Baina's transformation from a red-light area to today’s popular beach destination is a story many tourists, who come to relax on this scenic beach in Vasco, wouldn't be aware of.
In 2004, under the leadership of the then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, the brothels on Baina beach were demolished, paving the way for a new chapter in the area's history.
And, ever since then, the Goa government and local stakeholders have managed to bring in tourism development, bolstered by the natural beauty of the location. This marked a turning point for Baina, once considered Goa's blackspot.
The Baina Beach Watersports Association (BBWA) is one of the stakeholders in the area that played a crucial role in developing the beach as a tourist destination.
Recently, BBWA launched its official website and introduced a new initiative to promote a responsible and sustainable ocean-friendly tourism campaign titled Mogache Baina, which translates to 'Loving Baina' in English.
This significant step was taken on the occasion of World Oceans Day. The website will allow the association to showcase its water adventures and give an edge to BBWA's credibility and professionalism.
The Mogache Baina campaign aims to rediscover Baina as a biodiversity hotspot protected by its local communities and build collaborative partnerships to create capacity for tour operators and marketing agencies.
The campaign will enable better visibility and linkages for responsible and sustainable marine tourism, and capacity building for wildlife-friendly water sports operations.
The Mogache Baina initiative developed by BBWA with inputs from Shawn Martins, Venkatesh Charloo, Siddharth Jha, Tania Devaiah, Puja Mitra and local stakeholders is considered an important step towards enabling sustainable and regenerative tourism on Baina beach.
Siddharth Jha of Aquazen Adventures lauds the Mogache Baina initiative. "This is a very good step and will bring about sustainable and responsible tourism if pursued seriously. Having been a diving instructor for eight years and teaching in Goa for the last three years, I strongly believe Baina beach has strong potential to become a good model for water sports associations across Goa," he observes
Mogache Baina is a very good step and will bring about sustainable and responsible tourism if pursued seriously.Siddharth Jha, Aquazen Adventures
"What is needed is a strong and sincere collaboration of all stakeholders involved in this initiative to create an ecosystem that makes water sports more interesting for tourists," he added.
"By working together, stakeholders can create a win-win situation for both tourism and the marine environment in Goa. This will pave the way for tourists to have a more enriching tourism experience and contribute to the State's regenerative tourism efforts," noted Jha.
The BBWA has also invited public participation and support for its sustainable tourism efforts and will also be conducting regular beach clean-ups at Baina beach and underwater clean-ups at Grande Island.
Former local MLA Jose Philip D'Souza, says, "The new sustainable tourism initiative, Mogache Baina, will help us streamline water sports activities on the beach. Baina's potential has not been explored fully. There is a lot more to the place than just the beach."
The 'lot more' the MLA mentions points to the potential of Baina to evolve as a hotspot for eco-tourists, who come here to seek a lot more than beach tourism.
Off the Baina coast, biodiversity hotspots like Grande Island and Pequeno Island, which support a wide variety of marine life, are a major draw.
Besides other stakeholders, D'Souza is also working with his counterpart Carlos Almeida – also a former MLA – to take this initiative forward. Almeida is the chairman of the BBWA.
Puja Mitra, founder of Terra Conscious, feels local initiatives like Mogache Baina can address marine conservation challenges and help tourism transition from volume to value-based. This, in turn, can help protect habitats and wildlife and sustain livelihoods, Mitra avers.
She adds, "Due to the rising incidents of marine wildlife getting stranded across the coast of Goa, it is extremely necessary to have a cohesive strategy to improve habitat management."
Due to the rising incidents of marine wildlife getting stranded across the coast of Goa, it is extremely necessary to have a cohesive strategy to improve habitat managementPuja Mitra, founder of Terra Conscious
Marine tourism stakeholders in Goa, while directly dependent on marine species and ecosystems, lack the appropriate training, content and market linkage to highlight these core species and raise awareness about them, she states.
Local community leadership is the key to ensuring the health of the coastal ecosystems. By demonstrating seriousness and commitment, the BBWA can turn the Mogache Baina initiative into a model for everyone to follow and make way for a future where tourism and environment go hand-in-hand.