Goa is Ready to Welcome Tourists as 40 percent of the state revenue depends on Tourism

Goa is a tourism-dependent state and its 40 per cent income comes from the hospitality industry but due to the Covid-19 situation, the whole industry is has come to a standstill and now resuming of tourism business is the only solution to bring the state back into action. According to CM Pramod Sawant, the state is ready to welcome the tourists taking all the measures to keep COVID away.

According to the report, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said that the state will be forming its own guidelines and standard operating procedures (SoPs) to regulate tourism in a post-COVID-19 scenario very soon.

Batting for inter-state movement, Sawant said that the movement should be restricted as neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka have witnessed a steep rise in the coronavirus cases.   

“The state will have to develop an SOP along with the Centre to attract tourists post-COVID. We are ready,” he said adding that “According to me Inter-state travel should be allowed, but with restrictions, given that the state shares its borders with Maharashtra and Karnataka.”

According to the sources, the tourism industry in Goa is the process of restructuring the state as a tourism destination. Expecting a drop in the footfall post-COVID-19 lockdown, the state is focusing on qualitative tourism instead of quantitative approach which focus on larger tourist influx.     

“After Lockdown 3, movement along inter-state routes via bus and train as well as by flights should be allowed, but with restrictions, especially because Goa, a COVID-free green zone, was flanked on both sides by Karnataka and Maharashtra, with a high incidence of cases,” Sawant said.

Mr Sawant also urged the prime minister, Mr Narendra Modi, during his video conferring to resume the mining business in Goa. Mining has already begun in the state but in very small scale with the option of transporting the iron ore already been extracted by the companies but new digging is now yet allowed due to the supreme court norms. 

Meanwhile, the stakeholders predict that Goa might lose over 70 thousand jobs in the hospitality industry post lockdown. In what portrays the coastal state’s dependence on tourism, 40 per cent of Goa’s revenue is generated from tourism.   

Source: Times Now News