To
Make Goa Tourism Globally Competitive
Feb, Goa: Ahead of
the State budget of Goa, Hotel and Restaurant
Association of Western India (HRAWI) has sought assistance from the Government
for incentivizing key aspects of the hospitality and tourism industry to make
it competitive globally.
In the pre-budget
memorandum submitted to the Finance Minister and Chief Minister of Goa, the
industry has appealed for revision of the current taxation system, subsidy on
diesel for power generation and incentives for investing in waste management
and re-cycling of waste.
“Tourism is the
back bone of Goa’s economy, employing 1/3rd of its population and contributing
50% of the total collected revenues to the State coffers in terms of revenues
from various sources. Goa’s
tourism scene is challenged by tourism promoted by Sri Lanka, Thailand,
Singapore and also some other Indian states. Unlike in other states and countries
which have incentives in terms of lower taxation and lower interest rates that
boost the tourism industry, the hospitality industry only seeks assistance from
the Government to make it more competitive in market by lowering the cost of
the product,” says Mr. Charles Bonifacio, Chairman, Goa sub-committee, HRAWI.
Among the key
measures, HRAWI has suggested amendment to Tourism Trade Act and validity of
certificates. The association has requested for a single window clearance that
will allow establishments to bring uniformity in obtaining various licenses and
certificates, pay fees annually and retain validity for 5 years. Presently,
only the certificate of hotel classification issued by the Central Government
has a validity of 5 years.
“Cleaning and regulating
beach tourism is of utmost importance for a litter free and safe beach
enjoyment experience. Unfortunately, this is another area of concern, which presently
ranks somewhere in the bottom list of priorities. Besides this, we’ve also
requested the administration to form either a co-operative or corporate body to
regulate taxis and provide subsidy on taxi meters that will weed out any
malpractices in fares being charged to tourists,” adds Mr. Bonifacio.
The recommendations,
if incorporated in the upcoming budget, will have the capacity to boost tourism
and place Goa on the international map as one of the most sought after tourist
destinations.
About Hotel &
Restaurant Association Western India (HRAWI)
The Hotel and
Restaurant Association (Western India) is a 63 years old Association of Hotels
and Restaurants in Western India. Its members include Hotels up to 5-Star
Deluxe categories like The Taj, Trident, Hyatt, J.W. Marriott and The Leela who
are some of the prominent members of our Association. With around 1300 members
across Western India, HRAWI covers Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Goa and the Union Territories of Daman, Diu &Silvassa is
considered to be the voice of the Hotel Industry. The association is part of
the national body of Federation of the Hotels & Restaurants Associations of
India (FHRAI), located in New Delhi, which was originally founded in Mumbai in
1950 by the late Mr. J.R.D. Tata.
