Government identifies 19 activities to bring order
Panaji : The state which already has a regulation to prevent misbehaviour by tourists has now identified 19 activities as ‘nuisance’ with fines for violations ranging from Rs 5,000, and up to Rs 1 lakh.
The activities include unlicensed watersports operations in the sea, river, or port with oil spillage which is likely to cause injury, danger, and irritate the sense of sight, smell or hearing.
Nuisance activities cover tourists being pestered to purchase goods or services, sightseers consuming liquor in places where it is not permitted, breaking of glass bottles, cooking in open spaces, littering of empty bottles, boating in unauth orised places, and engaging in touting for selling cruise boat tickets.
Begging at tourist places is now considered as a nuisance as well as plying of unauthorised carts, obstructing free movement of tourists, illegal beach parties, driving vehicles on beaches, solicitation, etc.
The government has directed all police officers concerned and person in-charge of police stations to act on the order.
The Tourism Department has said that nuisance activities by tourists are likely to damage the tourism potential of tourist places.
The Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Act, 2001, was passed in September 12, 2001, to prevent tourists from unruly behaviour and causing damage to tourist sites.
The state wants to attract quality tourists and prevent rowdy ones from spoiling the place.
In recent months instances of unruly behaviour by tourists are on the rise. In Fontainhas and Sao Tome, Panaji, residents are troubled by tourists taking selfies in the streets and preventing the movement of people and
traffic. The latest order of nuisance activities is implemented with immediate effect.
