Social Impacts of Tourism in Goa

The farmer prays for rain...

The traveler for good weather ...

and other short stories

M ah

ar a

sh

Vagator

tra

Anjuna Calangute Baga Candolim Panaji

Old Goa

Vasco da gama

Karnata

ka

Margao

GOA

Edited by

Shikha Gadru

Copyright © 2020 by Shikha Gadru All rights reserved | E-book produced in Milan Cover design inspired by Mario Miranda Illustration by the author Book title inspired by a chapter in the book titled “The Challenges and Prospects of Tourism in Goa”

Edited by Shikha Gadru 939773

Contemporary Cities: Descriptions and Projects

City and Consumption Teaching Staff: Eliana Rosa de Queiroz Barbosa Tutors: Marco Vedoà and Elena Batunova AUIC- School of Architecture Urban Planning Construction Engineering MSc in Urban Planning and Policy Design Academic Year 2019/2020

The farmer prays for rain...

The traveler for good weather ...

and other short stories

Exploring the socio cultural impact of tourism on the Goan Community of India -

Preface Over the past decades, Asia has witnessed tremendous social, cultural, political, and technological changes. The rapid growth of tourism on a large scale in countries like India has been a significant medium of these not-so-welcoming changes. As in many countries, tourism has been conceived as a powerful means of boosting national economy, attracting foreign exchange by creating jobs and sales. However, the exploitation of cultural and environmental resources in attracting tourists has led to unrest in the local population, ignoring their socio-cultural values. One of the regions facing this enormous pressure of tourism is the state of Goa in India.

This book follows the theme of “City and Consumption�, and has been analysed using literature from books and academic papers, as well as news reports and online interviews from residents. The collection of stories in this book talks about the past and present of Goa, the changes it underwent with the ever-increasing tourism, and what impact it had on its locals.

It has been realized that there is a strong correlation between tourism activity and social change. Jost Krippendorf offers a framework for evaluating the phenomenon of tourism as a resultant of four forces acting simultaneously. These include the socio-cultural, economic, ecological, and political sub-systems. Out of these, the socio-cultural sub-system has had the strongest influence on the development of tourism and hence this book makes an attempt to focus on the same using three major agents of change- the physical presence of tourists affecting the cultural aspect of work and life, leisure utilization and attitudinal changes towards traditional forms; changes introduced by economic activities that change the pace and rhythm of life; and finally the changes in the physical environment that alter forms of social interaction. (Menon, 1993).

Contents Sun, sand and sea

8

Transforming rural-scape

10

Alternative livelihood

12

Where’s the party tonight?

14

Gendered Goa

16

The farmer prays for rain, the traveler for good weather

18

Bibliography

20

8

1

Sun, sand and sea

A

warm, bright day with a cooling breeze blowing from the Arabian Sea along Goa’s Calangute Beach. This is, according to Goa’s Directorate of Tourism, the land of ‘swaying palms, miles of golden sands, lush greenery’. As one walks along the edge of the beach, one comes across plastic bottles, broken glass and needles, among the other things. Walking a bit further, one comes across the exclusive Leela Beach Resort in Goa’s south- its private beach pristine unlike Calangute, a space which ‘provides a sanctuary in its vastness’ (Routledge, 2000), away from intrusion by the local inhabitants. These two moments speak of the dramatic changes that are taking place in Goa. A threat hovers over the city- a threat from the increasingly intensive development of tourism that creates global tourist ‘sites’, deaf to the voices of local people.

The smallest state of India, Goa, a former Portuguese colony and situated on the western coast, comprises of a mix of religious roots with deep cultural and traditional values. The ability of various communities to live not

9

Colva: A public beach

Taj Exotica: A private beach

only peacefully but also happily led to the relaxed and and laidback atmosphere Goa is famous for. It first came to the attention of the international tourist community during the 1960s and 1970s when the state’s palm-fringed beaches became a haven for western hippy travelers. They brought along with themselves the culture of drugs and rave, an increasing nuisance in the present day. Hence began the influx of mass tourism that made Goa popular for its beaches, nightlife, rave parties, etc. The expansion of charter and luxury tourism led to a change in the infrastructure- both economic and ecological, leading to increasing concern among the locals over the use of land and the abuse of the beaches.

10

2

Transforming rural-scape

“O

ur village is the size of a coconut shell, how can it take five big resorts?” questions a resident from Arrosim as a luxury car zoomed past on the narrow village road that leads to Arrosim beach in South Goa. A typical Goan village road is roughly around five meters wide, curving several times around tiled-roof homes before opening at a deadend in the form of sand dunes near the Arabian Sea. Two resorts already operate near the Arrosim beach and the developers have proposed three more at this scenic dead-end.

