Tourism can grow the economy of a country or state. Many countries in the world survive and thrive on tourism. Their governments and people understand this. They feel grateful towards tourists and treat them respectfully. That makes tourists feel welcome, and they wish to come again. They also recommend others.
Goa’s economy largely depends on tourism. But once a serene coastal haven, Goa is slowly succumbing to the blight of its people’s greed. Their unchecked greed is killing Goa. Today, a tourist in Goa encounters a lot of hassles because locals mistreat them and want to fleece some quick money out of them at every point.
It starts at the airport or railway station. The taxis there are notoriously unionized. You are sometimes charged many times more to reach your destination hotel a few kilometres away than what you paid to reach Goa!!! A friend recently paid Rs 6000 for a transfer from the airport to the hotel. Obviously, he was horrified because he had bought two air tickets to Goa for Rs 5000…! At another property, a friend was forced to pay Rs 600 for getting dropped at a railway station four kilometres away. In Goa, riding a taxi is more expensive than booking a flight ticket. Something is seriously wrong. This is one ominous distress signal foreboding an incoming economic decline. The golden goose is being killed, but people and authorities are unconcerned.
Similarly, when you go to any beach, you struggle to find parking space. You also need to pay the high parking charges as a fine for coming to Goa. Beaches are taken over by zealots who are eager to sell you water sports and other beach activities at exorbitant rates. The beach areas are full of touts, pimps and hooligans who assume that everyone is looking for some cheap fun and so everyone is their potential customer. They brazenly approach every young lady offering her tattoos, massage, drugs, hukka or some drink. There are cartels of all sorts of characters with questionable credentials getting together to create victims from among the tourists. And, amidst all this, you won’t find a single policeman. People are left to fend for themselves. Goa is going to the dogs and its government doesn’t seem to care.
At tourist sites, we will find people selling things at illogically high prices. Unsuspecting tourists do not know the reasonable price, so locals grab every opportunity to cheat. At one beach, some necklaces were being sold starting from Rs 300 onwards. At another beach, the same necklaces were selling starting at Rs 20!
Overall, after visiting Goa, one does not feel rejuvenated. Feeling fleeced, coerced, cheated or taken for a ride are the dominant feelings one returns with. That is not a good memory for a tourist place.
If you are planning a company offsite or some event in Goa, I think you must rethink it. Seriously. Goa does not mean business. It has become horribly greedy.
Goa’s people and politicians are killing it. They must realize it before it is too late.