MELTDOWN AND ITS IMPACT

MELTDOWN AND ITS IMPACT
Anjuna flea market loses the usual hustle and bustle
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: “How are you? Welcome to my shop. I will give a good price.” Charu’s offer of good discounts lures in the tourists, but does not translate into sales. This year has been difficult for vendors at the Anjuna flea market.
“I have not earned a single rupee since the flea market opened three weeks back,” says Charu, adding that she managed sales between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 a day from October itself last year. This year, though it’s two weeks into November, business has been “thanda”. British tourists are our major customers but hardly two or three of them have visited my stall so far, says Charu.
The haven for hardcore shoppers and able bargainers, which finds mention in most travel guides, has lost its hustle and bustle this season. Like Charu, about 1,500 other vendors—Gujarati, Rajasthani, Kashmiri, Tibetan, Lamani and some foreigners—have done little or no business. “There are hardly any foreign tourists in Anjuna this season. It is completely dead,” says Edwin Nunes, committee member of the weekly market. “I thought that the market would be a really busy place. But very few tourists can be seen,” says Kevin Hobson, a visitor from Australia.
The market started in the early ’60s when hippies, broke and seeking to return home, started meeting every Wednesday to sell whatever remained with them—musical instruments, travelling gear and even two- and four-wheelers. Apart from the attractive prices—which would be much below the originals—what drew in the crowds was the picniclike atmosphere with most ‘stalls’ operating from tepees amid live music, world food and drugs.
Indian vendors have now replaced the hippies, the atmosphere has become more bazaar-like. Today on offer are a variety of stuff, from silver jewellery to musical instruments, and many things which come in between, like shells and bed covers. And of course, Tibetan, Kashmiri and Gujarati handicrafts. And beachwear.
But the Wednesday tradition continues. Vendors like Charu are at their stalls by 9 am on the appointed day and stay there till sundown. They have been dealt a big blow this year by the global economic meltdown, rise in air fares and the consequent trip cancellations.
“There are a lot of items to buy, but few foreigners are visiting the stalls. It’s a tough time for everyone back home and no one is spending now. They want to save for Christmas,”says Jena Neave from the UK, who planned her Goa visit in September when she was offered a “good deal”.
November used to be a good time for business and we would be extremely busy as tourists came in large numbers, says Umesh Rathod, who has been selling goods in the flea market for the last five years. This season, British tourists have been few, and those coming are the Russians, who don’t like to spend, he says.
“Last year I managed to sell more than 70 drums. But this time I have not sold a single one. Every week I have been coming to the market with about seven drums and returning home with all of them,” says Gawas Sheikh, who has been doing business at the flea market for 15 years now. “Business has never been as bad as this,” he says.
Hotel rooms go a-begging
These are the best of times for the tourist and the worst of times for the industry. Indians planning to come to Goa during the peak season from October to March seem to have hit the jackpot. The internet is flooded with Indian travel companies offering offseason rates during the peak season plus a 50% discount in starred resorts.
While a popular four-star beach resort in Candolim is offering double rooms at Rs 2,250 a night for two people till December 20, a five-star hotel in South Goa is offering rooms for about Rs 4,620 in November. Tariff for some of the three-star hotels in the coastal belt start at Rs 999 and that of two-star AC rooms are between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000.

‘Lowest tariffs in ten years’
Panaji: Tourists planning to come to Goa from October to March have truly hit the jackpot as the internet is flooded with travel companies offering off-season rates during the peak season plus discounts in starred resorts.
A salesperson from a travel portal said, “One can book Goa hotels at the lowest price in the last 10 years. While the best two- and three-star hotel rooms can be had for a night from Rs 999 onwards, rooms at four-and five-star hotels start at Rs 1,999. This offer is valid till December 20 on all bookings made till November 15.”
Varun Albuquerque, owner of the four-star Dona Sylvia beach resort at Cavelossim and Devaaya Ayurveda Spa resort at Divar, said, “We have tied up for bulk bookings with
an Indian travel company and are offering a 30% discount. Overall business has dropped by 25% to 30% and there have so far been about 15% cancellations. There have been fresh bookings but these are less when compared to the 30% to 35% last minute fresh bookings in 2007. If the trend continues, then from January 2009, the hotel industry may face a tough time.”
Industry insiders say that most of the beachside hotels depend on charter tourists and with these yet to arrive in large numbers, the season appears bleak. This is the reason why most hotels have reduced their rates.
“The season is yet to pick up and we expect it to do so by Christmas. Some of the premium five-star and four-star hotels have already dropped their rates by 15%,” said former Travel and Tourism Association of Goa president Charles Bonafacio.
In October 2007, 28 charters had landed with 5,150 passengers. This year it was 16 charters with 2,956 passengers in October. In November 2007, 116 charters had brought in 28,871 passengers, while this year 46 charters have brought in 9,372 passengers.
However, 73 more charters are slotted for this month. Sources at the airport reveal that though the number of charters may be more, the number of passengers on each flight is down at least 30%.

November 14,2008, The Times of India, Goa edition