Says festival is an important platform to attract tourists
Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, MLAs Digambar Kamat and Venzy Viegas at the Spirit of Goa festival at Colva on Friday.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Asserting that festivals such as the Spirit of Goa has helped to showcase Goa’s culture, cuisine, etc before the tourists, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho has on Friday cautioned that tourism will be adversely affected if the stakeholders such as taxis, airlines and restaurants do not stop overpricing.
After inaugurating the Spirit of Goa festival at Colva on Friday in the presence of Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, Godinho said these stakeholders want more tourists and footfalls, but they will be responsible for the downfall if they do not check overpricing.
“Overpricing will affect tourism in Goa in the long term. People may look to new place. We know that nobody will take Goa’s place in the tourism sector. People want to come to Goa. Let us run tourism in a wonderful way. With cooperation from everyone, it is high time we should have more tourism footfall and tourists. We have to take tourism forward and locals will get the opportunity to benefit from tourism,” he added.
Commenting on the Spirit of Goa festival, Godinho said that the festival has helped the State to showcase its culture, cuisine before the country and the world. “Goa is one place where everyone wants to come. We have been a number one tourist destination. Charters are coming from across the world. Tourists are coming from the country. After seeing all this, we became little complacent. But, we have to march higher. For some reasons, we are not happy with the footfall in the tourism sector. We have to work together to take tourism forward,” he said, while saying that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte are taking all steps to promote tourism in Goa and take it to the hinterland.
In his address, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat said the Goa government had chalked out plans to take tourism to the hinterland, saying this will further give a big boost to tourism in Goa.
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas thanked Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte for having the Spirit of Goa festival at Colva. He said the festival has been going from strength at Colva since it was organised three years ago.
Stop subletting business to outsiders: Mauvin
MARGAO: Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho has said that Goans should stop subletting their tourism business to outsiders, saying that everybody wants to make a quick buck by leasing their businesses to people from outside the State.
He said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte have been taking steps to stem the rot, adding, “I am making this statement as part of collective responsibility. We have scope for improvement, but people should stop leasing out their businesses to outsiders.”
