PANAJI: Urging stakeholders to embrace the ‘Goa Road Map’ adopted during the recently concluded G20 meeting, tourism minister Rohan Khaunte on Tuesday said that Goa is committed to green tourism.
The road map comprises five pillars for the tourism sector, all aligned with the objective of achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Khaunte said that the five pillars are green tourism, digitization, skills enhancement, tourism micro, small and medium enterprises, and destination management. He said they collectively form the cornerstone of the strategy to reshape and revitalise tourism in line with the global sustainability objectives.
As the theme of this year’s World Tourism Day revolves around ‘tourism and green investments’, Khaunte said that it is crucial to recognise that the success of green tourism is intertwined with strengthening the other four pillars.
Khaunte said that ‘Goa Beyond Beaches’ is an initiative that transcends the coastal allure, redefining Goa as a beacon of sustainable and green tourism.
The minister said a state-level function has been organised in Panaji to celebrate the World Tourism Day on Wednesday.
As for the shack policy, Khaunte said that the tourism department has considered all the suggestions received from shack operators. He said he will not allow politics over the Goa State Shack Policy 2023-2026.
“I am with the traditional shack operators, but they cannot take the government for granted and issue different statements every time. I condemn their statements,” Khaunte said. “They (shack owners) accepted that we met them on eight occasions to discuss the shack policy, yet they claim they were not taken into confidence.”
Representatives of the Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS) met chief minister Pramod Sawant on Monday and demanded that the policy be rolled back even as the government had earlier agreed to drop the age criterion.
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