The blanket ban that puts Goa's rain tourism at risk

Just when Goa’s tourism stakeholders were beginning to warm up to the idea of 'Goa Beyond Beaches' and 365 days of tourism, the South Goa administration has announced a blanket ban on swimming, bathing, or entering natural waterbodies across the district. The prohibition will remain in force for 60 days.

This decision pulls the plug on the very experiences that define rainfall tourism. Recently, the government was very upbeat and made a grandiose announcement that it was gunning for a full-house season in the rains. But, going by this blanket ban, imposed by the South Goa Collector, it doesn't seem so.

The rationale behind the ban was a spate of drowning incidents across scenic locales like Sanguem and Dharbandora, often due to poor judgment, alcohol consumption, lack of life vests, absence of supervision and unsafe access points.

These are not minor concerns, and no one is denying that safety must come first. But, the government’s knee-jerk approach of banning access, rather than managing risk, raises a crucial question: Can monsoon thrive if the very experiences that define it are shut down?

The government’s knee-jerk approach of banning access, rather than managing risk, raises a crucial question: Can monsoon tourism thrive if the very experiences that define it are shut down?

Let’s be honest, every year, it’s the same story. The State speaks of monsoon tourism, but on the ground, it withdraws access to spots that epitomise monsoon tourism and creates fear, not safety. This is like saying, “Let’s ban vehicles because there are road accidents.” Where’s the rationale in that?

Instead of reacting with prohibitions, the government needs to regulate, not eradicate. There are responsible operators doing things right. Operators like 'The Local Beat', who conduct experiences, do not allow more than 12 people per outing.

They check water conditions daily, enforce the use of life vests, and ensure that the trails and roads leading to the waterfalls are safe. That’s the kind of preparedness the government should encourage, not penalise.

The irony is stunning. The same government that flies abroad with glitzy ' Beyond Beaches' campaigns, makes a song and dance about hinterland tourism; then pulls the rug from under the feet of those actually promoting it. This, while licensed, experienced providers are being royally let down, and treks by untrained groups, with no licensing, continue unchecked.

What hurts most is that this was a golden opportunity to skill local youth by training them in hosting, first aid and rescue operations, and employing them meaningfully.

Self-help groups of women could have been engaged to cook and serve local meals from their homes, while storytelling and curated experiences could have made visitors fall in love with Goa’s rich, living hinterland.

What hurts most is that this was a golden opportunity to skill local youth by training them in hosting, first aid and rescue operations, and employing them meaningfully.

Instead, the State announced “tourism beyond beaches”, spent lakhs on online marketing and trade fairs, but did not conduct any assessment of carrying capacity or risk mitigation plans. And, this has been going on for the past four years, despite repeated deaths due to drowning at waterfalls and abandoned quarries.

Let’s not forget that some of the locals depend on hinterland tourism for a livelihood and it matters to them. With every arbitrary ban, their season collapses.

If the forest minister now steps in, as expected, and declares access to all waterfalls restricted, then phase two of the monsoon shutdown will be complete.

Take Dudhsagar, for instance. It is closed during every monsoon. Why? If a system, like Drishti Marine, can be successfully implemented on the beaches to reduce drownings, why not adopt something similar for hinterland water bodies?

That’s what a prepared, future-focused tourism model looks like. Instead, here we are, watching babus repeat the same script every season, only with more bans.

Here’s the real danger. While the licensed and trained experience providers are left disappointed, it’s the untrained operators and busloads of tourists dumped near fragile eco-zones that will carry on unchecked. How will the government react to this?

Until these contradictions are resolved, the government’s pitch for 365-days of tourism is hollow. A state that’s unprepared to manage its own tourist footfalls has no business making international promises it cannot keep. The beaches got safer when systems were put in place. Why is the being abandoned?

It’s time to move beyond bans and start building trust by finding trained operators from within the local communities. Why deny nature lovers and tourists who are genuinely seeking the Goan rain experience? Otherwise, monsoon tourism in Goa will continue to be a dream soaked in irony and a completely damp squib.