Panaji: The state government will soon notify the tourism policy and a tourism master plan as per which will set the strategy for development of tourism, Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said on Wednesday.

Interacting with media persons in Panaji, the Tourism Minister said, “We have finalised the tourism policy and a tourism master plan. Now we are waiting approval of the state cabinet after which it will be notified by the government…it is at the final stage.”

During a presentation organised by the Tourism department in January 2019, MLAs had gone to the extent of alleging that the draft tourism master plan and policy being prepared by KPMG Advisory Services was a “cut and paste job” with content lifted from the internet. Besides, the proposals were not in sync with the ground realities of Goa, they had alleged.

Ajgaonkar said that the government will come out with a policy; wherein outside vehicles entering Goa will be checked for necessary documents at the state border itself.

He said that once the vehicles pass the checking at the state border, a sticker will be pasted on it which will be valid and will ensure that the vehicle is not unnecessarily stopped for the purpose of document inspection again within the state during the specified time. 

“Tourists who are hiring rent-a-bikes and cars should not be harassed by the police, today we have issued instructions to the police that if tourists are not in possession of the required documents of the hired vehicle then they should act against the owner of the vehicle by issuing challan and they should not penalise the tourists,” the minister said.  

He said that if the tourists are wearing helmets then they will not be stopped by the police he, however, said that tourists found creating a nuisance will be booked by the police.