Cong seeks tax rebate for tourism players

Congress today demanded tax rebate for tourism industry while claiming that its business has been extremely poor in the beach belt this season due to fall in the number of visitors.
"The tourism industry is heavily taxed by the state government. The season this time around is bad. The business is less. We demand that the state government should waive taxes for them," state Congress unit spokesman Agnelo Fernandes said here.
The tourism industry is going through a crucial phase as the inflow of visitors has slowed down, he said.
"The beaches are empty. You don't see many tourists coming there. The Russian tourists have stopped coming....This is affecting everyone," said Fernandes, who is a former legislator from Calangute constituency.

The taxes imposed on the hospitality industry have percolated down to the tourists, making Goa "the most expensive destination," he said.
"The tourists who want to come to Goa have cancelled their plans and have diverted to other destinations," he said.

The state government does not have any tourism policy. This is causing trouble to this sector, which is the only hope for revenue flow in the state, said Sunil Kawathankar, another Congress spokesman.
The lack of proper infrastructure in the coastal belt is worsening the situation, he said.
"People don't want to come here because there is no infrastructure. Pot-holed roads welcome the tourists," he said.