One third Goa dependent on tourism: Nilkanth
PTI, PANAJI | 01 February 2011 11:56 IST
Goa Tourism Minister Nilkant Halarnkar told the State Legislative Assembly that one third of state's population is dependent on tourism for their livelihood.
In a written reply tabled during the ongoing state legislative assembly session, Halarnkar said one third of the state's population is dependent on tourism in one way or other.
Goa has a population of 14 lakh.
The minister said USD 912 million was earned in 2009-10 fiscal year in the form of foreign exchange from tourism.
Goa attracts around 25 lakh tourists including four lakh foreigners annually, who throng to the state beaches.
It is called a free world and yet developed countries restrict entry for visits, work and to settle down. India is a country of over one billion people. Not all of the above 1.4 million people who form the population of Goa are not native Goans. Those who come to work yes we need them to support our economy. In addition we have tourism which brings people seasonally. To support that we need adequate infrastructure, water resources, electricity and even educaional institutions. In about fifty years' time they predict there won't be sufficient water to sustain us. In addition there is security issues. Yes, they want tourism because it generates income, it's an industry. And life goes on .....
I am so sad for the goan people whom I have come to call my friends, the political greed and police activities make them worse the the criminals they arrest, first the place most UK tourists like to come is GOA wonderful beaches, happy smiling Goan's, cheerful Taxi drivers and on the beaches the Shacks, perfect calm, paradise, so why the hell do the politicians now make it so hard for us to get Visa's the only conclusion is MONEY MONEY MONEY, I for one will miss GOA but I won't be comming back until the IDIOTS who run the country start representing the Goan's and make it easier for us to visit your wonderful country.
John Simons
Ludovico is right concerning the infrastructure in Goa etc.... Yet tourism is not tourism! Who needs the foreign bums who live from their dole and haggle with the rickshaw drivers for 10 Rupees more or less.
There are plenty of foreigners in Goa who work 1-2 months a year in their homeland just to be a bum on a six month visa and return on a yearly basis. Lets have 3,4,5-star tourism in Goa, but the rest we can do without!