This incident symbolizes the growing conflict between the rise of luxury tourism in Goa, and the local residents such as the ones in Arrosim who allege encroachment of common land, taking over the community’s ecological assets and in some cases a violation of land and environmental laws. From an ecological aspect, the sand dunes are natural fortresses against the sea and the construction over these would risk the lives of the villagers. Unfortunately, those in control of the development process are the tourism “experts” comprising

11

of pro-luxury hotel lobbyists, government politicians, and tourism operators whose methods are beyond the comprehension of most local people in Goa. (Gokhale N. , 2018). There are have also been cases where the luxury-tourism promoters have used intimidation, violence, and harassment against attempts made by the local communities to develop their own small-scale tourism like family-owned guesthouses and restaurants.

Further, the local population is excluded from resources on which their traditional livelihoods depend including restriction of public access to several beaches as hotels have privatized the waterfront that has traditionally been used for the maintenance of fishing boats and drying of finish nets. “These outsiders have erected a barbed wire fence all around the beach�, says one of the locals who work as a fisherman. Apart from these, tourism has also caused an increase in land value and basic food commodities, becoming unaffordable to most locals. This, along with water and electricity resources being heavily consumed by hotels has led the community to experience constant load shedding as well as irregular water supply.

Tiracol Fort Resort on the coastal edge

12

3

Alternative livelihood

T

ill the emergence of tourism in Goa, the local communities engaged in traditional occupations of fishing, agriculture, and mining. Since the late 1990s, with the advent of tourism on one hand leading to the destruction of these traditional practices, also emerged as a potential employment sector, leading several locals shifting to tourism-related activities.

This has resulted in the social and economic transformation in villages. “Pagis�, a fisherfolk in Goa was the first to encounter tourism as they lived along the beach. Today, they have been provided with alternate livelihoods through setting up restaurant shacks, converting their homes into guest houses, and other small-scale businesses. (Gokhale, Sawant, & Malkarnekar, 2013). Some have sought employment as waiters in hotels with such occupations being regarded as of a higher status than fishing. Others are indirectly involved in tourism by selling or renting the land owned by them to hotel or shack owners in return for some economic benefits. What is unfortunate is the negligence of traditional employment and the increasing change in the social status

13

Beach shacks run by the locals

of the local communities. Here it is evident that the physical presence of tourists not just leads to a change in the social status of people but also in their economic opportunities.

However, the response to these beach traders and shack owners has been skeptical. Although they have the right to trade, they are often seen in a negative light, being labeled as a menace or danger to tourists and finally, tourism. They are also perceived as a hindrance to the construction of large hotels attracting mass tourists, leaving no space for small entrepreneurs in the market space. These small traders have also been adversely affected by beach privatization, often being denied land rights. Moreover, the tourism sector being “seasonal� leads to a certain amount of unpredictability in these occupations.

14

4

Where’s the party tonight?

A

t 12 years of age, Rita had her first dose of drugs when she shared a smoke in the company of elder boys in her locality. Before turning 18, she was chasing cocaine.

Her condition worsened so much that she approached her teacher for help and landed at Mapusa district hospital for treatment. Substance abuse has trickled down to teenagers in Goa with drugs easily available- on streets, in corridors of school campuses, and beaches. The history can be traced back to the hippies who brought along with them the culture of rave and drugs from the West in the 1970s.

While tourism, on one hand, provides employment and profit for those Goans who engage in it, the majority of locals are against it for its aculturizing effect. Over the last few years, drug trade has increased tremendously in the state. Most of the selling happens in the rave parties where the local youth and tourists come in direct contact and engage in illegal trading. This affinity to western social practices amongst the youth in Goa encourages greater intermingling with foreign

15

tourists and leads to increased immorality among them. This serves as a clear example of how the physical presence of tourists has had an impact on the changing lifestyle of society.

From the perspective of policing, there is a clear implication of a lack of will to commit police resources to stopping illegal rave parties, and at least one Goan commentator has suggested that the police are not entirely free of corruption in this respect.

Apart from this, the issue of rave music in Goa has a wider context with its increasing influence eroding Goan identity and the position of traditional music.(Brammar & Beech, 2004).

Rave parties at the beachside

16

5

Gendered Goa

A

t Majorda Beach Resort, an advertisement depicts young women in bathing costumes with the caption “just the minimum clothes will do”. Another advertisement for the Oberoi Bogmalo Beach Resort invites tourists to “rediscover your wife”. This is how both the Government of India and Goa’s tourist department have been promoting tourism in the state- by characterizing Goa as female and sold to an imaginary male consumer. Today, large hotel chains use images depicting women sitting at poolside as a means of advertisement. Women of Goa find themselves as yet another commodity thrown into an attractive ‘holiday package’ with carnival brochures exhibiting this ‘exotic’ product. This sort of characterdepiction leading to destruction of the image of women has been one of the major concerns of the local protest group ‘Bailancho Saad’ meaning ‘Women’s Voice’, an organization that fights for women’s rights in Goa. (Routledge, 2000).

What is of concern to this activist group is the effect such representations have on tourist behavior in the state.

