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Tourism stakeholders attend cleanliness workshop

By on August 18, 2018

The union Ministry of Tourism recently hosted a Swacchta Action Plan workshop to help spread awareness about sanitation and cleanliness at tourist/pilgrimage centres. Its long-term mission is to create a more sustainable city that attracts investment, good health, a sense of pride among locals and a sense of satisfaction among tourists. It is expected to boost property values, tourism growth, community pride and less destructive behaviour.

The workshop acknowledged that the onus of keeping a tourist place clean is a duty of both tourists and residents.

Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) / National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS) has been chosen as a nodal agency to implement this project across India. The tourism ministry has chosen seven tourist destinations in Goa at which to implement this project.

The recent workshop focused on cleanliness, sanitation and hygiene for tourism stakeholders in Dona Paula. Participating stakeholders included street vendors of Miramar, Goa Tourism Development Corporation officers and staff, taxi drivers and cleaning staff, hoteliers and GTDC housekeeping staff.

NIWS prof Sutheeshna Babu S, GTDC general manager Gavin Dias, and general manager of administration Laxmikant Vaingankar were present. Prof Babu S delivered a presentation on the importance of hygiene in daily life and how it is linked with the economy and GDP of the country.

IITTM assistant professor Dr B Swajan gave a video presentation on the economical importance of tourism in India and the effect of hygiene in the industry. Dias shared his thoughts, views and ideas on the current scenario of Goan tourism and its promising future if destinations are maintained properly. He also stressed the benefits from the Swachhta Action Plan and suggested that cleanliness can bring economical advantages to every citizen.

All participants took a Swachhta Pledge to ensure their contribution through voluntary cleaning.