the goan I network
MAPUSA
Snubbing the draft tourism policy and master plan, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo said the government should take local stakeholders into consideration rather than engaging a foreign agency to prepare a tourism policy for the state.
“Only locals can create a tourism policy for Goa. None of the outsiders can do it. We have very intelligent Goans who understand tourism,” Lobo said.
Maintaining that the State tourism policy has to be defined by the people of Goa, he said the architects of Goa and local stakeholders like the shack owners, private hut owners, etc should be taken into consideration.
“Also a few of the Indians who came to Goa in 1980s and set up the tourism industry here can also be part of the tourism policy,” he added.
He said former chief architects of Goa, ex-engineers of PWD, people connected to finance and former chief ministers can also be a part of the team.
The Calangute MLA said that former tourism minister, Dilip Parulekar had engaged the services of a foreign agency to prepare a tourism plan without giving a thought to it.
“How can a company which is based in Mumbai or Bangalore work out a tourism policy for Goa? We respect those people, that company. But they cannot make a tourism policy for our state,” he said.
Recently, the Centre for Responsible Tourism, a church body and civil society activists came out strongly against the draft tourism policy and master plan.
The draft tourism policy and master plan, a vision document for developing tourism for the next 25 years has been placed in the public domain by the State government for discussion and suggestions.
