No drug-using tourists, no cooking in public places

Discouraging tourists to consume drugs and avoid budget tourists Cooking In public places, there are two large red flags identified on the Goa Tourism Policy which was approved by the state cabinet on Wednesday, Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said.

Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, Ajgaonkar said the overall goal of the tourism policy was to promote the natural beauty of Go to and state heritage and broaden the focus of a current pathway in the state Beaches.

“The beauty of Goa is famous all over the world. We have to boost tourism by promoting its culture and natural beauty,” Ajgaonkar told reporters.

“We want good tourists. We do not want drugs and tourists who use drugs. We do not want people who cook on the street,” Ajgaonkar said, adding that these two aspects spoil the image of tourism in Goa.

Low-budget tourists traveling in large vehicles and camping and cooking in public places and trails has been a topic of debate in the Assembly in recent years and lawmakers called the trend a threat.

A major reform in the new tourism policy is the introduction of the Goa Tourism Board, a body composed largely of experts and stakeholders from the tourism industry, who have been tasked with identifying and implementing targets. long and short term for the industry.

Goa is a well-known beach tourist destination and last year the coastal state attracted almost eight million tourists.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic has seriously affected the state’s tourism outlook.