“Many international and Indian tourists from all walks of life come together to witness the Goa Carnival that begins in Panaji, followed by other major cities like Margao and Vasco,” said Siqueira.
“These tourists will be going back with these great memories. However, I feel that the popular web portal Tripadvisor may have omitted Panaji from its list because of the current Smart City mess and may have felt it wise not include the capital city, taking into consideration the safety of the tourists who wish to celebrate Goa Carnival.”
“One needs to understand that Tripadvisor gives top priority to Trust and Safety, and their mission is to create a safe and friendly environment by implementing strong community policies and meaningful standards.”
Added Elvis Gomes, a former bureaucrat who had earlier served as commissioner of the Corporation of the City of Panaji: “It isn’t surprising that the portal Tripadvisor has avoided the mention of Panaji but rather highlighted Margao and Vasco as Carnival centres in Goa.”
“Tripadvisor’s research has perhaps seen the messy state of affairs in the so-called Smart City which has been scarred so badly that it would be safer to recommend Margao and Vasco for tourists who wish to visit Goa to coincide with Carnival.”
