Goa govt permits river cruises, watersports to resume ops

PANAJI: The state government on Friday issued an order permitting river cruises and watersports operators to resume operations. The tourism department also issued a ‘safety and hygiene guide’, detailing SOPs and guidelines with measures to be adopted by operators.
While hotels were allowed to resume operations in June subject to compliance with SOPs, all other tourism activities were left out. On Friday, tourism director Menino D’Souza issued a detailed order and SOPs for river cruises and watersports.
The move comes after the travel and tourism association of Goa (TTAG) submitted a memorandum to the department requesting it to permit watersports and river cruises.The two activities are big draws for tourists, especially domestic ones.
TTAG had also listed SOPs for the two activities, and submitted them to the tourism department. Now, under the official guidelines, river cruises have been asked to do thermal scanning of visitors and staff, and only asymptomatic individuals will be permitted on a jetty. Hand sanitisers, too, are to be provided at entry points and work areas. After the cruise, guests must exit in a staggered manner, to avoid crowding.
Also, boat occupancy shall not be more than 50% of their total seating capacity, according to the new SOPs. Boat operators would also have to make seating arrangements in such a way that adequate physical distancing is maintained.
Normally, most watersports operations start post-monsoon, coinciding with the opening of shacks. Tourism gains momentum from October, but this season’s plans have been disturbed by the pandemic and heavy rain. Meanwhile, beach shack operators are eagerly waiting to start operations.