On the occasion of World Tourism Day on September 27, Goa witnessed black flag protests in the capital Panaji, with shack owners opposing the new beach shack policy approved by the Goa government on Wednesday. Beach shacks, which are small temporary restaurants erected on the beaches, serve food and drinks and are popular among tourists particularly foreigners visiting the coastal state of Goa.

The shack owners are opposing the terms of the new temporary beach shack policy which increases license fees and security deposits, reduces the number of shacks that will be allotted and restricts the size of the shacks and the number of beach bed permitted per shack to five per shack.

Shack licenses are valid for the duration of the tourist season which is six months. Aggrieved shack owners gathered outside the state tourism department office in Panaji and shouted slogans decrying the policy. They accused the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar of going back on his earlier assurance of addressing the concerns of the beach shack owners. Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS) president Cruz Cardozo demanded that the new shack policy be rolled back.

Cardozo alleged that the policy was designed to further the interests of the starred hotels lobby in the state to the detriment of the shack owners. He said ""if the issue was not resolved soon, it would affect coastal tourism in the state."

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