British Expats - In To-day's Newspapers

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BY ARTI DAS | NT NETWORK
Goa, a tiny dot on Indiaâ€™s map, is one of the few places in the world known for its cosmopolitan outlook. Many attribute this to tourism. This little state, bordered by the Western Ghats in the east and the sea coast on the west, exploded on the world map in the 1960s with the arrival of the hippies, who came in search of happiness, love and peace.

But, with them, they brought the Bohemian culture and sent across a strong message that Goa is a place to attain tranquillity and nirvana.
There was no looking back for Goa from then on. Generally a hospitable people, Goans accepted this change with characteristic whole heartedness and contributed sufficiently towards making Goa a tourist heaven. However, today, 50 years after this discovery of Goa as a region to begin oneâ€™s spiritual journey, Goans themselves are in search of â€œpeaceâ€ which some claim is being snatched away due to tourism. It is indeed ironic that Goans living in Goa sometimes fail to understand how on earth tourists find nirvana here!
There is a flip side to every aspect of life and this is true for tourism too. For the last 50-odd years we have practically ignored the underbelly of this industry. So, which is the problem area that we need to look at?
Says Ricardo Rebelo from Candolim, â€œWell, the problem starts with projecting Goa as the land of wine, women and song, by none other than our Tourism Department, backed by the five-star hotel lobby! The government has failed to break the hold of the drug mafia, who are operating hand-in-glove with the local police. In recent years, prostitution is growing by leaps and bounds, especially in the Northern coastal belt. Besides, our Government has legalised gambling in the form of casinos, which operate on the Mandovi River and most of our hotels.â€
Another glaring issue with tourism is littering of our beaches, highways, etc. â€œMost of the times you will come across tourists throwing stuff out of moving vehicles. It is very annoying to say the least. Last year, on World Environment Day, we collected 120 kilos of non-biodegradable waste from the Savari waterfalls in Netravali, which is a part of the wildlife sanctuary. This year, there is a sentiment to ban people from visiting such nature hot spots. There are also issues with traffic. Like I know some people, who couldnâ€™t move out of their homes in Candolim during the Sunburn festival last year, said that they feel like moving out of Goa during the festival. I think it is the Goa Tourism Department which must nudge the right attitude and civic sense in tourists, while providing the right infrastructure. Holiday moods tend to make people feel invincible, happy-go-lucky and carefree,â€ says Dr Jennifer Lewis e Kamat, Immediate Past Chair, Young Indians, Goa Chapter.
It is indeed true that now there is a sentiment emerging among the locals that is forcing them to take some harsh decisions. Recently, the small village of Gaodongri in Canacona made newspaper headlines with its Gram Sabha passed a resolution to ban people from visiting the Bamanbudo waterfall.
This was due to the fact that this site is now filled with non-biodegradable waste. Additionally, tourists create nuisance by drinking and creating noise, playing loud music, etc. To sum it all, indulge in group fights, eve teasing, etc. But, the sarpanch denies that it has stopped people from visiting this site. â€œIt was the demand of villagers to stop tourists from going there. But, we canâ€™t stop anyone from going. So, we made a letter to the Police, Forest Department, Excise Department, Mamletdar and Collector to take responsibility. The fact is that this place falls along the route villagers take towards their plantation area. They face a lot of hardship and have to put up with misbehaviour from tourists around. It has become worse in the last four years. But, now we are taking strict action. There is also police control,â€ says Umesh Velip, Sarpanch of Gaodongri Panchayat.
There are some residents who attribute this situation to reasons like cheap and easy availability of things â€“ women, wine, etc, - which is now showing its repercussions.
â€œLiquor being cheaper in Goa gives tourists the opportunity to drink beyond their limits hence contributing to the majority of accidents along coastal belts. Tourism revenue generated annually by the industry has been considered a success to the state on one hand but has been a fiasco on the other. The government through its various concerned authorities and departments has a major role to play in educating tourists, enforcing laws on littering, garbage management and preventing social evils. To sum it up, we Goans have been victimised and have been paying a heavy price in the name of tourism,â€ says Elias Fernandes, events and advertising executive.
It is understood that Goa receives around 26 to 27 lakh tourists every year, out of which around 4 lakh are foreign tourists. Even though domestic tourists contribute a lionâ€™s share in the stateâ€™s revenue, locals prefer foreign tourists, comparatively. â€œMost of the times you will come across domestic tourists littering beaches or displaying indecent behaviour. Thus, you will not find genuine people going to beach. I think authorities like the Police and Panchayats need to be stricter in their approach. After all we being a tourist state are inviting people and we should not chase them away,â€ opines David Aguiar, law student from Colva.
So now does it really mean that we are paying a big price for being a tourist state?
â€œTourism has been the biggest revenue generator for Goa, but at what cost? And how much of the benefit is actually transferred to Goans? The majority of hotels are owned by non-Goans. Major events/activities attracting tourists are also managed by outsiders! I remember my plight during the much talked about â€˜Sunburn Festivalâ€™, which is held annually at Candolim Beach in the month of December. Being a resident of Candolim it has only been a bane rather than a boon what with constant traffic congestion, double parking outside my house, electricity and water shortage just to mention a few! Even taxi drivers prefer foreigners to locals and charge exorbitantly! I feel the common man should not suffer because of tourism. The government has to act decisively to eliminate the ill-effects of tourism from Goa. The future of Goa will be bright if tourism is promoted along the right line, but if business and industry take the upper hand it'll surely mar its beauty,â€ says Pooja Lawande Karmali, lecturer from Candolim.
Many believe that the future is in our own hands and we need to plan out workable solutions.
â€œWe are actually lucky for being a tourist state. It gives us great exposure to various cultures, etc. There are issues with tourism. But, we need to work on it. Like on the issue of traffic, we have to see other means of public transport. We can have cycles or walking paths in our cities or have integrated common centralised parking areas. Also there could be something like a street market along the Calangute-Baga Road where no vehicles should be allowed. We need to plan keeping in mind locals of that area,â€ suggests Jack Sukhija, owner of heritage hotel, Panjim Inn.
Ricardo, while elaborating on solutions, highlighted the Tourism Policy. â€œWe need to have a long term Tourism Policy that does not destroy our environment and does not dilute our social fabric and culture, which is what brings tourists to Goa in the first place. The Tourism policy should ensure that we move up the value chain and by identifying and drawing higher end and high spending tourists by promoting a unique and competitive value proposition to our target customers. We should also diversify and leverage other areas and opportunities in Goaâ€™s tourist potential, so that carrying capacity of a particular place is not overloaded and the benefits of tourism are shared by more people in more areas.â€ So, now is the time to stand and look around to understand the ground realities. We have to discover that middle path that will lead us towards our solution and thus the â€˜enlightenmentâ€™ or â€˜nirvanaâ€™ which is the ultimate USP of this place.