17

Women objectification on brochures

Bailancho Saad has argued that with an increase in such gender-marketed tourism, Goan as well as western women have been subjected to increased sexual harassment and violence. Today, they are seen as the beautiful face of the tourism industry as receptions; the masseurs at beauty salons as people running small businesses. However, behind this labor market lies the dark secrets of trafficking at the hands of tourists. Every case appears to be a victim of the obvious yet powerful nexus between the police, politicians, and pimps.

Another reason for the ‘exotic’ nature of Goa lies in the stereotype that non-Goan Indians hold of Goa as a westernized and liberal state- exotic, easy-going, and of course alcoholic. It is imagined as a terrain upon which tourists can project their fantasies and do whatever they want, unconstrained by their own society’s morals.

18

6

The farmer prays for rain, the traveler for good weather

T

ourism has long been a matter of concern for the church in Goa. Since the 1980s when the first protests against tourism were launched, the church undertook studies and initiated actions to stern the negative impacts arising from tourism. As seen in the stories before, instead of being an industry that brought economic benefits to the local communities, Goa was being exploited by those who saw in tourism a source of huge profit, thus eating into the very social fabric of Goan society. (Solomon, 2009).

Analyzing the socio-cultural impacts of tourism on Goa through Krippendorf’s analytic framework, it was observed that unlike any other economic activities, tourism demands that consumers come physically to the product. All the three agents of change can be observed in these issues, with the physical presence of tourists coming from different cultural backgrounds having a deep impact of the Goan society with the rise in the use of drugs and tourist behavior hurting local sentiments as Goans are depicted as fun-loving idlers

19

only interested in music and liquor. The changes in the physical environment are evident with mass tourism creating ecological problems and increasing demand in infrastructure and beginning to affect the well-being of the society at large. Finally, the changes introduced by new economic activities have compelled the locals to shift from their traditional occupations to the ones suited better for tourism.

It is said that ‘The farmer prays for rain at the same time when the traveler prays for good weather’ (Solomon, 2009).

The challenge for the state as well as church in Goa remains to accommodate these two contrasting and conflicting interests providing respect and justice to the host communities and a substantial experience for the tourist.

Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception

20

Bibliography

21

Books and Journals: • Brammar, N., & Beech, J. (2004). Use and Abuse of Tourism: The Goan Experience.

Tourism, Culture & Communication.

• Gokhale, K., Sawant, N., & Malkarnekar, D. (2013). Beach Tourism and its socio cultural impacts: A study of perspectives of rural community- Agona, Goa, India.

Journal of International Academic Research for Multidisciplinary.

• Karamali, A., & Ramesh, B. (2017). A Study on the Destination Image of Goa from the. South Asian Journal for Tourism and Heritage.

• Menon, A. K. (1993). Case study on the effects of tourism on culture and environment: India. UNESCO. • Noronha, F. (1999). Ten years later, Goa still uneasy over the Impact of Tourism.

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.

• Novy, J., & Colomb, C. (2016). Urban tourism and its discontents. In J. Novy, & C. Colomb, Protest and Resistance in the Tourist City (pp. 1-25). Routledge.

• Routledge, P. (2000). Consuming Goa; Tourist Sites as Dispensable Space.

Economic and Political Weekly.

• Salazar, N. B. (2012). Community-based cultural tourism: issues, threats and opportunities. Journal of Sustainable Tourism.

• Solomon, R. (2009). The Challenges and Prospects of Tourism in Goa. Bangalore: Equations.

Websites: • Chari, B. (2019). In dark alleys of addiction, Goa’s young share drugs & syringes. Retrieved from The Times of India: https://timesofindia.indiatimes. com/city/goa/in-dark-alleys-of-addiction-goas-young-share-drugs-syringes/ articleshow/70527978.cms • Goan Observer Team. (2017). Tourism preys on women. Retrieved from Goan Observer: https://www.goanobserver.in/2017/03/04/tourism-preys-women/ • Gokhale, N. (2018). In Lush, Prosperous Goa, The Growth Of Luxury Hotels–Up 170% In 10 Years–Is Sparking Conflict. Retrieved from India Spend: https://www. indiaspend.com/in-lush-prosperous-goa-the-growth-of-luxury-hotels-up-170-in10-years-is-sparking-conflict/ • Grahesh. (2019). Bailancho Saad: Fighting Patriarchy in Goa, One Issue at a Time.

Retrieved from Video Volunteers: https://www.videovolunteers.org/bailanchosaad-fighting-patriarchy-in-goa-one-issue-at-a-time/

The farmer prays for rain...

The traveler for good weather ...

and other short stories

Tourism is a service industry selling “experiences”. It makes a product

of mass consumption out of the experience

of

different

patterns

of nature and living and offers

this product for sale in attractive looking

“packages”.

Discover

the

impact of this imaging and how the construction of Goa as a tourist site has occurred over the years

and impacted the local residents through a series of short stories

Scan here

about real incidents and issues.

For a downloadable copy