Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Tourism Department has taken drastic measures and ordered Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) to stop listing unregistered hotels on its platforms in response to the increasing number of lodging establishments, some of which are operating unlawfully.
Rohan Khaunte, the minister of tourism, told reporters in the capital that streamlined processes are already in place to guarantee that companies involved in tourism adhere to laws.
“OTA platforms should not list any unregistered hotels. Simplified processes have been made available to hotels, homestays, and other tourism-related enterprises so they may comply with government rules,” he said.
The minister also asked housing societies and local organizations to work with the Tourism Department by providing information on hotels or guest houses that are not permitted. He claimed that this would support legitimate companies.
In accordance with an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Airbnb and the Department of Tourism, Khaunte established India’s first-ever Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy in Goa. This is to encourage homestay travel and develop the skills of hospitality business owners in the state’s rural and urban districts.
“Our homestay strategy, which was created especially to help rural Goa, fits in well with our ‘Goa Beyond Beaches’ goal. We are empowering women, promoting regenerative tourism, and stimulating economic growth by giving locals the tools they need to run homestays,” the minister continued.
