While certain states like Karnataka and Telangana have IT as soul, Goa has been the dream destination for many travel and adventure buffs across the country. Even so, the Goan economy relies primarily on tourism revenues to run the state. In the wake of Coronavirus pandemic, the state has had a hard-hitting blow with the Modi-led government calling for a lockdown.
Goa stood as the very few state that fought back the dreadful novel virus on war-footing with zero causalities. Now being one of the Green zone states reported to have no confirmed coronavirus cases for over a month, it was learnt that the state and central government are ramping up to open the state to the tourists anytime soon.
According to the sources, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in the recent video conference with PM Modi has said that the state will be forming its own guidelines and standard operating procedures (SoPs) to regulate tourism in a post-COVID-19 scenario after May 17th. It was said that the CM reported that Goa would focus on qualitative tourism instead of quantitative approach which focus on larger tourist influx.
Stating that the state would soon open the inter-state routes via bus and train as well as by flights, Sawant said that the state is equally aware of the threats from Maharastra and Bangalore which have a high incidence of cases.
If this is believed to be true, it is obviously good news for the travel buffs who restrained themselves from travelling taking the call of lockdown. Meanwhile, it was learnt that a few of the ministers are against the idea of opening the state to tourist any time soon.
