There is a road called Madani – meaning 'amongst the coconut trees' in Konkani – in a little village, called Parra, in North Goa that turned famous after a scene for a Bollywood film was shot there some years ago.
Since then, the road is almost not motorable as tourists from across India visit the place to produce Instagram reels or get photographed there. And now, someone has started earning by hiring out cycles to tourists who seek to be seen cycling on the road.
People claim that the craze to click a picture riding a cycle or make a reel there, is because that was a scene from the movie that has made the road a go-to tourist destination.
Now, Madani is the spot from where many so-called influencers tend to launch their careers by foretelling what lies in store for those wanting to explore the hidden beauties of our land.
Goa, or for that matter any part of our country, is beautiful. This goes without saying. There could be a million Madanis all over India and perhaps some even more beautiful than this one.
Now, Madani is the spot from where many so-called influencers tend to launch their careers by foretelling what lies in store for those wanting to explore the hidden beauties of our land.
However, the story of the visits by tourists to this place is a story of the steps the country needs to take to get itself educated. Seeing a location is one thing, doing what was done there is another, and the difference indicates a chasm between the educated and educated illiterate.
Bombay, now called Mumbai, was a beautiful place years ago when trees adorned its streets and coastline along the riverfront that is now a tourist destination. Now, there are few trees dotting the line as most have been replaced by high-rise structures.
The fate of Madani and many similar places is not going to be different because the builders’ axe will come down on them and the trees have already begun to bleed. This is one aspect the so-called influencers should concentrate on, instead of trying to sell Goa.
Goa cannot be sold, it needs to be experienced, and not by its roads, but through its people. Visiting Goa is about experiencing Peter, John and Marie because it is they who are the heartbeat of the place. And, the trees, rivers and mountains are the frills they wear.
Goa cannot be sold, it needs to be experienced, and not by its roads, but through its people
The Oxford Dictionary defines an influencer as 'a person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on social media: influencers can add serious credibility to your brand.'
Whatever the definition, the truth is that people coming to shoot reels on a road, riding a cycle or to show that they have visited a place seen in a movie, is not serious business because it does not capture the heart of Goa. If anything, it reflects the creative mind of a movie director and his crew.
Influencers may be paid or expect freebies for their work. It is their outlook which has no bearing on whether someone will come, or not, on a visit to Goa.
Right from the time tourism started, it is the locals who were and still are the influencers of their place and no one can replace them. Full stop.
Peter, John and Marie are the heart of Goa that has kept the tourism industry rolling, and it is the song they sing that has tourists coming, and it is that song that will keep them returning.
Influencers may try to change the lyrics but the tune will always be in the heart of Goans. Break the heart and there will be no song.