Shri. Khaunte’s Firm Resolve: We will create a new identity for Goa to the world
Tourism Minister Rohan A. Khaunte assured the Goa Legislative Assembly that the process of hiring a new lifeguard agency and the shack license renewal process will be finished before the start of the upcoming tourism season. He urged the opposition to continue seeing things from a positive angle for the growth of the travel and tourism sector.
Responding to the debate on the financial grant requests made for the Tourism Department in the ongoing assembly session, he conveyed that the process of selecting a new agency is underway as the contract with the previous agency’s services has ended, and it will be completed in three months. Thereafter, a new company will be selected, Khaunte stated. He mentioned that the coastal lifeguards have saved 1,237 lives. He also appreciated the positive recommendations made by members of the opposition and the ruling party to increase training and number of lifeguards and hold a meeting between the organization and coastal MLAs to bring more coordination in their efforts.
Last year, shack owners who were issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) will be granted a shack license if they apply online. This process will be completed by September 30, and those who did not receive a NOC last year will be considered separately, Khaunte said.
The Tourism Minister emphasized the need to advance the state’s tourism by promoting water sports, cultural, and festive traditions, while making it clear that illegal activities in the tourism industry will not be tolerated. He also mentioned the necessity of encouraging homestays and clarified that this policy is aimed at seven talukas. He explained that the policy is designed with the intention of empowering women in these regions.
Tourism Minister Khaunte shared that this year, 452,000 foreign tourists and over 8 million domestic tourists visited Goa. Due to the G20 summit, 67 foreign tourism ministers came to the state. He proudly stated that Goa emerged as the first state to implement the concept of regenerative tourism, which was promoted during this summit. This concept is based on three pillars: environment, economy, and society.
Tourism Minister Khaunte highlighted that the tourism industry contributes 33.42% to the GDP and is a vital component of the state’s social and economic sectors. He clarified that participation in roadshows and travel marts is essential to create a new identity for Goa abroad and to promote what Goa has to offer beyond its beaches.
He appealed not to oppose the Goa Tourism Promotion, Management, and Regulation Bill 2024 based on incomplete information. Khaunte urged everyone to understand the full details of the bill, as it is in the best interest of the tourism industry. He clarified that a fee of up to 2% will not be universally applied to everyone; a special department will be appointed for this purpose, and it will be limited to that extent.
From the ruling party, MLAs Jennifer Monserrate, Premendra Shet, Alex Reginald, Michael Lobo, Ganesh Gaonkar, Krishna Daji Salkar, Delilah Lobo, Sankalp Amonkar, Kedar Naik, Rajesh Faldessai, Jit Arolkar, Digambar Kamat, Nilesh Cabral, and Joshua D’Souza participated in the discussion on the development of the tourism department, making many important suggestions to the government.
Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao, along with MLAs Captain Venzy Viegas, Adv. Carlos Alvares Ferreira, Viresh Borkar, Altone D’Costa, Cruz Silva, and Vijai Sardesai, also participated in the discussion on the financial demands of the tourism departments.
Suggestions for Tourism Development
Opposition members provided several important suggestions and recommendations to the government, ranging from setting up necessary facilities for tourists in coastal areas to addressing incidents of drowning at sea. They also discussed organizing roadshows and travel marts for tourism expansion. Viegas stated that the concept of travel marts is essential for the expansion and development of tourism. There was a suggestion to consider temples and heritage sites with historical significance from a tourism perspective to promote spiritual tourism.
Development of Monsoon and Inter-Village Tourism
Suggestions included making EV vehicles available to reach the Dona Paula jetty, maintaining the cleanliness of Goa’s beaches, ensuring the safety of tourists, implementing measures to prevent drowning incidents in coastal areas, and striving to attract quality tourists to the state. The MLAs expressed the expectation that efforts should be made to promote monsoon tourism and inter-village tourism in Goa, as there is potential for it.
Special efforts should be made to promote cruise and medical tourism. It was also expressed in the assembly that foreign tours by the Tourism Minister are necessary for the development of Goa’s tourism. MLAs suggested that the government should consider promoting hinterland tourism. Members also noted that improvements are necessary in the homestay sector.
Congratulations on Shiv Jayanti Festival
Members expressed the need to make efforts to utilize the tourism department’s properties that are left unused on a rental basis. They suggested that this would increase the department’s revenue. The government’s decision to celebrate the Shiv Jayanti festival at the state level was praised during the discussion. Tourism Minister Khaunte received a shower of congratulations in the assembly for the tourism department being awarded the Best Tourist Destination and for himself being awarded the Best Tourism Minister at the Berlin ITB.
Sardesai Congratulates Khaunte
MLA Vijai Sardesai praised the efforts of the department under the regenerative tourism initiative, the development of Colva beach under the Swadesh Darshan scheme, the ongoing development of the Basilica of Bom Jesus, the work of the lifeguards working along the coast and the efforts to promote traditional Chikhal Kalo and Sao Joao festivals.
Lobo further stated that Minister Khaunte is very active as the Minister for Tourism, and there are many expectations from him.
Opposition Leader Yuri Alemao’s Claims Addressed
Tourism Minister Khaunte refuted opposition leader Yuri Alemao’s claims with partial information. During the discussion on the tourism department’s grant demands, Alemao had alleged that a news channel had been served a notice for reporting that some freedom fighters were denied access to Fort Aguada.
Addressing this accusation, Khaunte clarified in the assembly that no such notice had been issued. He stated that if any private company had sent such a notice, it could not be attributed to the tourism department. Khaunte also mentioned that freedom fighters were granted access upon showing valid identification.
