Goa residents and tourists should treat each other with respect, says travel & hotel association

The police and the home department need to strictly enforce the law and stop such incidents, Shah said.The TTAG chief said the police need to be sensitized and adequately trained to deal with such situations going forward.Perhaps an empowered tourism police task force in each districttaluka needs to be formed to deal with such situations.

Travel and tourism representatives in Goa on Monday said local residents and tourists should treat each with respect as they expressed concern over instances of harassment of travellers by touts, comments coming in the backdrop of attack on members of a Delhi-based family at the Anjuna beach earlier this month.

The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) said neither local residents nor tourists should take the law into their own hands.

The tourism sector in Goa has been shaken by two recent incidents -- brutal attack by a group of people wielding a knife and other weapons on a Delhi-based family holidaying at the Anjuna beach and assault by a woman on a security guard at the entrance of Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa.

In a statement released to the media, TTAG president Nilesh Shah said in view of the rising incidents of crime against holidaymakers in Goa, the association would like to clearly state no one, local residents or tourists, should take the law into their own hands.

Both need to treat each other respectfully and follow the law of the land -- one as a guest, the other as a host, he said.

“There have been numerous instances of harassment of tourists by touts. The police and the home department need to strictly enforce the law and stop such incidents,” Shah said.

The TTAG chief said the police need to be sensitized and adequately trained to deal with such situations going forward.

“Perhaps an empowered tourism police task force in each district/taluka needs to be formed to deal with such situations. Such a task force should be answerable to the higher ups (DGP/IGP / SP) with no political interference,” he said.

Shah said the Goa government has started a slew of initiatives for visitors and they need to be supported by stakeholders.

“The government has started a lot of good initiatives such as a single window system for water sports, launch of a Goa taxi app and entrepreneur transport schemes. These initiatives require proper support from locals and tourists, along with proper implementation,” he added.

The TTAG is the apex body representing the hotel and travel trade in Goa. Its members consist of hoteliers, travel agents, tour operators, airlines and other allied bodies.