The general manager at the Intercontinental The Lalit Goa Resort has made an urgent plea to the state government to help boost tourist numbers in the upcoming peak season.
Shrikant Wakharkar, GM for the past two years, said in an exclusive interview with Hotelier India over the Diwali weekend that much more was needed to market Goa, particularly to emerging economies, and that water sport licensing needed to be simplified. “The government needs to do some serious marketing, and make our presence felt in more key travel markets,” he said. “And these should include not just markets like the UK and Germany, but emerging markets too.”
He also claimed attaining a water sports licence was a cumbersome initiative to take on. Despite being seven years old, the Intercontinental The Lalit Goa is still awaiting its application approval. “For key activities like water skiing, jet skiing and parasailing, the curbs on the licensing need to be eased. It’s a very onerous task to get these licences presently.”
Wakharkar was speaking after 10 days of devastating rains in the region, which washed away part of the beach-front restaurant and caused flooding in the spa. He said everything would be operational in time for the influx of foreign tourists expected after November.
Full interview to come.
