MAPUSA
Trying to clear the air on some misconceptions over the water sports policy, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Thursday said there are no plans to corporatise water sports in the State and the basic aim of the government is to regulate the water sports activities and ensure better service to tourists.
Khaunte also said that only those jetties with the tourism department will be covered by the new jetty policy and there were no plans to build new jetties. “Nobody is going to corporatise the water sports. This business will remain with Goans. We are only trying to put systems in place. So that the operators earn money and the tourists get a good experience,” Khaunte said.
The tourism minister was addressing a news conference along with Director of Tourism Nikhil Desai and other officials of the department at Paryatan Bhavan, Panaji. Continuing, Khaunte said the government has engaged with 12 water sports associations to understand issues they were facing and based on their feedback attempts were made to regulate the water sports activities.
“The water sports activities are not regulated. Illegal guides and touts are making business at the cost of our operators. There is no display of boards of rates. Tourists are getting affected due to inequality in rates between two operators and other issues,” he said.
He opined that Goa can no longer take things easy as a tourist destination as it is facing challenges from neighbouring Sindhudurg and Karnataka border. “If we do not get our act right and keep on fighting, then we are in for trouble. Tourism is already shifting to our border areas and then our people will start complaining that we don’t get customers for water sports,” he said.
The Tourism Minister said people should not be misled and sought support from MLAs, elected representatives from panchayats and ZPs, NGOs and citizens across Goa in order to start the water sports business in the right manner. “You run your business well and earn well. The government is only acting as a facilitator. The tourist should get good service by way of online booking, proper queue system and without the harassment from touts,” he said.
On the jetty policy, Director of Tourism, Nikhil Desai informed that jetty policy only covers tourist vessels which engage in cruises and it did not cover the fishing, barge and other business activities. “The jetty policy pertains to tourist jetties. No new jetties will be built,” Desai said.
He said there were two jetties in Panaji, which was leading to unhealthy competition. “The operators are encouraging a lot of touts. The guides/touts are getting more than 50 percent commission and thereby the tourists are getting fleeced. We are getting complaints and Goa’s name is getting spoiled. We therefore wanted proper regulation,” Desai said.
He said the commission to guide will be regulated and tourists will get fleeced.
