We on this site seem to want the empty beach and tranquillity for our holiday, its what attracts us to Goa...So why do the Indians who are funding the exploit want to turn it into benidorm # 2...then it wont be "Goa" anymore

That is a good place to look when thinking of going to Goa and what impact our visit will have for the future.
Or a good place to point those who complain about Loos and slow service bugs ect....
The locals who are being moved on would love to have such trivial things to worry about.

As Mr Parrikar says - "it's the politicians that are selling off Goa."

The solution is simple - use the vote to get them out.

As for dirty loos - whether there is one shack on the beach or one hundred - is it too much to ask to keep it clean?

I read an article in the "Sunday Times Travel" just before Christmas. It seems that Mr Raymond Diaz the Goa tourism minister wants to have a fleet of casino boats along the Goa coast. He would like to "attract a new class of tourists and get rid of the hippies, drugs and booze image" that Goa has.

I think Mr Diaz will find that he has swapped the "hippies" for pimps, prostitutes and gangsters. Gambling has always been a favoured way for criminals to launder money. I would also hazard a guess that there will be an increase in black market money changing, as local Goans try to get their hands on foreign currency to use in the casinos.

GFF - Thanks for posting this. It is an excellent article which clearly summarises the problems that Goa faces.

There is more awarness in Goa now of the dangers of further development, but i wonder if it has come too late?

Elections are due in May, but what are the chances of the new "rulers" being any less corrupt than the old ones?

More "casion boats" hardly sems like a step in the right direction to me either.

Casino Boats is not what goa is about. I'm truely gutted to here this news :(. Yes there are hippies and drugs but they are out numbered by the decent tourists i.e. The HT lot

didnt the hippies find goa and the news spread,dont think a spliff warrents a druggie label though,i for 1 do not smoke it but dont condem it, its the other drugs that worry me ,