Holiday. Many people look forward to it all year, as a chance to get away from the stress of everyday life and let loose in a new place. But what if that new place is over capacity? That's the problem facing many hot-spots around the world lately, from Bali to Barcelona to Mt. Everest to Machu Pichu. These destinations are grappling with over-tourism - when the presence of too many people in one area diminishes quality of life for both locals and visitors. Mass tourism is set to be the new normal, due to more affordable airfare and the rise of the global middle class. -------GL responds: Tourism is a business and a very lucrative enterprise. It is popular not merely because there are a lot of middle class folks (tourists) and cheap airline tickets, but because countries and locales have found tourism is lucrative and that it directly and indirectly employs a lot of unskilled natives with the need for very little capital expenditure. Like all enterprises, tourism needs to be well managed and like all businesses, part of the earnings have to be plowed back into the business to maintain, nurture and make the enterprise grow. As a good rule of thumb, a tourist spend about US one hundred dollars (Rs. 5000) a day. This is fresh money into the economy and not the usual capital where the same wealth is merely circulated. Tourists are consumers, like patrons in a restaurant. And they pay for what they use and their money is supposed to be used to replenish what is consumed. TOURISTS CREATE JOBS and thus raise the standard of living for the natives. Compare the standard of living in Goa today to the pre-1960 days for the vast majority of natives, where there was no concept of infrastructure - tarred roads, running water, electricity, transportation, etc.
The issue is not: Is Goa saturated with tourists?; but rather are there enough jobs for Goans if we stop tourism expansion. And of course this should be answered by those in the work-force especially tourism industry, and not by some retired Goenkar or an arm-char writer. Regards,
