Stakeholders seek proper tourism policy from Goa government

PANAJI: Tourism stakeholders in Goa have urged the state government to come up with a comprehensive policy for the industry and save it from downfall in view of the less number of footfalls in the last season.

Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) president Savio Messiah on Monday said the state needs to gear up and improve the facilities offered to tourists.

"Leaders here are in election mode right now and the changing of ministers and portfolios has affected the industry. The government and tourism stakeholders will have to sit and find a way to remove all the hurdles," he said.

"We need to look at image-building, branding and improvement of areas where we are weak," he said.

TTAG is the apex body of tour operators in Goa.

Domnick Pereira, a local hotelier, said, "We have lost the mining business, and now it is the turn of tourism. Lack of a proper policy has left the industry reeling in pain."

Shack Owners' Welfare Society president Cruz Cardoso said the state government has failed to come up with a proper planning for the tourism industry.

"The most important issue is about providing proper infrastructure to tourists. There are no changing rooms, toilets on the beaches.

The government has to solve all these problems," he said.

He said the state government should frame a tourism policy soon by taking all stakeholders into confidence.

A tourism department official said they were aware of the situation and corrective measures would be taken soon.