From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Oct 16: The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) 2010 draft should be adapted to the requirement of promoting coastal tourism in the western states, senior officials said on Friday, October 15.
“While Kerala and Goa are given few relaxations, the states which did not give thought of developing the coastal tourism destinations are caught in the CRZ regulations,” said Kiran Kurundkar, Managing Director, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC).
Participating in the knowledge session on `west coast tourism—synergy between states,’ Kurundkar said that western states like Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra and Karnataka should lobby asking centre to reconsider CRZ draft from tourism point of view.
Kurundkar said that it will be difficult to get private players invest in the beach tourism, if they have hurdles like CRZ. “We should not transfer our problems to them,” he added.
Union ministry of Environment and Forest has released the draft CRZ notification which has given special exemption to Goa, Kerala and Navi Mumbai.
Echoeing the similar view, Karnataka state tourism development corporation’s Managing Director Vinay Luthra said that abiding rules and regulations of CRZ has become a ritual with people refusing to implement with the spirit of the rules.
“CRZ has been a problem for tourism industry. The regulations are primarily aimed to conserve the environment. But all these rules and regulations have become rituals rather than following the actual spirit behind them,” he said.
Gujarat government representative said that the state has decided to give 14 beaches to private parties fo r upgrading them as a tourist destination while state government will act like a facilitator.
“We can’t say that beach tourism is developing in Gujarat. Government will provide basic infrastructure to 14 beaches that would be provided by the state,” said Kingshuk Biswas, senior manager (marketing and investment), Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited.
He said that Gujarat will soon have cruise tourism policy of its own to attract more cruise vessels. Narendra Modi-led state is also thinking to create beach tourism circuits and link it with the hinterland attractions lik Somnath Temple or lion sanctuary.