After much delay, the process of demarcation of beach shacks along Goa’s North coastal belts commenced, with officials saying that the process is expected to be completed within another two weeks.
In South Goa, however, the process is yet to begin, with the tourism department stating a lack of manpower to go-ahead with the process as many officials from its department are posted on covid related duties at the South Goa Collectorate building.
Along with North Goa’s coastal belts of Calangute, Candolim, and Anjuna, the commencement of the process of allotment of area for the beach shacks has given a sigh of relief to many owners, as otherwise, beach shacks would begin operations by October. This time, however, with the covid-19 pandemic, all the process was delayed.
Beach shack owners are hoping to get their shacks set-up by the first week of November, and as such, able to cash in on the Diwali holiday season approaching. For now, it is the domestic tourists that the industry is hoping to tap on to the maximum, as foreign arrival of tourists through charter flights is yet to commence.
For the next two months at least, with no announcements made yet about foreign flights from the Central government, tourism stakeholders are hoping to make the most from the domestic footfalls. Shack owners along Calangute and Candolim areas are already gearing up, and are expecting to commence full-fledged operations by the month-end.
Meanwhile, for South Goa, the tourism department has already written a letter to the South Goa Collector, Ajit Roy, asking him to relieve the staff so that the demarcation process of shacks can be completed as soon as possible.
If needed, Cruz Cardozo, president of Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS), said, that he will approach the tourism minister to intervene so that the issue of demarcation of shacks in South Goa can be completed.
With a new tourism policy and elaborate long-term plans insight, this year’s tourism season, however, is in urgent need of attention, and as such, utmost importance must be given to ensure stakeholders are able to revive themselves from the slumber.
With Goa having its borders open completely, and no covid-19 restrictions at all, footfalls are set to increase in the coming two months, as many are looking for a quick getaway from busy metro city lives.
With other tourism-related activities being opened up, Goa is set to have its beach shacks begin operations soon by early November, and as such, the wheels of the tourism industry for the state are all set to roll. Amidst all this, strict SOP’s and safety protocols are a must for all stakeholders and visiting tourists to follow.
Recently, images and videos went viral of party goers enjoying themselves at a few night clubs in North Goa, which in turn caught the eye of the officials. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that tourism activities should continue by maintaining social distancing.
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