the goan I network
PANAJI
Close on the heels of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa attacking the government for not doing enough for tourism, the members of Small and Medium Hoteliers Association of Goa have said the Tourism Department has done nothing in the last 10 to 15 years. They further said that the government has overlooked the small and medium hotels and authorities are not taking cognisance of illegalities happening in tourism industry.
Serafino Cota, president, Small and Medium Hoteliers Association of Goa, said, “The Tourism Department has done nothing in the last 10-15 years. They are trying to sell a fridge to Eskimos. They don’t even go to Scandinavian countries, where people are willing to come to Goa.”
The association members claimed that they are one of the biggest providers of employment in the state because small and medium hotels put together account for 85% of hotel room accommodation in Goa. Any property, right from a guest house with one room to a hotel below 35 rooms, is categorized as a small and medium hotel.
Pilfran Fernandes, joint secretary of the association, said, “The government and various agencies have not taken small and medium hoteliers on board. This is one of the worst years for tourism. Neither the government nor any other agency has put forth the number of tourists.
