Your article is incisive, analytical and I concur with everything you state. There is, however, a point that I allow myself to raise and hope that you will address it in one of your next articles. I am referring to Goans collaborators.
The French love to talk about the “résistance” after the German occupation during the 2nd world war and have produced a number of great movies based on this theme. Like the Goans they were and still are very angry to this day.
The French, however, discuss the “collaborateurs” with reluctance and shame.
What about Goans? Many houses along the coastal belt built additional rooms attached to their houses to rent out to the trash that produced trash in Goa and contributed towards turning Goa into trash. But it has been a very lucrative trash for the homeowners who are not at all angry, far from it. Other Goans remodelled their homes into restaurants or home-stays or whatever and leased them out to non-Goans who run profitable establishments by offering boarding and lodging to frolicking trash during which time the proprietors can put their feet up, enjoy the money from the lease and hold forth about how Goa has become trash. You have rightly mentioned the collaboration of the political establishment belonging to all the main political parties starting with panchayats right up to the highest echelons. There are many other collaborationist sectors, not only the taxi owners. Would they all really be happy to reclaim Goa?
Great honest observations! Loved the end note. This is an opportunity to reclaim the land in a way that doesn’t displace the local inhabitants and their businesses. Wishing Goa a powerful recovery
Finally a well-written explanation of what's been going on with tourism. You're absolutely right about the State using tourism for their own profits without a care for what Goans want. You're also right about the Arambol Carnaval which I've been watching them clear away so they can continue to eliminate hippie culture and make way for villa culture. They don't realise (or maybe they do but don't care) that cutting down trees for villas has driven the quality tourists away. They can try and blame influencers but the truth will surface soon enough. I hope people hear your call to reclaim tourism and rise up against the current capitalistic tourism that is destroying tourism for good.
A justified lament. Goa was less land of my ancestors, but of tranquility and joy. Over decades it has become a garbage dump for unsavory people who do not respect the host nor land.
Oldies like me have Goa in our blood and cannot withdraw. Guiding our own families to regard Goa and Goans as fine hosts with a rich culture beyond beaches and booze would bring back the next generations
Please can I speak with you regarding a physical assault I experienced by another foreigner in my BnB stay in Panjim on January 7, 2025. I filed a report with the Pajim Police Unit.
There's an entire subsection titled: How the government is actively killing tourism. As regards the taxi issue (I've said that I'll be dedicating a whole separate post to it).
By the Way, Neither ZouZou nor his rickety Maruti Wagon R has been spotted anywhere in Mandrem General Area, this Season.
It is highly unlikely that he would shift anywhere else; so by all means, someone who has been coming here for more than 2 Decades, every year; has aborted visits to Goa.
It's an absolute disaster that our state is facing in regards to tourism. I am absolutely sure that there is a very malicious and hidden agenda behind the fall of tourism in Goa. And I can say without doubt that it's the present ruling dispensation which is the main cause of destroying tourism in Goa.
A very good article but it always surprises me that the western tourist murder cases are not considered to have any connection with the falling western tourist numbers to Goa. With every unsolved/uninvestigated tourist murder case is followed by western media coverage. My nephew Felix Dahl was murdered 2015 and we actively contacted our government in Finland, hence the Finnair stopping flights to Goa 2019. At the same time Finland's biggest travel agents stopped not only covering Goa as one of their destinations but whole India. It has been a big mistake to leave all these tourist murder cases without any justice as killing tourists also kills tourism.
Your article is incisive, analytical and I concur with everything you state. There is, however, a point that I allow myself to raise and hope that you will address it in one of your next articles. I am referring to Goans collaborators.
The French love to talk about the “résistance” after the German occupation during the 2nd world war and have produced a number of great movies based on this theme. Like the Goans they were and still are very angry to this day.
The French, however, discuss the “collaborateurs” with reluctance and shame.
What about Goans? Many houses along the coastal belt built additional rooms attached to their houses to rent out to the trash that produced trash in Goa and contributed towards turning Goa into trash. But it has been a very lucrative trash for the homeowners who are not at all angry, far from it. Other Goans remodelled their homes into restaurants or home-stays or whatever and leased them out to non-Goans who run profitable establishments by offering boarding and lodging to frolicking trash during which time the proprietors can put their feet up, enjoy the money from the lease and hold forth about how Goa has become trash. You have rightly mentioned the collaboration of the political establishment belonging to all the main political parties starting with panchayats right up to the highest echelons. There are many other collaborationist sectors, not only the taxi owners. Would they all really be happy to reclaim Goa?
Great honest observations! Loved the end note. This is an opportunity to reclaim the land in a way that doesn’t displace the local inhabitants and their businesses. Wishing Goa a powerful recovery
Finally a well-written explanation of what's been going on with tourism. You're absolutely right about the State using tourism for their own profits without a care for what Goans want. You're also right about the Arambol Carnaval which I've been watching them clear away so they can continue to eliminate hippie culture and make way for villa culture. They don't realise (or maybe they do but don't care) that cutting down trees for villas has driven the quality tourists away. They can try and blame influencers but the truth will surface soon enough. I hope people hear your call to reclaim tourism and rise up against the current capitalistic tourism that is destroying tourism for good.
A justified lament. Goa was less land of my ancestors, but of tranquility and joy. Over decades it has become a garbage dump for unsavory people who do not respect the host nor land.
Oldies like me have Goa in our blood and cannot withdraw. Guiding our own families to regard Goa and Goans as fine hosts with a rich culture beyond beaches and booze would bring back the next generations
Please can I speak with you regarding a physical assault I experienced by another foreigner in my BnB stay in Panjim on January 7, 2025. I filed a report with the Pajim Police Unit.
You can write to me at gernalist@gmail.com
True that tourism is just like any industry, benefits some but is toxic for many
Wow is us if things don't improve for the better. Less the best
So open questions from this article?
Where are the government policies going wrong?
What nexus are the taxi drivers running and what is its impact?
There's an entire subsection titled: How the government is actively killing tourism. As regards the taxi issue (I've said that I'll be dedicating a whole separate post to it).
Thanks a lot for the feedback.
By the Way, Neither ZouZou nor his rickety Maruti Wagon R has been spotted anywhere in Mandrem General Area, this Season.
It is highly unlikely that he would shift anywhere else; so by all means, someone who has been coming here for more than 2 Decades, every year; has aborted visits to Goa.
That would be a real shame!
Such a well written article!
It's an absolute disaster that our state is facing in regards to tourism. I am absolutely sure that there is a very malicious and hidden agenda behind the fall of tourism in Goa. And I can say without doubt that it's the present ruling dispensation which is the main cause of destroying tourism in Goa.
A very good article but it always surprises me that the western tourist murder cases are not considered to have any connection with the falling western tourist numbers to Goa. With every unsolved/uninvestigated tourist murder case is followed by western media coverage. My nephew Felix Dahl was murdered 2015 and we actively contacted our government in Finland, hence the Finnair stopping flights to Goa 2019. At the same time Finland's biggest travel agents stopped not only covering Goa as one of their destinations but whole India. It has been a big mistake to leave all these tourist murder cases without any justice as killing tourists also kills tourism.