Goa stares at bleak tourist season 8 Aug 2008, 0513 hrs IST, Alexandre Moniz Barbosa,TNN
PANAJI: Falling tourism arrivals, a cut in the number of flights and rising fuel costs form the backdrop for the Goa Tourism Meet 2008, slated for Friday. And the stake holders, worried that tourism could hit a low next season, will be discussing means to sustain the industry at the meet. "We are facing a recession and the next season is not looking too good. Keeping this in mind, we have a session that will be a warning to the trade as well as an eye opener to the government to the situation," says Ralph de Souza, president of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa as well as Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry's tourism head. This particular session will be addressed by Nick Israel, general manager of Fort Aguada, and moderated by Lenny Menezes of the Hilton group, who is flying in especially and is expected to put across a few hard facts to the audience. Tourism, the mainstay of the Goan economy, contributes some Rs 1,500 crore annually to the government exchequer. But the immediate future doesn't appear rosy. "The next season for Goa looks very bleak. I've just returned from the UK and the market for Goa seems very bleak. This is going to be a testing time for the industry," says former TTAG president and chief executive of Alfran group of hotels Charles Bonifacio. The early effects of the economic recession has already been felt in the state. This maybe the off season for Goa, a time when tourism is at an ebb, but this year the with corporate bookings down 15% to 20%, figures which hold good for room occupancy too, the tourism industry is apprehensive. "If you want high spending tourists, upgrade. We have to upgrade facilities, right from the airport, to expansion of the cruise jetty in Panaji and to the creation of a cultural centre that will display the culture of Goa to the tourists," says U D Kamat, who headed the directorate of tourism for many years. Bonifacio concurs and says, "Nothing is being ploughed back in improving the infrastructure. The government should boost tourism." Upgrade is what the industry too wants, and following the meet, a report with recommendations will be presented to the government to plan the future course of action. "We want to diversify. This meet will reveal the line, we in the industry want tourism in Goa to take," says de Souza. And what the industry has in mind is environment friendly tourism and the promotion of heritage tourism. Diversify, is the new mantra that tourism will be singing on Friday, at a time when the tourism industry needs a desperate boost to survive competition.
