Panaji (Goa)

While Goa has always expressed its disgust over huge inflow of low-income tourists, Minister Vijai Sardesai has courted controversy for calling a section of nuisance creating Indian tourists as ‘scum of the earth.’ State’s biggest tourism stakeholder, agreeing that some tourists do dirty the surrounding during their stay in Goa; it has advised the minister to react diplomatic in dealing with the subject. 

The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) has said the government should sit across the table to discuss on how to get rid of tourists who give zero revenue to Goa and in turn, go back creating filth all around. “We all should sit together to come out with a solution rather than making controversial statements. After all we are in the hospitability industry and cannot hurt either the visitors or our own industry, and so we have to deal with it tactfully, diplomatically,” TTAG President Savio Messias said.  

On the nuisance created by certain tourists like cooking by the roadside, generating and dumping garbage in open, urinating in public and even taking bath under the open sky; the TTAG has urged law enforcement agency to take action. “Police should take action against the illegalities. All those disturbing the environment, hurting Goan culture and being offensive/ obscene should be taken to task. We will not tolerate this kind of tourists because they give us no revenue, but only filth and bad name,” said another TTAG member. 

Sardesai had recently taken to social media to hit out at such tourists claiming people of Goa are disgusted with a few tourists who use Goa as a dumping ground and create nuisance. “There are several instances. A video has gone viral of a tourist urinating from the bus on Goa’s most popular and well done road – Miramar to Dona Paula… People of Goa believe that a small section of 6.5million tourists who have come to Goa in the past have created the biggest nuisance. These people have no civic sense. These people are creating the maximum garbage and maximum nuisance. Certain section of tourists creating nuisance are scum of the earth and we do not need such tourists. We have to try and see to bring quality and high end tourists,” he had said. 

The coastal MLAs have often pointed out to tourists armed with cylinders and stoves camping on random roadside stating it was giving Goa a bad image internationally. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had recently announced to create camping facilities for such tourists who can’t afford restaurants. 

TEAM TNV