A foreign couple who arrived from the UK Monday night wanted to know whether the shacks remain open through the year. For many foreigners, shacks are an essential part of beach ecosystem.
Shacks in Goa, as per the Department of Tourism shack policy, can operate till May 31 and they should be removed latest by June 10 – that is the date when the monsoon hits the State.
The policy also states that those allotted shacks can re-start operations by September, though most normally open by mid-October as many wait for the flow of tourists to gain momentum.
Shacks do good business when the footfall of foreigners is high. Domestic tourists tend to shy away from the beach during the day, for fear of sun tan, and don’t normally spend much time out at night, except for single males or large groups.
The footfalls in April decrease with most foreign guests returning to their country and it is the locals and a few Indian tourists who tend to visit shacks during the evening.
“Except during the weekend, my shack hardly has any customer during the day with most foreign guests having gone back. The few that are here still drop by,” admits Andrew who has been running a shack in South Goa for years.
“We have quite a few locals who drop in for dinner after seven and they normally stay till around nine or ten. A few Indian tourists sometimes drop in. This is the time of the season where I cater to local guests. The numbers will pick up from Easter,” admits Andrew.
It is the season of Lent, and Holy Week is coming up, a time when most Catholics refrain from non-vegetarian food and alcohol. Shack owners are, therefore, expecting brisk business thereafter.
Many restaurants have started closing and some hotels are following suit. Except for those in popular beaches visited by locals, most beach shack owners are in winding down mode.
For the few tourists coming now, the heat is an issue “We did not expect Goa to be so hot during this time of the year. We were down in November and enjoyed our holiday so much that we thought of coming for another month,” confessed Dave, who along with his partner arrived on Monday and added that they are moving to Patnem in a few days ‘where the scene is totally different’.
We did not expect Goa to be so hot during this time of the year. We were down in November and enjoyed our holiday so much that we thought of coming for another month
Dave, tourist
Whilst many foreigners along the central coast have started making their way home, those in the extremes are still enjoying and welcoming those who have decided to come for a late vacation.
The flow of tourists at Patnem, Galgibaga, Canacona and Agonda is good in the South with a good number of tourists in Arambol and Morjim in the North, though the latter has started seeing a drop and many hotels shutting for the season.
“The last Russian flight is somewhere around mid-May and therefore we expect business till then and maybe even a bit longer because not all Russians come through charters,” admits Abel who has a homestay in the North.
With most foreigners leaving, it will soon be time for those who have opted to make Goa their second home, to start feeling the raindrops and soak in the scent of the monsoon in Goa.