Enhancing Tourism Infrastructure in Goa

Goa is a popular tourism destination in India known for its beautiful beaches, rich culture, and history of colonization. The state has a good networking system that caters to local, national, and international levels. While Goa offers many attractive features, it lacks proper facilities for people with disabilities, which needs to be addressed. To enhance the tourist experience, the tourism department can focus on developing better infrastructure, providing beach access and special accommodation facilities for the disabled, as well as installing shower stalls, changing rooms, and other basic amenities in all beaches. Additionally, upgrading the south Goa circuit with facilities like children parks, parking, play areas, toilets, and wheelchair-accessible pathways will make it more appealing to tourists.

Running Header: Goa as a Coastal Tourist Destination 1
Goa as a Coastal Tourist Destination
Name
Institution

Goa as a Coastal Tourist Destination 2
Goa
Goa is a coastal state which lies in the Konkan coast of west India. The state is fenced by
Karnataka, Maharashtra, and the Arabian Sea. Goa is the country’s smallest state by area and
also one of the richest.
The state capital is Panaji and the largest city in the state is Vasco da Gama. Goa is
highly influenced by the Portuguese and its history and culture are reflected in Margao. Goa has
served as a former Portuguese province and it remained under the Portuguese influence for about
450 years. It was later annexed to India in 1961. Each year, the state sees scores of international
as well as domestic tourists thronging the place Goaholidayhomes.com. (2016). Goa is known
for its serene beaches, cultural, heritage and architectural places.
History of Goa
Goa is perceived as the gem embedded of the western coast of India. Though it is a part
of the Indian sub-continent at present, Goa was a part of the Portuguese India. They ruled Goa
for as many as 450 years and during this period, they made a mark in the state.
The influence and administration of the Portuguese in Goa was similar that of the British
in India. Another interesting fact is that while the Portuguese imposed their authority on Goa,
their homeland was under Spain from the end of 16th century for nearly 60 years. This period
was referred to as the 1580 Portuguese succession crisis and was succeeded by the death of king
Sebastian of Portugal.
Even though Goa continues to be remembered as a legacy of the Portuguese era, Indian
history shows that the state was always a part of the country. There are evidences that Goa was
part of the erstwhile Mauryan Empire. This dates back to the 3rd century B.C.
Starting from the third century, a number of Hindu dynasties ruled Goa for almost 700
years. The dynasties which administered Goa include the Chalukyas, the Kadambas, and the
Shillaharas. After a period of 700 years, Goa came under the reign of Muslim rulers until 1312.
Under the Muslim rule, Goa became an important landing place for the ships that carried horses
to Hampi.

Goa as a Coastal Tourist Destination 3
It was towards the end of the 15th century that a group of Portuguese adventurers
discovered a route to India. Among the adventurers was Vasco de Gama. Thus Goa became an
ideal place for Portuguese who faced domination in their own homeland. Along with their
culture and heritage, the Portuguese also started to spread Christianity in the state. As a result,
Goa still has hints of the Portuguese languages, cultures, and other legacies. The Portuguese soon
started to establish trade in the state because of Goa’s wealth, gained from the spice trade. Thus,
under the Portuguese domination, Goa had become a prospering state, achieving its golden age.
Under the Portuguese, Goa became wealth and its tourism too had flourished. Under their
rule which spanned for 450 years, Goa became one of the largest cities in the East which had as
many as 300 churches. The state became the vice imperial hold of the Portuguese Empire in the
East. During this period, the Portuguese had stiff competition from the French, the British, and
the Dutch, but they succeeded and continued to dominate the state until the 20th Century.
The Indian government made several efforts to talk to Portuguese and gain back the
rights on Goa. However, the Portuguese continued to be ignorant and continued to dominate the
state. Finally, on December 17, 1961, Indian PM Mr Jawaharlal Nehru ordered for a military
invasion to liberate Goa from the Portuguese. This operation came to an end after the Portuguese
Governor General Vassalo da Silva surrendered.
Tourism in Goa
Goa is an immensely popular coastal state in India which is known for its historical
buildings, architectural marvel and the wonderful beaches.
Apart from the beautiful forts, Goa is a home for as many as 300 churches. During their
rule, the Portuguese started to spread Christianity in the state and built a number of Churches in
the state. Another very captivating thing about Goa is the beaches in the state.
Tourist Classification
Goa is most popularly known as one of the most happening and coolest places in India.
The place is sprawled with a number of scenic gems. The many places of interest in Goa make it
the best destination for domestic as well as international tourists.

