Goa Tourism Minister: To Improve Tourism Experience With Technology

Rohan Khaunte, Goa's tourism minister, said the government will try to ensure strict compliance with regulations by all stakeholders so that tourists feel safe and secure in Goa. He added that Goa's tourism department is enhancing digital experiences and addressing issues with taxi operators and online portals. Also, the focus has shifted to International FIts over charter groups post-COVID.

Conceding that Goa as a tourist destination has a long way to go in terms of stitching together and delivering visitor experiences digitally, Rohan Khaunte, the state's tourism minister, said that the tourism department is working overtime a bridge that digital gap by taking all the stakeholders of the tourism industry together in that transformational journey. Khaunte said this in an exclusive interaction with ET Travel World on the sidelines of the travel and tourism exp SATTE in Delhi last week.

"Technology is the answer to improving our representation and ensuring the destination meets the expectations of the tourists. We understand that some changes are required in that direction, and we are working on it," the minister said, citing some of the steps taken by the tourism department, like the 1364 helpline and the 'LetsGoa' app.

"Things have started happening. We need to do more and better in that direction," the minister said. This is especially true of the resistance from a section of the taxi operators, while the majority are honest and well-behaved. "We have Goa Taxi, a government initiative, and Goa Myles, a private aggregator platform. We are ready for the stakeholders' new ideas and technology apps," the minister informed.

He said that the government recently had open discussions with all the stakeholders, chaired by the state's chief secretary and attended by secretaries and directors of the various departments. Khaunte said there would be a follow-up meeting chaired by the chief minister in the coming week to chalk out immediate priorities and corrective measures required to ensure smooth tourism growth in the state.

Khaunte said that the stakeholder conclave discussed the regulations and compliances that all stakeholders needed to adhere to to ensure the safety, security, and comfort of the visitors. He said that from traditional shack operators to water sports operators to OTAs, all have to align their operations to ensure that Goa maintains the lead as a preferred destination of the people.

He said that the department had given strict directions to OTAs against listing unregistered and unlicensed accommodation on their sites. He noted that online platforms sell private villas that do not exist, and guests feel fleeted only when they arrive at the destination. The minister said that the department deals with such online portals quite strictly with the help of security agencies.

While the government does not want to get into controlling the tariffs of hotel operators, the minister cautioned against jacking up rates artificially, taking advantage of the demand and supply gaps, especially during the high seasons and internationally. When the hotels and OTAs realise the mistake and lower the rates, people might have finalised their travel plans in favour of other destinations.

When asked about the international charter business, which has yet to bounce back, the tourism minister said that the approach to the global charter market has changed over the years, especially in the post-COVID period, with domestic tourists more than compensating for the losses. Khaunte said that the department is now targeting and focusing more on international FITs than the usual charter groups, which are not big spenders at the destination.

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