PANAJI
Stakeholders in Goa's hotel and hospitality industry are looking forward to tourism-friendly Union budget that will support the local industry. The budget must boost tourism through allocation of funds, said Gaurish Dhond, former president of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG). Major projects are lying incomplete due to lack of funds and the industry is hoping for central funds for them, said Dhond.
Over the last three years, the state government has initiated projects such as catering college, marinas, backwater jetties, Santa Monica jetty for which the cost is upward of Rs 500-crore. While some projects have not yet taken off, several infrastructure and beautification projects are in various stages of implementation. Work is held up because the state government is cash-strapped and not making timely payments to contractors. We are hoping that the Centre announces finances for these projects in the budget, said industry stakeholders.
Tourism is currently the most important industry in Goa and provides maximum number of jobs to locals and it deserves bolstering, said industry stakeholders. Hoteliers said that they have kept fingers crossed on service tax reduction in the forthcoming budget. It was increased in the previous Budget from 12.36 per cent to 14 per cent and made eating out expensive. It is affecting business of restaurants, said hoteliers.
The industry is also asking for lower duties and levies on aviation and travel-related industry. Visa-on-arrival is one measure taken under tourism-friendly policies and industry is looking at several more similar announcements from the budget.
Goa badly needs a world-class convention centre and although several announcements for it were made by the state the project never took off. Stakeholders said that central funding for a convention centre will be useful. The budget must focus on the overall environment of the tourism industry, say industry players.