Goa as a Coastal Tourist Destination 4
The tourist population in Goa is mostly dominated by the British. The streets of Goa are
usually populated with Russians localities during the months of December and January. It is
predict that as many as 85% of the tourist visiting Goa are domestic visitors and the foreign
visitors account to 15.50% of the total visitors in the state. This means that out of the total 22.47
lakh tourists, 19 lakh are domestic tourists and 3. 47 are foreign tourists.
Tourist Demographics
If we go by the demographic classification of the tourists landing in Goa, it can be said that Goa
has a larger domination is of male tourists. About 69.83% of domestic tourists and an
approximation of 65.66% of foreign tourists visiting the state are male.
On the other hand, 30.17% of the domestic tourists and about 34.34% of tourists in Goa are
female. Coming to the age of the tourist population, most of the visitors are between the age
group of 21 to 30. Goa sees many young adults thronging the place each year because of its
nightlife and beach culture. About 76% domestic travelers are young adults. The place sees more
number of middle aged travelers from foreign.
Coming to the occupational profile, it is estimated that about 23.78% domestic travelers are
business people, 46.27% Govt or Pvt. Employees and the others are students. Among the foreign
tourists, 17.65% belong to different professions, 20.54% are into business, 35.22% are private
firm employees and about 2.52% are students or researchers.
Tourist Particulars
 All tourists visiting Goa are identified as educated persons. Both domestic as well as
foreign have been identified to have acquired higher education.
 When the tourists are classified according to sex, 68.45% of the total tourists are male.
This domination is the same among domestic and foreign tourists.
 When occupation is taken into account, 34.69% of the tourists are into private services,
24.25% are from diverse professions and 21.60% from business.

Goa as a Coastal Tourist Destination 5
Products and Services
Goa remains to be marvel with a distinctive Southern flavor which is combined with the Konkan
native culture and this is what makes Goa a multi-cultural showcase in India. With the number of
tourists thronging the coastal state each year, the tourism board too has come up with differed
products and services needed to accommodate the tourists.
What makes Goa the best coastal destination is that it is a highly pocket friendly place with many
popular tourist facilities. The state is quite tourist friendly and has several amenities for the
tourists.
The main products and services include the attractiveness at the tourist destinations, food,
accommodation, attractions and local travels.
The products and services of a tourist spot are associated with:
1. Attractions: This is one of the main requirements of a tourism spot. The attractions of a place
are what make it worthy of visiting. The place offers something different to all kinds of travelers.
The state is embedded with many historical places that include – fort Corjuem, fort Reis Magos,
Chapora fort, Rachol fort, Augada fort, and many others. All these forts are a testimony of the
greatness of the dynasties and the dominions that ruled Goa. Apart from that the place also has
several places of attractions in the form of churches and beaches.
2. Accessibility: Accessibility is what makes a place worth visiting and this is what makes Goa
the best tourist destination in India. The place is well accessible from any corner of the world.
For domestic travelers, there are facilities like busses, trains or cabs. In case of international
travelers, they can land in the international airport in Dabolim airport (Stabler, M.J., 1997). Goa
tourism has made the place easily accessible even through cruises, and this easy makes it a most
travelled destination.
3. Facilities and Amenities: Goa is a place which is known for taking care of its guests with
utter care. Goa is divided into two part, North Goa and South Goa. While the north part is
dominated by domestic travelers, south Goa is dominated by foreign travelers. Considering all
these scenarios, the state is well accommodated with facility to obtain pleasure (7. Kamat, S.B.,
2010). Right from accommodation to transfers from one place to the other, Goa has it all.

