“They are worried that the influx of tourists will increase COVID-19 cases and make Goa a red zone,” says Shenaz Treasury, after social media posts from her recent trip to Goa get mixed reactions. By Amitha Ameen
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India’s most popular travel influencer Shenaz Treasury recently posted photos and videos from her trip to Goa — the first trip in the past five months since lockdown. Soon after the state reopened for tourism, Shenaz was one of the many who decided to head to its beaches.
However, her photos and videos from the trip didn’t go well with netizens who in no time started pointing out the health risks outsiders are putting on locals and how non-essential travel should be avoided. Understanding the reason behind the reaction and the point of view of the locals, Shenaz promptly issued an apology on the platform.
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“Some Goa locals are afraid that people from other states will bring in the virus. They are not keen on tourism even though the government has opened the state,” Shenaz told us, adding that locals are requesting outsiders to help Goa heal by staying out of the state for the time being. “They are worried that people will start flocking to Goa making it a red zone for COVID-19,” she added.
While this was only one section of social media, some mentioned that travelling to Goa should lie solely with the person intending to travel. And that, if the authorities have decided to open Goa for tourism, then the concerns should have been directed at them instead of travellers like Shenaz who followed all the rules and regulations.
What do you think? Should tourists refrain from travelling to Goa even if the state has re-opened for tourism, or go ahead anyway? How long should people stay indoors and what kind of effects will zero tourism have on the state’s economy, especially one that lies heavily on tourism?
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