Tourism policy approved, focus away from beaches

PANAJI
The Goa cabinet on Friday approved the implementation of the Goa Tourism Policy aimed at diversifying from the overwhelming beach tourism model to hinterland tourism, eco-tourism, heritage and health tourism.

Finer details of the policy were unavailable as Chief Minister Pramod Sawant skipped the customary post-cabinet briefing, but Deputy Chief Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar, who holds the tourism portfolio, said the aim was to take the focus away from beach tourism.

“Hinterland tourism, eco-tourism, heritage tourism, health tourism are all part of tourism policy and tourism master plan,” Ajgaonkar said.

The Goa Tourism Policy 2020 was unveiled in October last year with a caveat that it will be implemented from the November-to-May tourism season this year.

The policy prepared by consulting firm KPMG found objections from tourism trade bodies like CII-Goa, TTAG and GCCI who demanded the postponement of its implementation.

The plan is to remarket Goa to get attention from different tourist groups by way of different cultural, heritage, eco-tourism, nature, coastal and other attractions.

By rolling out this initiative, Goa tourism aims to make the state the most preferred destination by 2024.  

Meanwhile, in other decisions, the cabinet also approved the electrification of 150 more houses in rural areas beyond the reach of the State’s transmission and distribution grid with renewable energy sources. 

Power Minister Nilesh Cabral said these 150 homes are of people who have approached the electricity department and the existing grid cannot service them.

Already, 150 such houses have been electrified using solar power, Cabral said, and the cabinet on Friday approved the same contractor to electrify these additional 150 more homes. 

The cabinet also gave post-facto approval to Covid-related expenditure to the tune of Rs 100 crore, according to Health Minister Vishwajit Rane.