I spoke to Ganesh yesterday and he said the authorities had been put under pressure so had changed their mind about 5 bed rule. The shack owners were just waiting a decision on how many would be allowed (expected to be 20) but the changes would take effect from Monday.

6 bed rule

Ha ha, wouldn't surprise me vegasone ! I have said this before but all this bed reduction came about due to certain shacks placing beds right up to the waters edge, preventing anyone (or making it difficult) to enjoy walking the beach. A simple solution could have resolved this years ago, but typically (just like everything they try to sort) ends up causing more problems. What next..

as you say- it would be far easier to just ban sunbeds within a metre of the sea-or even double that.

in fairness we have witnessed holidaymakers moving the sunbeds right down to the waters edge even though the shack owners put them in reasonable distance.

No word re sunbeds here as yet. Around Goan Heritage shacks at lunchtime the tourist officials arrived with police backup to check shacks Mayhem commenced ,people chucked off beds, those on mattresses who had small table to keep their stuff off the sand had them removed, not allowed. Most shacks had put reclining type chairs just outside the shack doors so people could sit in the sun were told, not allowed, get them inside.to cap it all along the beach towards Fishermans shack they decided to get a lorry down to the beach and remove some sunbeds, the shack owners blocked the access and a standoff with the police ensued. Local politicians were called by shackowners to defuse what was an ugly situation. In the press today, reporting on the First Ministers visit to revue the bed situation last week, all he seemed interested in was shacks having large no smoking signs and a smoking area in shack!! You could not make it up. Even if the twenty bed rule comes in it seems that their is going to be a policy of hassling the shacks at every turn,why nobody knows, but it seems this year there is definitely, from on high, an ante shack policy
Alan

So all the about 10 beds as from today it deffo not so .then ...colleen

I,ve since spoken to people who witnessed the standoff. It was in the lane beside the Goan heritage hotel. There was about 30 odd police the usual wrecking crew ,sunbeds were smashed before the shackstaff rallied and stopped it.there was a female senior member of the tourism board supervising the operation, people who witnessed it say she has been in charge of other instances in the past. A shack is also said to have been smashed up but whether thats true I couldn't say. All in all, if a relaxation of sunbeds numbers is iniment they have a funny way of showing it. The situation year on year gets worse and worse, you never know what they will do next. We for one will most likely call it a day on Goa and that seems to be the general view of most people I meet. The police presence today and their actions are really not conducive to a relaxing holiday and for us enough is enough.
Alan

Alan we too have been talking and think this will be our last year in Goa ,,now in saying that we find it is like this every year when the season is just open by the time we get there in the new year everything will be up and running but again only time will tell , ,,,colleen

If this is the case then this will be our last trip to Goa. I cant be doing wth the whole visa thing and every year theres always a drama on the beach

http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/Details.aspx?id=8095&boxid=3354125&uid=&dat=11/26/2012

Papa

Despite misgivings we today booked our flights to Goa. Qatars outrageous prices came down and we decided to go for it. I am sure it will not be as bad as we are reading.

We go in March so I hope things are better by then.

Papa

Just head to Colva,the shack we were have been using with friends for the past 3 weeks had at least 30 beds out,the same as the shack next door.Although they are supposedly on private land...the seasonal shacks still had only 5 beds though.

John

I might hop on my scooter and go to another beach if its like this in Feb

Three shacks demolished yesterday at Candolim, also several given seven day warnings to reduce size or face the same fate. The tourism board are upping heir drive against shacks this year and i fear that it will continue whether the sunbed numbers are increased or not. They are definatley working to an agenda.Yesterdays police presence was uncalled fo as none of the shacks involved had lotsof beds out it was that they wre just near an access road to get the lorry down to cart bed away from behind their shack. It is much worse tha last year, whether the change of goverment has caused this, who knows, but its not a pleasant atmosphere on the beach at present
Alan

I realise (hope!) that the present situation will probably go away without causing any long term effects on the beach shack culture.
But if it doesn't and the shack portion of holidays is ruined does anyone have suggestions of other destinations with similar beach culture.
The beaches and the shacks are the primary reason we go to Goa, and the destruction of that part of the holiday, allied to the cost and inconvenience of getting visas etc means that I (maybe not the wife) will definately be considering other options for 2014.
For myself, and I realise that this doesn't apply to lots, apart from the beach part of the hols Goa doesn't really have a lot to offer me.
So any alternatives offering the same kind of beach set up?

Del
Great idea for a new thread

gramps wrote:

Three shacks demolished yesterday at Candolim, also several given seven day warnings to reduce size or face the same fate. The tourism board are upping heir drive against shacks this year and i fear that it will continue whether the sunbed numbers are increased or not. They are definatley working to an agenda.Yesterdays police presence was uncalled fo as none of the shacks involved had lotsof beds out it was that they wre just near an access road to get the lorry down to cart bed away from behind their shack. It is much worse tha last year, whether the change of goverment has caused this, who knows, but its not a pleasant atmosphere on the beach at present
Alan

Does anyone over there at the moment know if this is happening on the same scale in the south?

I heard today that Bono's shack had 30 bed out today thats good news I would say