Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: WICCI Rural Tourism Council Goa is conducting a day-long seminar on Eco-Homestays for Rural Women SHGs in Goa as a joint initiative with Goa State Rural Livelihood Mission (GSRLM) – Rural Development Agency & Rotary Club of Panaji Riviera, on September 13, 2022, at Paryatan Bhawan, Panjim, Goa from 10.30 am-4.30pm. Speaking on occasion, Mini Ribeiro, State President, WICCI Rural Tourism Council Goa, said, “It gives me immense pleasure to be able to organise a Seminar for Rural Women SHGs in Goa, on Eco-Homestays, as one of our key focus areas is, community outreach in the spirit of knowledge sharing and building inspiration toward empowering women. By empowering women SHGs in Goa through this Seminar, we hope to enable them to spread the message of Homestays in Goa villages as a means of livelihood and showcasing Rural Tourism in Goa. I am delighted that Goa State Rural Livelihood Mission- Rural Development Agency & Rotary Club of Panaji Riviera have partnered with us in this initiative and are facilitating this Seminar.” The sessions would include ‘Goa State Rural Livelihood Mission (GSRLM) and Homestay initiative’, by Sailee Bhavesh Dhawaskar, State Mission Manager for Marketing & Livelihoods (M&L), GSRLM, Rural Development Agency, Challenges faced by Homestay operators and how to overcome by Carlos Noronha, Executive Director Goan Hospitality, Digital Marketing for Homestays by Mini Ribeiro, State President, WICCI Rural Tourism Council Goa and How to start a Homestay by Umesh D Bodke, Lecturer, IHM Goa, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India Undertaking. Shashank Thakur, Project Director, Rural Development Agency, Goa, added, “GSRLM aims to provide alternative livelihood activities to rural women, and one option is to promote the involvement of Rural Self Help Groups in Homestay and explore its scope and prospect. Further, our focus would be to seed the concept of Homestay as a collective initiative as a Group and initiate the project promoting Homestay and allied tourism activities in their villages having potential for tourist footfalls. The GSRLM hope to have this activity as a sustainable livelihood platform to enhance the socio-economic condition of women.” Rtn. Raghavendra Shetiya, President, Rotary Club of Panaji Riviera, said, “As Rotarians, we are called upon to use our skills and expertise to serve a community and to guide and encourage others in their professional development. Vocational service is the essence of Rotary and serves as the foundation from which we serve our communities worldwide.
Taking this objective forward, we at Rotary Club of Panaji Riviera have partnered with the WICCI Rural Tourism Council Goa and the Rural Development Agency to have a Seminar on Eco-Home-Stays. It is our firm belief that, for Goa to succeed as an all-round Tourism destination, we have to focus on Rural Tourism. Empowering Rural Women with the required Skills and Tools to run an Eco-Home-Stay business will give the necessary fillip to their economic welfare. To empower a woman is to empower her children, her family and her community.”
