Govt needs to reassess tourism sector and implement course correction measures
Despite some social media influencers trying to paint Goa in a negative light, the year-end was busy in Goa. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that Goa’s beaches saw huge tourist footfall, a clear indication that the state continues to be a favourite destination.
He said that social media influencers have attempted to mislead people into believing that Goa’s tourism is suffering and added that both domestic and foreign visitors yet again chose to usher in the New Year in Goa. It started with a couple of influencers posting about Goa tourism, focusing on the negatives. Nearly two months ago, the tourism department filed a complaint against one such influencer over “false data” about foreign tourist arrivals over the years. What followed was more negative publicity with more social media users raking up the “underbelly” of Goa tourism. Reacting to the police complaint filed, some social media users from outside the state said that, instead of pointing out the “wrong statistics”, the government should improve the situation on the ground so that tourists can cherish their memories of the state.
One cannot deny the impact of social media “influencers” even if it is limited. We can’t be in denial mode all the time. How we handle social media posts is important because any negative content holds the potential of going viral and tarnishing Goa’s reputation.
There are certain issues that are being raised by social media users, many of whom have visited Goa more than once. Many of them know Goa better from the tourism perspective than the locals do. Transportation is one major issue that is raked up time and again, and they are not wrong on this point. Every tourist destination in the world has good public transport. In states where tourism is promoted, it has been ensured that public transport is in place and, more importantly, the taxi business is run by app-based aggregators.
Not that Goa doesn’t have app-based taxis. One is GoaMiles, which was started with the full backing of Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) some years ago when Nilesh Cabral was its chairman. The other is the Goa Taxi app. It was launched over a year ago following a government initiative. However, the majority of the taxi operators are opposed to app-based operations, and worse, the government has not been able to bring them on board. Many tourists, as a result, opt for rent-a-cabs or choose to drive down to Goa with their own vehicles. The result is that roads get crowded. So, can we blame the social media influencers if they raise these issues? It is not only the steep rates charged by taxis that pose hurdles for tourists but also expensive airfares and hotel tariffs. These are just some of the factors that could push tourists to other destinations.
The tourism department has been rightly acting against touts, many of whom fleece tourists and entice them to some shady massage parlours. Nonetheless, touting goes on by hoodwinking the authorities. Drugs, prostitution, etc., are issues that need to be addressed. Considering the present situation, it is important that the government analyses our tourism sector and accordingly reinvents it with new strategies. If we are to focus on sustainable tourism, course correction is needed.
