Goa Tourism Crisis: BJP Minister Blames 'Idli-Sambar', 'Vada Pao', 'Stray Dogs' - Read

The BJP MLA said that Goans have rented out their beach shacks to Delhi-waalas and others. He said that someone from Bengaluru is selling vada pao and others are selling idli-sambar at the beach.

Goa tourism has taken a hit. The state witnessed low tourist turnout this year raising concerns and a social media frenzy with people citing multiple reasons for the downfall. While social media users blamed the high hotel and taxi fares for their disillusionment, BJP MLA Michael Lobo has an altogether different take on Goa's tourism crisis. The Calangute MLA flagged a lack of coordination between government departments over the handling of the stray dogs while also blaming 'idli-sambhar' being sold at the beat outlets. He urged the tourism department to cancel the license of shacks that have been rented to outsiders.

The MLA said that Goans have rented out their beach shacks to Delhi-waalas and others. He said that someone from Bengaluru is selling vada pao and others are selling idli-sambar at the beach. "What are you trying to tell the tourists? What kind of tourism are we promoting?” said the MLA, adding that the shacks should serve Goan food, other countries’ cuisine, seafood and continental that tourists like.

Lobo called upon all stakeholders to bear the responsibility and accept that they 'have erred'. He said that if the mistakes are not corrected and a system is not put in place, the tourism industry will see 'dark days' in years to come. 

"I am not against idli-sambar…it is available on the main road. But the cuisine that needs to be served on the beach…that is not there....Shacks are given to showcase local cuisine and culture… Are we going to show the culture of Hyderabad or Maharashtra or Karnataka on the beach? I am not saying all, but a few (shacks) are spoiling the reputation of the others,” the Indian Express quoted Lobo.

The BJP MLA also highlighted the issue of stray dogs roaming on the beaches. He said that the tourism department thinks the animal husbandry should tackle it and the animal husbandry wants the local village panchayats to handle this. "There are so many cases of dog bites on the beaches (impacting) foreign tourists,” he said.

Talking about the clashes between local taxis and aggregators, he said that tourists should go back with good memories and this issue needs to be resolved.