The Goan tourism industry may be taking another hit to its losses with the delay in the opening of its beach shacks for at least 45 days. The shack owners’ have attributed this delay to the non-cooperation of the state government to waive off license fees for this year.
Beach shacks are set up on the beaches of Goa after the monsoon and are a temporary structure that is taken down at the end of May each year. The cost of putting up a beach shack ranges anywhere between 1.5 to 2 lakhs, hence is quite dependent on the footfalls of tourists.
Beach shacks mainly serve alcohol and require licenses for setting up. These are to be renewed each year.
This year due to the pandemic, the shacks closed in March and had to face two months’ losses. The Goan shacks have been facing a hard time for the last four seasons while struggling to make profits.
The Shack Owners Welfare Society had put a petition to the tourism department asking to waive their license fees by 50%, the decision for which will be taken next week stated Manuel Cardozo, the president of the SOWS.
No shack owner has applied for renewal this year as they wait for the Government’s decision on their petition.
“We had requested the government to reduce license and excise fees as last year, we paid the entire fee amount but the season had to be abruptly stopped due to COVID-19. Therefore, we decided to approach the government to grant us some relief for the current season,” a shack operator said.
Cardozo also said that they’re seeking various other permissions as well due to which this 45 days’ delay can be expected.
With international tourism being curbed due to flights being canceled, the operators are severely relying on domestic travelers, which also seem slim.
The recent decision of the Maharashtra Government to also implement the shack culture in Sindhudurg and eight of Konkan’s most popular beaches has created steep competition for Goa’s beaches. This decision was part of a revival plan of tourism in Maharashtra.
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