New water sports policy of Goa to ensure secure adventures for tourists

Goa, known for its serene beaches and Portuguese-influenced architecture has been a hub of water adventure sports for a long time now. Over 5 lakh people visit Goa every year to engage in water sports. As riveting as these sports are, there are several hiccups that tourists face. One particular issue is illegal and unfair means adopted by the water sports operators.

One of the reasons behind this is increased competition amongst the water sports operators led by the rise in year-on-year tourist footfall. In order to maintain the law and order and efficiently manage these water sports, Goa Tourism Department is formulating a water sports policy that will benefit tourists and operators as well.

The concerned Water Sports policy deals with addressing the middleman issue which creates a disparity in water sports prices. As per the policy, the Department of Tourism shall function as the Nodal Department to look after the operation of water sports. Additionally, universal rates will be set for the different water sports and the booking will be conducted via the official portal.

In order to limit the number of people involved in operating or managing such activities, a valid work visa and approval from the state government have been made mandatory for foreigners.

With an aim to offer equal opportunities for operators on the Goa coastline, a queuing system will be adopted. The new system when coupled with the online booking feature, will eliminate all unauthorised guides and touts, offering seamless services to consumers.

Additionally, operators will be asked to use only the pre-registered equipment including, boats, jetties and more. Once the registration is attested, a safety certificate for such operators will be issued by the agency.

Efficient implementation of tech-driven schemes can offer multiple benefits from a smooth transaction to bringing business and consumers closer. In order to offer safe and hassle-free booking and payment services, fully functional kiosks will be installed at various locations. These kiosks will dispense tickets and ensure the collection of ticket fees.