The tourism industry in Goa has completely collapsed due to the coronavirus crises but it had already started to decline a couple of years back with the foreigners count kept dropping every year. There were several reasons behind the drop in tourism business in Goa and one of them was obviously lack the lack of vision and faulty policies.
The neighbouring states started taking over the business that once Goa used to be in the forefront and despite knowing all the facts no one could save the tourism from going down. All the stakeholders were just praying for the betterment of the business and coronavirus struck.
Now the tourism minister of Goa is planning to bring the wealthy tourists of 1960s back to Goa. Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar has told the press that the state will have to re-invent its tourism profile and return to the 1960s to rebuild itself as a tourism destination.
According to the Tourism Minister Mr Babu Ajgaonkar, his department will be giving the preference to wealthy tourists over the budget domestic tourists. “The idea behind taking such measures is to bring about the Goa of the 1960s when it was beautiful. In comparison, Goa, as we see today, is more crowded with millions of tourists visiting each year,” he said.
Mr Ajgaonkar further said that he is not interested in the tourists who are into drugs and cook on the roadside. “They also create nuisance on the beaches and we don’t need such tourists,” he said adding that only tourists who are wealthy and can honour Goa’s culture and beauty are desirable.
Furthermore, Mr Ajgaonkar wants to bring back the hippie community into Goa. According to him, the hippie community put Goa on the international tourism map in the 1960s. He also enlightened as to how the entry of casinos in casinos lead to destroying the tourism in Goa.
“Goa’s reputation as one of the best tourism destinations in India reached its climax after 2007 due to the introduction of liberal licensing in casinos. However, the state infrastructure could not grow with the growing number of tourists every year,” he added.
Ajgaonkar said that Goa’s tourism industry has to start again from zero to reach the desired level with the help of state-level travel. However, this would only be possible when a cure is invented to counter COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the lockdown is entering into the 4th stage and Goa Government under the leadership of Mr Sawant is positive to bring back the domestic tourism who can come down to Goa via road. According to Mr Sawant since the airlines are not operating the people who want to enter Goa via road will be allowed with caution.
What is your view about the return of the tourism of 1960?
Source: TOI
