The 2nd Goa International Travel Mart (GITM) ended on Sunday with the underpinning sentiment that while a large number of buyers from beyond Goa came to see what Goans had to offer in tourism, most Goan sellers showed disinterest by staying away.
As per a report in TOI by Joaquim Fernandes, the state government spent about 3 crore for the three-day event. But there were only 80 exhibitors from Goa displaying their tourism services. For instance, the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa has around 200 members, but only about 40 participated.
The dismay among the organizers was summed up in the comment of a tourism department official who said, "They (Goan tourism sellers) are doing very well. So they don't even want to pay the highly-discounted prices we were offering for the stalls." The minimum amount for a stall at the starred resort in Bambolim was 26,000. It is ironic that the GITM was meant to offer a platform for small Goan tourism sellers to exhibit their services to international buyers because they (sellers) find it financially prohibitive to participate is such tourism marts abroad.
The theme of this GITM was 'Refresh Goa', or, 'Unearth the hidden treasures of Goa'. This was designed to showcase Goa beyond its beaches and take tourists to the hinterland, its cuisine, culture, adventure and other such aspects.
But in the 'Refresh Goa' section there were only four exhibitors. They were however exhibiting a variety of tourism services including heritage walks, kayaking, sailing, fishing, motorcycle (Enfield) trips, etc.
Neither the tourism minister nor the tourism secretary attended the closing function. The event is hosted largely by the Goa tourism development corporation (GTDC), but its managing director neither attended the inaugural nor the closing function.
At the closing function, the first lament at the lack of Goan participation came from none other than Gaurish Dhond, the TTAG president. But he justified the low turnout to the fact that the event was held outside Panaji and so the sellers found it inconvenient to come. But more visitors rubbished that. One said organizers must network more closely with Goan tourism sellers. Another said the TTAG must make it mandatory for all its members to participate.
A tourism expert warned that resting on its laurels and not bothering to continually publicize their services like Kerala, may cost Goa dearly in the near future.