PANAJI
The vision of the Goa government is to attract quality tourists to the State, but that need not mean it is going to happen overnight, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte said on Friday.
Khaunte, who took a review of both the key portfolios that he holds -- Tourism and Information Technology -- also said that he was in the process of conducting a series of meetings with top officials of both departments to review affairs as well as understand their functioning.
"We have to understand the vision of the government. The vision of the government is talking about quality tourists. It is not the case that it will happen tomorrow or the day after," Khaunte told reporters.
Soon after taking charge of the Tourism Ministry on April 4, Khaunte had said that the State government was keen on attracting quality and high-end tourists to the coastal State.
The Minister on Friday, however, claimed that there was unnecessary criticism of his statement, adding that he had just spelt out the vision of his government before the people, while also urging media persons not to misinterpret his comments.
"We have to create a backbone, create infrastructure to get quality tourists. but we have to have a plan ahead. It is not about talking for today and tomorrow," Khaunte also said.
The debate over mass tourism or class tourism has been raging in Goa, especially at a time when tourist arrivals to the State peaked at 8 million before Covid. The swelling number of tourists has put severe stress on the already burdened infrastructure in the State.
Khaunte also said that his department was in the process of discussing tourism-related issues with stakeholders in the industry, while also underlining the need to put in place a Tourism Trade Act in the State.
Asked about the review meetings he had conducted with officials of both the key Ministries, Khaunte said that it was a part of a series of interactions, which he had undertaken to understand the functioning of the two ministries.
"I had to understand the functioning, the infrastructure presently available as far as manpower is concerned. How we are handling (it). What is being handled in the Department of Tourism? What is being handled in the Goa Tourism Development Corporation?" Khaunte said while referring to a review meeting with Tourism Ministry officials.
"After my exit in 2019, what has happened in five years, including start-ups, IT policy, IT industry. We expect a lot of things to be delivered. So today for me, I need to do my homework first, understand where we are in terms of the policies we have done, in terms of the new policies which have come, in terms of the plans ahead," Khaunte also said, while referring to a review meeting with IT Ministry officials.
"This week is only to understand from departments where we stand. Individually (understand) their issues, their concerns, their challenges and what they have in mind," he also said.
