The four-day Carnival celebrations will be held from February 13 to February 16. With the fears of Covid pandemic still lingering, it remains to be seen whether the Carnival celebrations will be on the same scale as in the previous years.
It may be recalled that Goa had welcomed the tourists during the Christmas and New Year celebrations, crowding the beaches amidst fears that the influx of tourists would lead to rise of Covid cases in the state. But fortunately that has not happened as yet. This fact could have prompted the government to go ahead with the Carnival festivities.
It is pertinent to note that the Carnival festivities attracts thousands of tourists from all over the country. It is understood that the Goa’s Tourism Industry suffered a loss of over Rs 2,000 crore during the pandemic enforced lockdown while the potential loss for the season is pegged at Rs 7,200 crore. The job losses were to the tune of 58 per cent. After the closure of mining in the state, tourism has become the major revenue earner. Hence it seems necessary to bring tourism back on track.
What better occasion is there to kick-start tourism related activities than the Carnival festivities? However all necessary precautions need to be in place during the celebrations in order to prevent a spike in the COVID-19 cases.
ADELMO FERNANDES, Vasco
