Mining is
still an important industry but it no longer forms the backbone of the Goan
economy. Today tourism
is the largest industry in Goa as the warm weather; beautiful beaches and good food
attract a large number of foreign tourists mainly from the U.K., as well as domestic tourists from
other parts of India. It is estimated that this small
territory gets approximately 1.2 million tourists annually. Many major
hoteliers have resorts and hotels in Goa, for example The Taj Group has several
hotels and resorts and The Marriott chain has The
Marriott Beach Resort. There are charter flights from Britain directly to Goa and British holidaymakers can buy
relatively inexpensive packages that include airfare, transfers, hotel accommodation
and some tours. Many hotels offer overland tours to archaeological and scenic
sites and operate river cruises in boats with bars, live music etc. A meal for
two at a very nice restaurant including drinks costs roughly 7 to 8 pounds
making Goa a very attractive destination for
British tourists. Additionally tourists can enjoy a variety of games and sports
including a wide range of aquatic sports, from wind-surfing to deep-sea
fishing. There are a number of wildlife
sanctuaries and if one is lucky it can be a bird watcher’s
paradise.
On
the agricultural front due to the tropical climate and laterite rich soil; Goa does not grow enough of crops to
meet the demand of the state and has to import rice and other staples from
neighboring states. Rice is the main agricultural crop, cashew and coconut
following close behind. Rice along with fish is the staple diet of Goans. Due
to the proximity to the sea and the abundance of tributaries; fishing is another key
industry. A fleet of 1551 trawlers and 2450 country craft are engaged in
fishing. In the last couple of decades
with a rapidly developing infrastructure,
industrial
production has been on the rise.
Thanks to Marlon Menezes and www.goacom.com
for links to many valuable sites on The Goan economy.
For more details on The effects
of Tourism in goa visit: http://www.somo.nl/somo_ned/projecten/Tourism%20in%20India.pdf
Map of Goa courtesy
goa-tourism.com
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