the goan I network
PANAJI
Edgard D Kagan, US Consul General in Mumbai, has said that infrastructure is an issue and a challenge in Goa and also in other parts of India. Kagan is in Goa and has already met Governor Mridula Sinha and Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Speaking to mediapersons, Kagan said, “Goa’s strengths are its unique history and culture. Besides, it also has a fairly developed tourism ecosystem. (But), the key thing for Goa, like almost every place in India, is that infrastructure is an issue and a challenge. Though the government is trying to address that, but I think it’s fair to say that there is no place in India where people say that we have enough infrastructure.”
Kagan continued, “The single best advertisement for Goa would be for American firms, foreign firms and Indian firms in the state to do well. Therefore, improving ease of doing business is very important, which means soft side (procedures and government policy) and hardware side (infrastructure and logistics).”
When asked how his meeting with Parrikar was, Kagan replied, “We had a productive conservation. We are grateful for his role as Chief Minister and also as ex-Defence Minister. He really did make a serious and sustained effort to strengthen the (US-India) relationship. I think there is tremendous opportunity in Goa. We are very happy at the number of American companies that are here. Besides, Goa is a fairly well known tourist destination in US.”
It’s a known fact that the number of American tourists visiting Goa is not significant. Responding to this, Kagan said, “Because of Goa’s distance (from US) and travel time, it is problematic to market it as a standalone tourism destination. If you (an American) want beach locations, then there are places closer to the US. The important thing is Goa is a world class destination with incredible beaches and history. It’s also a place, which gives you access to so many great locations in India. Therefore, the idea should be to get more Americans to India because that will get more Americans to Goa.”
