Focus Goa: Tourism

Tourism Stakeholders and shack owners unhappy with proposed registration fees

Draft rules of new registration fees for tourism sector has led to displeasure among shack owners and stakeholders field of operation of shacks. 90 is `40, for tourist guide and per cent of total beach shack excursion agent is `1,000 and owners having experience of for photographers is `5,000. three years or more will be For adventure sports operator divided in categories namely and water sports operator beaches at stretches A and the annual registration fees beaches at stretches B, with is `5,000, while for spice fees increasing every year, for plantation owner it is `3,000. the three-year period. The remaining 10 per cent of total Shack Owners petition beach shack owners having Tourism Director experience of less than three Shack owners from the State years or without experience met the Tourism Director to

By sybil rodrigues fees for hotels with less than will have to pay fees of put forth their requests to be

The government in its draft 50 rooms would be `10,000. `50,000, `60,000 and `70,000, provided with a concession in rules for the tourism sector For D Category (other for the first, second and the fees with regards to licenses has announced new fees for accommodation), the third year, respectively. for erecting shacks for this various businesses including registration fees for hotels After scrutiny of the upcoming tourist season. shacks, dealers, hotels, travel would be `5,000. application, the prescribed They have also requested agents and so on. For the travel agents authority shall grant license for easing the State’s ‘Shack

The government has conforming to the standards, to a hotelier or unemployed Policy.’ Cruz Cardozo, also invited dissent and the registration fees would youth, as the case may be, President of All Goa Shack recommendations to these be for A-Class `20,000, for for putting up deck beds, Owners Association, said draft rules, to be forwarded B-Class `15,000, C-Class umbrellas and chairs on the that the shack owners had to to the Director of Tourism, `10,000 and for D-Class beaches for commercial use, wrap up their business early before the expiry of period `5,000. by charging fees as `20,000 last tourist season due to of thirty days from the date For change in name of for 20 deck beds, for shack COVID-19. of their publication in the tourism operator and title owner; `5,000 per deck-bed Cardozo said that they had government notification, so of business activity, the per season, for hotelier; and only three months of business that they may be taken into fees to be charged will be `875 per deck bed per season during the last tourist season consideration at the time of equivalent to registration fees (subject to a maximum of 8 and from March to May the finalisation of the said rules. of the particular category. deck beds per season), for an staff had to be home due

As per the draft rules, The duplicate certificate will unemployed youth. to COVID, which resulted the registration fees for cost `100. Every certificate of For online travel in huge losses. “We met tourism dealer will be `1,000 dealer and travel agent shall aggregator providing the Tourism Director and while for hotels it will be be valid for a period of one travel and accommodation pleaded for some concession in three categories. For A year that is for one financial booking, the registration and or waiving off fees for tourism Category (sophisticated year beginning from the year renewal fees per year will license, and other fees for accommodation), the of issue. The certificate may be be `2 lakh, while for online shacks, sun beds and excise registration fees for hotels renewed for a further period travel aggregator providing fees. Under the shack policy, with rooms above 100 would of one year on the payment of accommodation booking if a person does not put up be `1 lakh; the registration the renewal fees. only; it will be `1lakh. Also, a shack in one year they get fees for hotels with rooms In case of hotel, the period for online travel aggregator debarred. We have asked between 50 and 100 would be of validity of the certificate providing travel booking only, for a relaxation in this rule, `75,000; and the registration of registration issued shall the registration and renewal for this year only, due to the fees for hotels with less than be not less than one year fees per year will be `1lakh. pandemic.” He further added 50 rooms would be `50,000. but could be maximum for The annual fees for that while the Director did

For B Category (medium a period of five years, as registration and renewal for hear the grievances of the class accommodation), the desired by the applicant in his tourist boat and launches Association, they were also registration fees for hotels application for registration. including cruise boats is requested to approach the above 50 rooms would be The same may be applicable `15,000 for Category A, Government and put forward `50,000; while the registration for renewal, as the case may `10,000 for Category B and their appeal. He said that they fees for hotels with less than be. `5,000 for Category C. The would have to ask the Chief 50 rooms would be `25,000. For the shack owners, same for a yacht is `10,000, Minister or the government.

For C Category (economy the amount of fees to be for houseboat is `5,000, “We had reached out to the class accommodation), the deposited by the successful for Tourist Taxi is `500, for CM a couple of months ago registration fees for hotels applicant shall be based tents and tent equipment and he was sympathetic to above 50 rooms would be upon the number of years of dealer is `1,000, for camping our issue but we will have to `20,000; while the registration experience one holds, in the agency is `1,000, for porter wait for him to act on it. Right

now, we won’t be able to meet him but we hope that our request will be considered,” said Cardozo.

Cardozo was questioned about the upcoming tourist season to which he said that many shack owners were unsure of whether to put up their shacks or not. He added that it was not possible for them to put pressure on the government but only ask for a concession. “If there aren’t any shacks, tourists may not come. In case shacks do open, the owners will have to strictly abide by government rule and SOPs.”

Tourism stakeholders miffed with increase in Registration Fees

The major hike proposed for various registration fees in the draft rules published by the Tourism Department has left the stakeholders of the Tourism Industry in a quandary. “The government may have a point in raising fees as they say that registration charges were not raised for years, but this is not the time to do it”

Nilesh Shah

President, TT AG

The rules have been drafted consequent to an amendment to the Goa, Daman and Diu Registration of Tourist Trade Act, 1982, a year ago. Menino D’Souza, Director of Tourism, stated that the rules were long overdue and that drafting commenced only after the amendment came into force. Over the years, there were many consultations and ruminations and only after being duly evaluated by the law department, the draft rules were placed in the public domain.

D’Souza stated that fees were not hiked for a long time and it was time for the government to decide upon the implementation of these rules. He further added that stakeholders can submit their objections and suggestions till September 29th and the rules would be finalized only after that. He added that the registration fees that a few in the trade are charged is a meager amount as compared to their volumes. He gave an example of hotels stating that irrespective of their category, they pay `5000 as registration fees. Under the proposed rules this has been increased to `1lakh for ‘A’ category hotels – having 100 rooms and more, which classifies as sophisticated accommodation.

A hotelier compared this to a “punishment” when the industry is awaiting relief from the government due to losses suffered owing to the pandemic.

Nilesh Shah, President of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), said that this was a wrong time to raise the fees when tourism stakeholders were actually expecting a waiver. “The government may have a point in raising fees as they say that registration charges were not raised for years, but this is not the time to do it.”

TTAG has called a meeting of its members to seek their views and accordingly a proposal will be prepared to be submitted to the Tourism Department.

Shah added that they were given time till the end of September and will put forward their point of view to the government