Majority of shack owners in Calangute, Candolim likely to give season a miss

CALANGUTE: A large number of beach shack owners along the Calangute-Candolim beach-belt are unlikely to set up shacks for the 2020-21 tourism season.
“Around 70-80% of the shack owners don’t want to start their shacks on account of the Covid-19 situation. It’s a risk,” said John Lobo, general secretary of the shack owners welfare society (SOWS).
Candolim-based shack owner Seby D'Souza, vice-president, SOWS, said that “many people don’t want to set up their shacks because they suffered losses in the last season”.“You need Rs 3-4 lakh to set up and start a shack, and there’s no guarantee that they will recover their money in this season because they are unsure of the arrival of tourists,” he said.
Shack owners recently met the director of tourism, Menino D’Souza to request for a relaxation in the rules of the beach shack policy which state that any shack owner who does not set up his shack within 30 days of receiving the licence will have the licence revoked and the licence will then be given to those on the waiting list. These shack owners then get removed from the list of “experienced” shack owners and have to apply in the newcomers category for the next season for a fresh licence.
“The tourism director has agreed to this proposal, but it is yet to be approved by the government. The last season was bad and this season also there is no guarantee of foreign charter tourists. My shack is in Baga and 99% of my customers are domestic tourists. But there are some shacks in parts of Candolim and Calangute which are completely dependent on foreign charter tourists. If there are no foreign charter tourists, then they will suffer,” Lobo said.
While stating that “it’s a wait-and-watch situation”, Lobo said that they have told the tourism director not to cancel the licences of those not putting up the shacks within the stipulated time, as some may start late if foreign tourists start coming in by November or December.
“But some shacks may not start at all because the Covid-19 cases are still on the rise. Tourists are now being allowed to enter the state without a test. All waiters come in contact with the tourists, who then come in contact with the kitchen staff and the owner while handing over the bill amount. So if one waiter gets the virus, it will then spread like wildfire,” Lobo said.