Paradoxes of tourism in Goa

Abstract

Goa is often referred to as a classic example of the evils of tourism development, yet there is relatively little substantive evidence against which to assess this claim. This paper offers a preliminary attempt to fill this gap. The focus is ethnographic and it looks at the perceptions of tourists and the host community, analyzes the present structure of the industry in North Goa., especially the wide-ranging involvement of many small indigenous family businesses, reviews options for future development, and concludes that the current form of low-budget tourism might be the least destructive path to follow in spite of the government's promotion of up-market hotel development.