Goa MLA Criticizes Beach Shacks for Declining Foreign Tourism

Michael Lobo links falling international tourist arrivals in Goa to lack of local cuisine promotion and operational issues in the tourism sector.

BJP MLA Michael Lobo attributed the decline in foreign tourist footfall in Goa to beach shacks serving non-Goan dishes like idli-sambar and vada-pav instead of promoting local cuisine.
Lobo emphasized the need for shacks to showcase Goan culture and cuisine, calling for stricter enforcement of policies requiring local food offerings.
The Goa tourism department recently issued show-cause notices to 99 shacks for policy violations, including illegal subletting to operators from outside the state.
Lobo also highlighted ongoing issues like taxi operator disputes, garbage collection, and stray animals as contributing factors to the tourism decline.
The MLA pointed to geopolitical factors, such as the Ukraine war, as another reason for reduced arrivals from Russian and Ukrainian tourists.