Goa's at a crossroads. Its domestic tourist traffic has taken off like never before, but this tourism boom has a flipside. The sudden surge in the incoming tourists has put immense pressure on the tiny Sate’s land, sea and rich ecosystem.
At this forked junction, the once-serene coastal State has to pick a path – will it walk on the road of tourist dollars? or will it take the street of sustainable tourism?
Whatever choice it makes, today, will have huge repercussion on the future of Goa. There’s no denying the State’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism and any increase in the number of tourists is good news. The question is what is the cost it is ready to pay for that extra tourism revenue.
For the residents of Goa, the influx of tourists causing traffic jams on roads, disturbing their tranquillity, crowding the beaches, and creating environment and noise pollution are high prices to pay for economic prosperity.
If asked to vote for one of the two – the economy or preservation of local essence – majority of the locals polled would give a nod for the latter. It is cleft stick in which many major tourist destinations around the world are caught in, especially post pandemic.
If asked to vote for one of the two – the economy or preservation of local essence – majority of the locals polled would give a nod for the latter.
Pandemic of 2020 brought the frivolity of life into sharp focus, pushing people to live it before it is too late. Then, the inclination of the younger generation to invest in experiences rather than physical assets has also propelled tourism around the world.
Goa has a peculiar situation. Tourists visiting the State now outnumber the residents by a big margin. The State has arrived at such a point due to apathy of the local government of control unchecked growth in tourism. If this persists, it will destroy the intrinsic worth of Goa that comes from its clean beaches, cultural and natural heritage.
Though, it seems the State government has finally woken up to this issue. The mention of ‘carrying capacity assessment” in the draft Goa Tourism Promotion, Management and Regulation Act, 2023 (GTPMR Act) is heartening.
There is an urgent need to take a look at the optimum number of tourists a place or an area can service or hold. It’s a concept that has caught on with several tourist hubs around the world.
The draft legislation, put up on State tourism department’s website for feedback from the stakeholders of tourism industry, states the Goa Tourism Board – a body to be created under the GTPMR Act – would assess the carrying capacity of one or more areas of the State on a regular basis.
The mention of ‘carrying capacity assessment” in the draft Goa Tourism Promotion, Management and Regulation Act, 2023 (GTPMR Act) is heartening.
The World Tourism Organization (WTO) defines ‘tourism carrying capacity’ as; “the maximum number of people that may visit a tourist destination at the same time, without causing destruction of the physical, economic, socio-cultural environment and an unacceptable decrease in the quality of visitors' satisfaction”.
The department’s plan to assess the (tourism) carrying capacity of places in Goa is a step in the direction. Its draft legislation says in case of a “breach” of carrying capacity in any area, the board would take preventive measures by prohibiting “fresh registration or renewal of one or more categories of tourism enterprises”.
The proposed law also notes that the board would take into account such carrying capacity assessment while setting operational standards or codes of practice for the tourism industry in Goa. If the ‘carrying capacity assessment’ gets included in the GTPMR Act, it would be a handy tool in the hands of the State government to tackle Goa’s problem of over-tourism, and give some breathing space to Goans by decongesting roads and beaches.
