‘Goa beyond beaches’ is step towards encouraging green tourism: Minister Rohan Khaunte

Panaji: Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Tuesday said that to move to promote tourism beyond beaches in the coastal state is a step towards encouraging green tourism.

Speaking to reporters on the eve of World Tourism Day, Khaunte said green tourism is a way forward for the sector, which is the backbone of Goa’s economy. The state government’s concept of ‘Goa beyond beaches’ is about moving tourism from the coast to the hinterland and is a step towards encouraging green and sustainable tourism, the minister said.

Goa’s Homestay Policy aims to encourage hinterland tourism and create employment for locals, Khaunte said, citing that hinterland tourism will benefit the local communities in a big way. The theme of World Tourism Day to be observed on September 27 is “people, planet and prosperity.”

“This time, the World Tourism Day revolves around tourism and the green investment,” he said.

”When we speak about green tourism, we have challenges like advancing citizen action for sustainable tourism, measuring better to manage better, protecting, empowering and engaging the local population, supporting bio-diversity conversation and transition to sustainable infrastructure and operations,” the minister said.

The initiative of Yuva Tourism clubs is picking up in colleges and nearly 75 institutions in the state have these clubs, he said, adding that the Central government wants youth to be the ambassadors of tourism.

Speaking about objections raised by a section of beach shack operators on the recently announced shack policy, Khaunte said the policy was framed after taking the stakeholders into confidence, and there were eight rounds of meetings with them to draft the policy.