Goa Govt Committed To Keeping Traditional Beach Shacks With Local Operators: Minister

The Goa government was committed to ensuring that beach shacks, closely associated with the state's tourism identity, remain with local Goans, Tourism Minister Rohan A Khaunte has said.

Efforts are being made to ensure that the traditional beach shack operators, who are important stakeholders in Goa's tourism ecosystem, receive requisite permissions ahead of the upcoming tourist season, Khaunte told reporters on Tuesday evening at the sidelines of the monsoon session of the assembly.

Traditional beach shacks are a key feature of Goa's tourism landscape, offering food, beverages and other services to visitors along the state's beaches.

Khaunte said, "We have actually created history, and I always said that we will ensure that shacks are there for the tourists. Every year, tourists used to wait for the shacks, but since the last two-three years, shacks are ready before the tourist season. We have supported them wholeheartedly." The government was providing support to shack operators, the minister said, while referring to a legal challenge filed by a local operator on technical grounds.

Shack operators have been seeking early issuance of licenses to enable them to commence operations.

Cruz Cardozo, president of the Shack Owners Welfare Society, said the association had met Khaunte and requested that licenses be issued at the earliest so that the shacks could begin operations by the first week of September, as was the case last year.

"The tourism minister said he will give the licenses as soon as possible and we fully trust him. The tourism minister, tourism director and government have always been supportive," Cardozo said.

He said Goa also received a significant number of tourists during the off-season and the shack operators were looking forward to the upcoming season.