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Goa plans crackdown on ‘nuisance’ in tourist places; hawking, begging banned

Nov 01, 2022 01:29 PM IST

Among the banned activities are the ‘process of cooking food in open spaces and littering, consumption of liquor in open spaces and breaking of glass bottles, etc.

In a bid to refine its tourism industry, the Goa tourism department has declared several activities, including cooking and drinking in the open, begging and illegal hawking, and touting in tourist places, driving vehicles on the beach, etc., as “nuisance,” and placed a fine of up to 50,000 for such violations.

Tourists at Baga beach in Goa. (REUTERS File Photo)
Tourists at Baga beach in Goa. (REUTERS File Photo)

In an order issued on Monday, Goa tourism director Nikhil Desai also banned unauthorised selling of tickets for water sports activities that take place outside the state, such as Malvan (south Maharashtra) and Karwar (Karnataka). The order, Desai said, was issued “since these activities have damaged and deteriorated or are likely to damage or deteriorate the tourism potentiality of the tourist places.”

Among the banned activities are the “process of cooking food in open spaces and littering, consumption of liquor in open spaces and breaking of glass bottles, etc”. Besides cooking, eating and drinking, the order also bans a wide range of illegal hawking, touting and other activities that could “impede the free movement of tourists/cause obstructions or compel the tourists to purchase items/goods/services”.

Also Read: Goa Tourism wins four national tourism awards

These include touting/selling tickets for cruise boats or other tickets of tourism activities other than from authorised ticketing counters, selling from unauthorised handcarts, moveable carts and unauthorised hawkers, selling tickets for water sports packages for services to be offered outside Goa and others.

Any person, company, association or firm or any other body who fails to comply with this order or obstructs any person acting on the direction of this order shall be punishable with a fine of 5,000, which may extend up to 50,000, or shall be liable for action under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (disobedience to a government order).

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The Goa tourism industry in the past has called for a ‘reinvention’ of the tourism character of Goa in a bid to ensure that the tourist experience is not sullied by incongruous behaviour. In 2019, the Goa assembly passed amendments to the Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance), banning drinking in tourist places including drinking in the open, cooking in the open, littering and breaking glass bottles.

Instead, tourists were to be encouraged to drink within shacks or other beach side establishments.

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