From being proud of the rise in domestic tourist footfall to being disgusted, our Tourism Minister needs to learn how to manage tourism better instead of giving reactive statements. Quality tourists will come with quality offerings. Thanks to corruption and capitalist interests, Goa's tourism has been turned into a mass consumption product. The numerous options for accommodation, such as guesthouses and bed-and-breakfast establishments, are giving tough competition to hotels and resorts. Moreover, most of these guesthouses and BnBs operate on bribes and offer low-cost accommodation in return. Similar issues are seen in other areas of tourism, such as water sports, beach snacks, restaurants, and rental vehicles, where the overpopulation of businesses has impacted prices.
If the government is genuinely concerned, it must regulate these businesses, allowing only a limited number of beach shacks and accommodations and monitoring and penalising unregulated businesses. The recent collaboration with Airbnb is a mistake that the government should correct, as the company has been shunned by many tourist-friendly countries, while our country is ironically inviting them. We need to act now to save the tourism industry.
