Tourism wardens to rein in touts
The tourism department has started the process to recruit tourist wardens and taluka supervisors who will be deployed along the state's beaches and at main tourism centres.
The department wants the wardens to crack down on touts and curb the violations of the Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Act.
The department is recruiting 11 tourist wardens and four taluka supervisors to fill the current vacancies in the 45-member team that has been deployed all along Goa's coastline.
'The wardens and the supervisors monitor beach cleaning agencies and submit a daily report,' said tourism director Kedar Naik.
'The wardens will also keep a check on shacks to ensure that they do not exceed the demarcation and space for beach beds and tables.'
According to the department, 181 candidates have been shortlisted to answer the written exam for the 11 posts of tourist wardens while 91 candidates have been shortlisted for the four posts of taluka-level supervisors.
Naik said that the responsibility of wardens and supervisors includes cracking down on touts, beach hawkers, unauthorised vendors and other beach violations.
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The supervisors help coordinate efforts between the tourism department and the tourist police.
The Shack Owners Welfare Society has said that touts and hawkers harass tourists relentlessly, obstruct pathways, engage in aggressive selling tactics, and disrupt the peaceful beach experience that tourists are looking for.
Touting has become rampant with tourism stakeholders saying that the practice has contributed to an estimated 70% decline in tourism for legitimate businesses.
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