Efforts on to change perception that Goa is costly: Khaunte

Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Sunday said Tourism Minister Mauvin Godinho may not be wrong in saying Goa is a costly tourist state, but hastened to add that attempts made by him to regulate through a frame work shack, taxi and water sports operations were objected to last year.

Speaking to The Goan on the sidelines of the Goa Saraswat Food festival program at the BPS club here on Sunday, Khaunte further said politics should not come in the way of making Goa a tourism state and the most preferred tourist destination.

“I don’t say what Godinho said is wrong. In fact, we have been trying to do the course correction over the last one year and half to change the perception that Goa is costly and that Goa is beyond beaches”, he said.

He added: “Because tourists find Goa costly, we had tried to bring regulation frame work, so that tourists should not feel that shack, taxi and water sports operation are costly, But when we tried to bring the change, our own people had objected to the regulations”.

Saying that when there is competition for Goa from Malwan and other places, the Tourism minister said the department has taken important steps to build the numbers. “We have to work in a collaborative and responsible manner to give the tourists what Goa is known for. Goa is a five star destination, just because Goa is a five start destination, Goa is by default a costly destination. Once we get good flow, we have to improvise so that we have the numbers”, he added.

Asserting the government is taking steps for quality tourists over quantity, Khaunte said it is the responsibility of