The Goa tourism department in order to refine its tourism industry, has decided to take measures which include many restrictions when it comes to certain activities which include cooking and drinking in the open, begging and illegal hawking, and touting in tourist places, driving vehicles on the beach, etc., as “nuisance”.
Violation of these shall lead to a fine of up to Rs 50,000.
Nikhil Desai, Director of Goa tourism said that the unauthorised selling of tickets for water sports activities that take place outside the state, such as Malvan (south Maharashtra) and Karwar (Karnataka) shall also be banned.
He said, in the issued order, that “since these activities have damaged and deteriorated or are likely to damage or deteriorate the tourism potentiality of the tourist places.”
Restrictions on Following Activities
The “process of cooking food in open spaces and littering, consumption of liquor in open spaces and breaking of glass bottles, etc” is also banned amongst the activities.
Wide range of illegal hawking, touting and other activities that could “impede the free movement of tourists/cause obstructions or compel the tourists to purchase items/goods/services” have also been banned in addition to cooking, eating and drinking.
These include touting/selling tickets for cruise boats or other tickets of tourism activities other than from authorised ticketing counters, selling from unauthorised handcarts, moveable carts and unauthorised hawkers, selling tickets for water sports packages for services to be offered outside Goa and others.
Fine Under Section 188 Upto Rs 50,000
Any person, company, association or firm or any other body who fails to comply with this order or obstructs any person acting on the direction of this order shall be punishable with a fine of Rs 5,000, which may extend up to Rs 50,000, or shall be liable for action under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (disobedience to a government order).
In a bid to ensure that the tourist experience is not sullied by incongruous behaviour, in the past the Goa tourism industry has called for a ‘reinvention’ of the tourism character of Goa.
The assembly of the state with highest per capita income in 2019 has passed amendments to the Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance), banning drinking in tourist places including drinking in the open, cooking in the open, littering and breaking glass bottles.
Instead, tourists were to be encouraged to drink within shacks or other beach side establishments.
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