Goa government to issue periodic dos and don’ts for tourists

PANAJI: With a rise in cases of tourists being cheated by fraudsters, dubious online booking agents and touts, Goa Tourism is planning to release a periodic advisory advising visitors about precautions to be taken when planning a holiday to Goa. The advisory will list out the do’s and don’ts they should heed when holidaying here.
Some suggestions to be included in the advisory were discussed at Thursday’s Goa Tourism board meeting. Tourism minister Rohan Khuante highlighted the issue of unregistered online agents accepting bookings for hotel rooms and of tourists being cheated.
Several instances of tourists being cheated by touts in Calangute and Baga have come to light, and all were reported to the police.
Panaji police, too, recently registered a case against a woman after an Andhra tourist was robbed of Rs 40,000 on the pretext of escort services being provided.
Touts are no longer restricted to beaches, but have spread across the state and their target is mostly male tourists who visit Goa with “different ideas” of having fun. “Most of those who get robbed do not report for obvious reasons, but such instances give the state a bad name,” a hotelier from North Goa, said.
Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) president Nilesh Shah said the advisory is much needed as it will help tourists have a better holiday.
He said that alerts or warnings should also be put up at beaches and other tourist spots, warning visitors not to fall prey to tricks of touts and cheaters, who target gullible tourists.
The advisory should also be put up on the tourism department’s website and on social media, he said.