Eco-tourism in Goa gets a major boost

by ABDUL RAUF BEIG
Posted on 2009-01-09
PANAJI- The sandy beaches of Goa that have been the main attraction for tourists (both foreign and domestic) for many years may have seen or received fewer of them in the current tourist season due to various reasons including global meltdown and Mumbai terror attacks but the number of tourists to hinterland tourist attractions like the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary and other such places jumped significantly and still continues to attract more people.
Well, this could be an indication that if the hinterland tourism is properly promoted the burden on the beaches and subsequent problems that arise could be minimised and that the state could offer alternative attractions to tourists and earn substantial revenue besides giving a fillip to the economy of hinterland areas.
According to the figures provided by Mr Debender Dalai, the deputy conservator of forests, wildlife and eco-tourism, the number of foreign tourists visiting Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary from April 2008 to December 2008 rose by over six times to 9,850 as compared to 1,518 over the same period in the previous year.
Similarly, the number of domestic tourists visiting Bondla also saw a substantial increase with the figure crossing 31,000 as compared to 26,000 during the same period over the previous year, said Mr Dalai adding that the increase was without any aggressive promotion by the forest department and an indication that tourists have begun going beyond the sunny beaches.
He also said that a number of tourists have been visiting the forest department-managed sanctuaries year after year and that there was a slight increase in their number. He further said that since the sanctuaries were located in the interiors and do not have good public transport, the number of tourists visiting them is less.
There was an insignificant drop of 34 with 1,066 foreigners visiting the Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary as compared to 1,100, last year during the same period but the number of domestic tourists visiting the sanctuary rose by over 1,416 during the same period this year. The number of visitors from April to December 2008 was 3,576 as compared to 2,160 in the previous year.
The number of foreign visitors to Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary from April to December 2008 rose marginally from 431 in the previous year to 446 but there was nearly over 60 per cent drop in the number of domestic tourists visiting the sanctuary during the same period and the figure recorded this year was around 350 as compared to 1,100. There was, however, a big drop in the number of foreign tourists visiting the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park with just 23,000 going there during the same period as compared to 36,000 during the previous year but the number of domestic tourists recorded as increase of almost 4,000 with 16,700 domestic tourists visiting there as compared to 12,850.
Mr Dalai said that the forest department has plans to increase the facilities at the wildlife sanctuaries managed by it and add new and more attractions to woo the tourists. He also said that recently the department has started a direct bus service to Bondla from Panaji. The bus takes tourists to the sanctuary in the morning and drops them back in the evening.