Domestic Tourists creating Nuisance by Cooking and Drinking in the Public Places in Goa, do we really need such tourists??

Goa is a tourist destination and we welcome our guests with the utmost respect, but these guest also needs to understand their limits, otherwise, it becomes a nuisance. Something similar seems to have happened in the case of the domestic tourists arriving in the state these days. They come down to Goa in their private vehicles, buses and set up kitchens and bathrooms in public places, is it acceptable??

Anything has a limit and everything done by the tourists is not acceptable regardless of the Tourism Mantra in India ‘Atithi Devo Bhavo’. The mantra was defined keeping in mind the guest will understand their limits and behave in accordance with the guidelines set by the people of the state, but here is a completely different scenario.

Domestic tourists come down in the state with their private loaded vehicles, with their families and bring along the gas cylinders with them. The next thing they do is set up their kitchen anywhere by the side of roads, public places, gardens or even parking lots.          

They buy the liquor from the shops and start drinking on the beaches, sometimes misbehaving with the local ladies. The behaviour of this kind is not acceptable. Goa needs the tourists but not at the cost of the basic principals.

Just when there was an issue going on, to take up measures for rectifying tourists behaviours, there has been an incident of yet another tourist nuisance in Goa.  The tourists visiting Goa nowadays are only interested in alcohol and drugs, which is causing a major concern for the officials. They fear that the reputation of Goa as a party hub is costing the state, its safety.

According to Goa Prism, in recent times, Goa’s major image as a tourist spot has become only about parties, drugs and alcohol. This seems to have caused a major backlash both for the tourism sector and also the host communities.

The problems arising due to drunk driving, drug abuse and also inappropriate behaviour has hit the reputation of Goa as a safe destination. While the host communities have to put up with the traffic, pollution and exhaustion of resources caused due to the tourist activities.

Recently, the Deputy Speaker and Calangute BJP MLA, Michael Lobo accused the Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar for being responsible for alcohol consumption in beaches. On Tuesday, Lobo came out strongly against his own government and CM blaming him for the inaction against tourist for alcohol consumption in the beaches of Goa.

He condemned against the nuisance created by the tourists during their visit. But in yet another incident, tourists were found to be cooking and creating nuisance in the parking lot of Calangute. They were seen to be cooking and drinking right in the middle of the parking lot where hundreds of vehicles were parked. When questioned by the locals, the tourists refused to clear up the mess and thus, creating nuisance around the area.

With the decrease in the tourist footfalls and problems created by the tourists, Lobo blamed the CM for not taking up efforts to improve tourism in Goa. Lobo seems furious on these recent events wherein photos of some tourists from Karnataka, were seen to be cooking and drinking in a parking lot behind a Calangute residency. This news has gone viral around social media and has sparked a controversy.

According to Herald Goa, Lobo stated that “Goa is known for its beauty, culture and tradition. There are certain sections of tourists who are trying to spoil Goa’s image, and this behaviour is discouraging other quality tourists from visiting the State. Such nuisance makers should be fined and jailed. What kind of tourists are we attracting?”

Lobo suggested that these events must be dealt with strictly and hefty penalty must have ensued on such tourists. He further blamed the CM and stated he is responsible for the decline of good tourism in Goa and that He should ensure that Goa is not going down the drain owing to such nuisance.

Aldona MLA Glen Tico responded to this issue and shared his concern that the tourism of Goa will deteriorate on account of such events if discipline is not brought about. “We don’t want tourists cooking and drinking in open, because it spoils our image and drives away good tourists. If the problem is not resolved, Goa tourism would be in big trouble,” he said. 

According to the President of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa Savio Messias, who seems to be quite furious about this issue, said that cooking in open places is an act of nuisance and the violators can be fined and also imprisoned for up to three months. 

It is indeed sad to see that certain tourists do not respect the sentiments of the host communities and create such unwanted troubles. It is a responsibility of every tourist to maintain their dignity as well as that of the state they are visiting.

The concerned officials must bring about necessary changes and take actions against such violators to ensure that good tourism still exists in the state. If not, Goa will soon witness a higher percentage of low-grade tourists who will rip off the resources and pollute the state while creating a nuisance for the Goans.