Tourism minister Rohan Khaunte said he has received complaints from tourists that they walk into a shack hoping to try some local cuisine only to be told that the shack serves only Chinese and fast food The ubiquitous shacks along Goa’s beaches will have to now “compulsorily” serve Goan cuisine, state tourism minister Rohan Khaunte told media persons after a joint meeting with shack owners, coastal legislators and representatives.
Khaunte said that he has been receiving complaints from tourists that they walk into a shack hoping to try some local cuisine only to be told that the shack serves only Chinese and fast food.
“People come to these shacks to eat Goan cuisine, and many times we receive complaints from tourists that they go to shacks and cannot get Goan food. So, we have made it compulsory that every shack should offer Goan cuisine,” Khaunte said.
“Shack operators, being our main ambassadors and being the most traditional operators from the time the shacks have started, have assured us that they will implement it,” he added.
A total of 359 shacks are set up along Goa’s beaches, nearly two thirds of which are along the more popular stretches of north Goa. The first beach shacks in Goa were set up using eco-friendly material, usually coconut tree trunks, bamboo material and wooden planks for flooring and catered to foreign tourists and those wishing to laze by the sea.
According to the currently effective shack policy, applications are invited from Goan youths, preferably unemployed, who are then allotted space along the state’s beaches to set up shacks based on a draw of lots. Around 90% of the shacks are allocated to traditional operators, while 10% of the slots are reserved for newcomers.
