Yuri Alemao vows to champion tourism stakeholders’ concerns against proposed Goa Tourism Bill, citing detrimental effects on industry growth and government overreach
Panaji: Tourism Sector is facing serious challenges due to faulty policies of the Government. Delegation of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa met me today highlighting their problems and also raised concerns about the proposed Tourism Bill. I will vociferously raise concerns of Tourism Stakeholders in the Assembly Session, stated Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao.
Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) represented by Former President Savio Messias, Tito Goes and Aakash Madgavkar met the Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao at his Chamber in Assembly Complex Porvorim and submitted a Memorandum highlighting various issues faced by the Tourism Sector.
In the Memorandum, TTAG has stated that the proposed Bill of the Tourism Department provides for a very haphazard framework which will do nothing to improve the tourism work in Goa, but will rather kill the Industry. The Bill speaks more about Penalties, Punishments, Fines and Fees which will lead to increase in Costs to the Tourism Sector and Government controls in every area of Tourism.
There are various deviations in the proposed Bill from the Tourism Policy 2020 with respect to Representation for the Local Tourism Stakeholders. The Bill has provisions for some National Bodies who have no role to play in Tourism Industry of Goa, mentions the TTAG Memorandum.
TTAG has also raised the issue of high Taxation, imposition of Development and Sustainability fee and various other issues which the Tourism Stakeholders claim to be draconian, stated Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao.
BJP Government has killed the Mining Industry in Goa. Now they want to finish Tourism Industry. Their only focus is on every inch of Goan Land which they want to sell to the Crony Capitalists of Delhi. I will take up this issue in the upcoming Assembly Session and seek explanation from the Government, Yuri Alemao said.