Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte has said that several issues affecting Goa’s tourism sector fall under departments other than Tourism, but the Tourism Department is often held responsible for every problem.
Speaking to Prudent Media, Khaunte said issues related to taxis, roads, sewage, water supply, transport and other tourism-related concerns involve multiple departments, including Home, PWD, Sewerage, Water Resources and Transport.
He said that if engineers and officials of the respective departments perform their duties properly, many of these problems can be resolved without affecting Goa’s tourism image.
Khaunte said he has been following up with the concerned departments over the past four years and added that he would also raise the matter with Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant.
The Tourism Minister also expressed concern over tourism-related issues and incidents being widely circulated on social media. He said once negative publicity affects Goa’s image, it becomes difficult to control the damage.
“Whatever the issue may be and whichever department it belongs to, the Tourism Department is held responsible,” Khaunte said, stressing the need for better coordination among government departments.
He urged officials and engineers across departments to ensure that their respective responsibilities are handled efficiently to prevent issues from escalating and damaging Goa’s reputation as a tourism destination. Khaunte said protecting Goa’s tourism image requires a collective effort and not the responsibility of the Tourism Department alone.