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Apart from the world class accommodation at the place is Goa’s F&B. Konkan food is very
popular in India and Goa is known for its sea food. Being a costal destination, Goa offers the best
sea food and its beverages are well known across the world. Most of the Indian population visits
Goa because of its alcohol Indianmirror.com. (2016). It is said that beer in Goa is cheaper than
water. This makes it an attractive spot for young dwellers.
4. Networking: This is concerned about the cooperation that is associated with the products
offered by at local, national or international levels. Goa has a good networking and the product
and services offered in the state cater to all the three levels.
Recommendations, Areas of Improvement
Goa is the number one beach destination in the state which has the most beautiful and serene
beaches in the country. Owing to the long history that it has, it can be said that Goa has been a
significant tourism destination spot that contributed in large to the Indian economy (Saldanha,
2016).
During the 450 years of colonization, Goa has had the opportunity to develop
internationally. It has captivating beauty in the form of architecture, culture and nature. The
tourism department of the state too has worked really hard to make the place wonderful. Be it the
accommodation, the facilities or the tourist attractions, everything about Goa is just enthralling.
I have done a lot of research to come to this conclusion, and during my extensive
research, I have come across a very important point (Wilson, D. and Stabler, M.J., 1997). The
state and its tourism department have taken proper care of everything, but somehow neglected
accessibility within the state.
There are many complaints that the state does not provide proper facilities to persons
with disabilities. That is true. While researching I have found that the tourism department can put
emphasis on developing better infrastructure that will make it easy for people with disabilities to
enjoy the place Anon, (2016).
The tourism department has to start focusing more on providing beach access to
physically disabled people and even provide them with special accommodation facilities that will
make it easy for them to tour the place.

Goa as a Coastal Tourist Destination 7
Another change can be to provide shower stalls and changing rooms in all the beaches in
the state. Goa is a very beautiful place which is embedded by many serene beaches but not all the
beaches in the city are equipped with beach basics like shower stalls and changing rooms.
The south Goa circuit is well known for its beaches and the local essence. The place is
popular among both domestic as well as international tourists. This is why the place needs a
facelift Anon, (2016). The area needs up gradation that will facilitate the tourists to enjoy their
trip more. The government too is taking several measures to improvise and enhance it to make it
more accessible to tourists pouring in from all corners.
Taking cue from the developed countries, Goa tourism needs to place emphasis on
developing various facilities along the beaches in south Goa. These measures should include
creating and enhancing various facilities like developing children parks around the city,
facilitating parking of vehicles, play area, building toilets, changing rooms, shower stalls,
seating, wheelchair accessible pathways and beautification of some of the most strategic parts
and places of interest that attract greater number of tourists.
These are the most important things that the state could concentrate on, so it can provide
its tourists with state of the art facilities that boost tourism.

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References
1. Goaholidayhomes.com. (2016). Portuguese rule in Goa, Portuguese in the history of
Goa, Portuguese rule in Goan History, Portuguese History in Goa, India. [online]
Available at: http://www.goaholidayhomes.com/information/portuguese-rule-in-goa.html
[Accessed 10 Dec. 2016].
2. Indianmirror.com. (2016). Goa, History of Goa, Tourism Goa, Hotels in Goa, India.
[online] Available at: http://www.indianmirror.com/tourism/goa.html [Accessed 10 Dec.
2016].
3. Kamat, S.B., 2010. Destination Life Cycle and Assessment-A Study of Goa Tourism
Industry. South Asian Journal of Tourism and Heritage, 3(2), pp.139-148.
4. Anon, (2016). GOVERNMENT OF GOA. [online] Available at:
http://www.goatourism.gov.in/statistics [Accessed 11 Dec. 2016].
5. Stabler, M.J., 1997. Tourism and sustainability: principles to practice. Cab International.
6. Anon, (2016). [online] Available at:
http://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/Other/03%20goa.pdf [Accessed 11 Dec. 2016].
7. Saldanha, A. (2016). Original Articles Identity, Spatiality and Post-colonial Resistance:
Geographies of the Tourism Critique in Goa. [online] Available at: http://Identity,
Spatiality and Post-colonial Resistance: Geographies of the Tourism Critique in Goa
[Accessed 10 Dec. 2016].
8. Wilson, D. and Stabler, M.J., 1997. Strategies for sustainability: lessons from Goa and
the Seychelles. Tourism and sustainability: principles to practice., pp.173-197.