MAPUSA
While the water sports operators cry foul against government’s move to introduce GEL-monitored counters on the beach to oversee their activity, the apex travel and tourism body in the State and the hoteliers have hailed the move and demanded that a proper system should be put in place to regulate the water sports enterprise in the State.Off late, the safety protocols employed by the operators have also come under a scanner and proper regulation of the business is expected to improve the safety standards in water sports.
“Any business should have a system in place and water sports venture is no exception. There should be no scope for overcharging. The tourists should get an online facility to book a joy boat ride with timings and the rate. There should be total transparency in the business activity,” said Nilesh Shah, President of the Travel Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG).
Shah, however, cautioned that politicians should not get involved whenever the government was trying to regulate a particular business activity in the interest of tourism and the State.
Seconding the TTAG chief was President of Small and Medium Hotels Association, Serafino Cotta who opined that control of water sports was necessary but the government should take the boat owners into confidence.
“The government should not make a mess out of it. The State should do what is good and in the interest of everyone. If the government wants to charge some amount then be it. It will use the revenue for development. The people should also benefit from tourism activity,” Cotta said.
The Tourism Department had appointed a private agency to run counters on the beach to monitor the water sports activity based on the direction of the High Court to introduce a queue system for water sports.
“The GEL counters started by the government is the right way to go about regulating the business. GEL is a government body and nobody should have any objection to it,” Shah said.
He also stressed on improving the safety standards while conducting the water sports activity along the coastal belt.
“A number of incidents have been reported where people have met with accidents due to uncontrolled activity and failure to adhere to proper safety protocol while conducting various water sports activities,” he said.
In the beginning of this year, a German tourist lost five fingers of his hand when he tried to protect his head from a paragliding sortie on the Colva beach. Similarly, some years back an Indian tourist died while engaging in a para-sailing activity also on the Colva beach.
“We need to primarily focus on the safety and less chaos on the beaches,” the TTAG President said.
‘Govt should not take over water sports biz’
MAPUSA: Prominent citizens and shack owners said that the government should come out with a policy to regulate water sports activities but it should not try to take over the business from the operators who are mainly locals involved in the activity.
“The tourism department should come out with a policy with proper guidelines which can take care of overcharging and avoid the present chaos happening on the beaches. The entire water sports business should be made tourist-friendly making maximum use of the technology,” said Premanand Diukar, President of Calangute Constituency Forum.
He said the government should encourage the locals as most of the water sports activity was run by the locals.
“Allow locals to operate the counters instead of outsourcing it to private agencies. It will also generate jobs to locals,” he said.
According to the Secretary of the Shack Owners Association, John Lobo, some regulation should be brought in the water sports biz but the government should not think of taking over the business of the locals.
“What business does the government have to interfere in somebody’s business? If the operators are not paying taxes then there are other ways to check that. But the government cannot run their business,” Lobo said.
He said if the government sets up GEL counters for water sports operators then it should also set up such counters in all medium and five-star hotels.
“Form a policy with rules and regulations but don’t set up counters,” he said.
Activist Roshan Mathias said that the water sports activity was a mess from day one as the government failed to regulate the business.
“Instead of rushing into doing something which can boomerang it's better if the government can regulate it in a gradual manner,” Mathias said.
