In what could be a blow to shoestring budget tourists visiting Goa, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday ordered a crackdown on cooking in the open by groups of tourists, in a bid to deter littering of the State’s countryside and coastal areas which annually sees six million tourists every year.
At a meeting chaired by Parrikar, which was also attended by heads of Government agencies including tourism, police and tourism and travel industry stakeholders from the private sector, Parrikar also re-iterated that a formal ban on swimming along Goa’s beaches after sunset would be announced soon.
“The Chief Minister ordered the police to crackdown on these tourists who cook in the open. It destroys the beauty of our villages and also causes a lot of garbage which is then left in the open areas by tourists,” Ajgaonkar said.
The popularity of Goa as a tourism destination over the years, has also resulted in groups of budget tourists visiting the State in jeeps or buses with cooking gear, which is used to serve meals for the travellers.
There have been several instances of conflict between such tourists and villages, who have complained of litter left behind by them. Tourism industry stakeholders have also complained to the Government in the past about the lack of revenue due to promotion of low budget tourism.
“Police will now stop such groups from cooking in the open. It causes discomfort to the hundreds and thousands of tourists who visit the State,” Ajgaonkar said.
The Minister also told The Pioneer that the Chief Minister at the meeting had also directed that an awareness drive be started to ban tourists from swimming in the sea after sunset, an issue which attracted attention after five tourists died swimming in the wee hours over the last few weeks.
“Tourists will be given leaflets at checkpoints, hotels, shacks, guest houses, restaurants telling them about the perils of swimming at night. They do not know how our seas can be dangerous, especially tides at night. We do not want a single tourist to die of drowning,” Ajgaonkar said.
He also said, that the timings of lifeguards posted at Goa’s beaches would also be extended in order to prevent swimming by tourists after dark.
The State is one of the top beach and lifestyle destinations in the country, which attracts nearly seven million tourists every year, half a million of which are foreign tourists.