Consultant-Advisor-Resource Person through the Centre for Responsible Tourism (CRT).
Consultant from March 2007 until February 2009
This was one of the sectors that the CRT organized. Tourism is one of the biggest revenue earners for the Government of Goa. However, the facts show that those who really make the tourism industry work are not the main beneficiaries of tourism in Goa. The tourist taxi owners and drivers constitute a sizeable part of the local population employed in tourism, and should be given an equitable and fair share of the benefits of tourism in the given tourism regime.
In a charter of demands, the Federation of Associations of Taxi Owners and drivers in cooperation with the Centre for responsible Tourism submitted to the Government of Goa a set of Operational Proposals which addressed some pressing issues concerning them. The measures were designed to have a positive effect on the quality of the transport system serving the tourists. The submission was made on October 2, 2008 to the Chief Minister of Goa. The Centre for Responsible Tourism and the Federation of Associations of Tourist Taxi Owners and Drivers are in an active dialogue with the Government and some encouraging steps have been taken.
The fundamental principle of the Centre for Responsible Tourism and FATTOD is affirming the imperative to ‘democratize tourism’. In other words, we seek to place the planning and implementation of tourism policy and practice in the realm of a government-people partnership. Our intent is to work with the various stakeholders of tourism to protect and advance their genuine interests. By meeting the above demands and actualizing them in practice, the government will go a long way to guarantee to ensure that the benefits of tourism reach the hands of the local host communities. Also, it will make sure that Goa will be a well served and popular tourist destination which acts responsibly for the hosts and visitors.