Beyond the beaches, Goa aspires to become a Global Opportunities Aggregator

Goa, a southwest state of India, embraced by the lateritic plateaus of the Sahyadris and the Arabian Sea, is well known for its pristine beaches and lush greenery. A day in January could have been the best time to find tourists drinking coconut water, dancing on the shores, and tanning under the sun beside the sea. Booze and rejuvenation are things the little state is known for.

But now the Goan government looks beyond the ‘sea, sun, and sands’. Coming to tourism, it is a sector that contributes to 16.4 per cent of the state GDP (GSDP) and as much as 33 per cent of the employment of the former Portuguese colony.

Goa is conventionally conceptualised as a place possessing breathtaking shores. A dream honeymoon destination that has impressive churches, basilicas, and cathedrals with a harmonious construct of multiple cultures where 450 years of colonial influence silently yet prominently tells its tale. But as a poet has beautifully said, ‘Trees are much more than the shades they give.’

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The state government of Goa is getting prepared to look up to ‘Regenerative Tourism’ as a new model of sustainable bottom-up approach to include environmental restoration, cultural preservation, and community empowerment.

Acknowledging the complex relationship between tourism and indigenous communities, this path seeks to bring economic opportunities and cultural exchange together while addressing the challenges to cultural integrity, social structures, and the natural environment.

Post Covid-19, Goa is at a crossroads with a very different set of challenges and opportunities.

“Facing unique challenges, including competition from countries like Thailand and Indonesia, modern cities like Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, and large Indian states, Goa has set its sights on innovative solutions post-COVID. Emphasising technology adoption and collaboration, the focus is on making people and communities decision-makers in the tourism sector,” said Rohan Khaunte, the Minister of Tourism, IT, and E&C, Goa government, adding that Goa is transitioning from a sea-shore-centric tourism model to a more inclusive, people-centric approach.

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In conformity with this, Goa seeks to become a Global Opportunities Aggregator. The idea is being shaped by the Department of Information Technology, Electronics, and Communication.

So Goa seeks to synergise innovation, emerging technologies, programming, and software with the tourism sector in a very imaginative manner. The approach seeks to move beyond ‘sun, sand, and sea’ to add ‘software’ in the jargon defining the coastal state while leveraging its natural ingredients conducive to fostering creative development.

Goa is aspirational to become a meeting and budding place for the ‘digital nomads’. The smallest Indian state is becoming a hotspot for emerging startups and professionals choosing it as a preferred workplace, drawn by its natural beauty, robust infrastructure, and supportive government policies.

The model of ‘meet, negotiate, and profit’ is being promoted. The author himself visited various private incubators and facilitators that help people with innovative thoughts meet together, discuss, chill, and relax in the soothing, moderate coastal climate while enjoying the cosmopolitan charm of a city known for its symphony of culture and chime of life.

One such ‘Venture Studio’ is the Build 3 community, which seeks to play its part in creating the startup atmosphere the Goan government seeks to build.

The government seeks to facilitate seamless remote collaboration, safeguard Intellectual Property, provide mentorship, and introduce a universal access card for accessing facilities like medical services, transportation, internet, co-living, and more in Goa.

As the state is focusing on enhancing connectivity and harbouring a talent pool, ‘Design in Goa’ is an illustrious slogan being pushed. The emphasis is on attracting service- and product-based companies/MSMEs and freelancers through the creation of a digital village while promoting interoperability and ensuring sustainability and inclusion.

The dream is to make women and youth drivers of change and the creation of a vibrant IT ecosystem because this sector will be there everywhere and must be there for everyone! The state asks you to ‘come to Goa and build out of it’. The ‘Sea Hubs’ call for work and relaxation together, helping one maintain a good work-life balance.

The model includes the visitors in the responsibilities and profits associated with the state, and thus the visitor is not merely an irresponsible consumer but a responsible partner.

In line with the dream of creating a developed India by 2047, the state government seemingly aspires towards achieving sustainable but exponential growth. Hence, Industry 4.0 is the best tool found to shape this dream out of the open skies of thoughts. Objectives oriented towards high-value growth, giving prominence to emerging technologies, and promoting internships, research, and development all appear very promising.

The vision of the Goan government apparently shows changes becoming visible in the next three years, and the confidence is indeed praiseworthy. Still, great things take a little longer; however, if a decade later, Goa gains repute beyond the beaches and pubs, the author would not be surprised.

Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_’s views._

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