GCCI BULLETIN JANUARY 2019
8TH MAY 2019
Dear members,
Wish you A Very Happy New Year 2019!
Happiness is an intangible asset a result of tangible and/or intangible triggers. And that is what we all are in pursuit of. The reason I am talking about this particular is that our ‘sussegado Goa’ has been the happiness destination for millions of people who have touched our soil. Said to have emerged from the sea as a result of the arrow of one of the mightiest sages of yore, Goa has been a land of plenty. It was this unique combination of simplicity and plenty of resources, beaches, temples, and churches that catapulted us on the world tourism map.
From agrarian to tourism to mining, we were flourishing. And then came the greed. Over the last 10-12 years, we have slowly but surely allowed our ‘sussegado’ to be replaced by avarice. Mining provided jobs to thousands. Resultant businesses, in turn, were livelihood givers to thousands of businesses and lakhs of employees. The mining debacle is a self-invited done by a few unscrupulous ones which led to the shutdown of an entire industry and affected many lives. Similarly, the traditional ‘xit codi’ and other local fish delicacies have had tourists asking for more. Unfortunately even this has been given a terrible body blow by the ‘formalin controversy. Now, another bastion of the Goan economy, the tourism industry has perhaps recorded its lowest ever December a month back when from 100% occupancy, the occupancy rate went as low as 30-60%
It is said that ‘it is in giving, that you receive’. It was in this giving to our ‘atithis’, our tourists in terms of hospitality, service, cleanliness and ‘goenkarponn’ which gave them, and in turn us, happiness. Our greed to acquire numbers rather than the quality of tourists is what is turning away the tide of tourists to new zones
January is a good time to make resolutions. Let us look back 10, 15, and 20 years and analyze what it is that has worked and what needs to be reworked. Infrastructure is required to be revamped. Policies have to be re-thought. A definite and separate beach policy has to be drawn up and put in place. Every place has its own culture and certainly do’s and don’ts. And Goa unfortunately needs policing. If the ’70s was the age of hippies in Goa, the free and nondiscriminatory attitude of Goa and Goans has perhaps taken on a new meaning over the years. From improper attire and ogling on beaches, to tourists drinking and throwing glass bottles on the main roads, garbage and plastic in the pristine waters, ‘permissive Goa has been given a new color by some ‘atithis. Unfortunately, even the tourism stakeholders have been ignoring the warning signs and looking the other way. Naturally the discerning and the paying tourists, whether domestic or foreign are not finding this Goa ‘happy anymore!
I was reading an interesting book on concepts and reality. It is a fact that in 1969 we did land on the moon and have progressed on to NASA planning to send human explorers to Mars by 2025 and we continue to stretch your limit. However, we need to remember that while the space is limitless, our own Goa is limited to a finite radius. Our infrastructure is limited and so are our people the local Goans.
With the fall of the Soviet Union in 1990, Cuba faced an economic collapse. There was a scarcity of fuel, food and water, and blackouts. An unreliable public transport system forced the Cuban government to provide over a million cycles to the Cubans who adapted themselves to this change. Cubans transitioned from an industrial agricultural system to organic farming. It was a community approach and a shift in the people’s economic mindset that helped them overcome a serious crisis.
If Cubans could reinvent their lives in perhaps one of the toughest times, surely we Goans can revitalize tourism in Goa.
Goa is a formidable brand even now. Let us in this new year resolve to use our resources judiciously. Let us keep specific goals in mind
Om Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah may all be prosperous and happy.
This is my new year wish for all of you and Goa.
Sandip Bhandare
ABOUT GGCI
Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) is Goa’s premier non-profit business, support-services and networking organization. We represent and liaise with SME’s, Corporate Organisations and Government bodies.
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GOA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY
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