the goan I network
MAPUSA
Sounding ominous on Goa’s tourism trajectory, Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo said the tourism industry was facing one of its biggest challenges in the State and warned that if the government fails to take adequate steps it will die a natural death.
“The tourism industry in Goa has been going through a bad phase for the last nine months. People are flocking to other tourist destinations like Sri Lanka and Malaysia. It shows that something is seriously wrong. If we do not take care of this industry it will die a natural death,” Lobo said.
Six drowning deaths have been reported on the beaches of North Goa in the last week. The steady rise in the drowning of tourists on Goa’s famed beaches has pushed the government into a corner even as the standoff between the lifeguards and Drishti continues.
It’s exactly a month since the lifeguards had gone on strike against Drishti’s failure to pay them salaries on time and provide other facilities.
“It is not the one issue of lifeguards. It is the total industry which needs to be looked at. This is the only industry which is surviving in Goa on a big scale after mining,” said Lobo, who is the MLA of the coastal constituency of Calangute.
He said if the government fails to take care of tourism which is the next big money-spinner for the State after mining, the industry will die.
“The industry needs proper management, planning, implementation of rules and regulations which must be realistic and not just on paper,” he said.
Incidentally, the stakeholders of the tourism industry have also expressed concern over the fall in footfalls in the State during the current season.
The Waste Management Minister disclosed that discussions were going on and he will also speak to the chief minister on the predicament the tourism industry was facing. “This is not only regarding the safety of tourists on the beaches vis-Ã -vis the lifeguards. It’s the larger picture. Discussions are going on. Positive results will come out,” Lobo said with hope.
