Tourism season months away, ministers mull finest approach to open Goa as much as vacationers | Newest Information India

While Goas The tourist season in October is still months away, and discussions have already begun about when the state should open to tourists.

Within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ministers now swear to be more careful than at the first round when Goa opened up access to the state.

“The tourism industry shouldn’t open up until Covid-19 cases across India are under control; If it opens, it should be gradual, ”said Michael Lobo, a minister in the Goa government who represents the Calangute constituency, arguably the epicenter of tourism in the state.

On May 31, Lobo argued that any kind of restriction on passenger traffic in the state would ring the industry’s death knell. “If you make SOPs stricter and harass tourists, which tourist will come to Goa? We have to take precautionary measures, but at the same time you cannot shut down because Covid-19 cases are increasing, “he had said.

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However, when the situation worsened, he was one of the first to change his mind and call on the villages in his constituency to “cordon off”.

For his part, Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar has suggested that only those who are fully vaccinated should be allowed in the state once he is open-minded.

However, the opposition has questioned the need to reopen, suggesting that tourists should not be welcome until all residents of the state are vaccinated.

“Opening up tourism is not based on admitting fully vaccinated tourists. Thought should be given once all Goans are fully vaccinated – so that Goa can become a safe tourist destination. This is the worldwide practice. Before opening up tourism, the Goa government must ensure that all Goan businesses and workers are given all the support and incentives they can to recover. We have to protect Goa’s livelihoods first if we really want to recover Goa’s tourism industry, ”said Vijai Sardesai, President of the Goa Forward Party.

To date, Goa has vaccinated nearly 400,000 people with at least one dose – about 25% of the population – while about 100,000 people have received both doses. That way, it will take at least another six months for much of the state to be fully vaccinated with both doses.

The state’s Covid number is 161,000 and nearly 3,000 people have died.

After the initial lockdown last year, Goa’s tourism sector experienced a kind of revival in the months of November to January, with flight arrivals and tourist frequencies on the main beaches almost the same as in previous seasons.

According to the state government, around 2.5 million tourists visited Goa by December last year, a little more than a quarter of the normal arrivals. Before the pandemic, the state saw nearly 9 million tourists, including around 900,000 foreigners.

According to a survey by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation on the impact of the pandemic on the state’s tourism industry, the total loss of income during the lockdown has been estimated at Rs 2.062 billion. Potential loss of earnings for the 2020/21 season is tied to ₹7,239 crore and the potential downsizing was 122,000 (58%).

Goa’s tourism sector directly contributes 16.43% to the state’s gross domestic product and, according to official estimates, provides employment to nearly 35% of the state’s population.