Goa Strengthens Tourism Laws to Curb Touting and Enhance Visitor Experience
In an important decision meant to improve the safety of tourists and improve the experience of traveling, the Goa Legislative Assembly recently passed an substantial amendment that will help reduce public nuisance and unlawful activities at sea, land, or air tourist attractions.
The Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Amendment Bill 2025 was presented by Rohan Khaunte, State Minister for Tourism, in the Goa Legislative Assembly on August 1, and contains amending provisions to improve the protection and management of the beauty and the offer of the state’s visitor attractions.
The bill also significantly expands the meaning of “nuisance” and raises the maximum fine to ₹1 lakh. It targets a wide range of disruptive practices, including unauthorised touting, coercive sales tactics, unlicensed hawking, begging, obstructing tourists, and operating water sports or selling tickets from non-designated areas. Other newly penalised actions include cooking in open areas, drinking or breaking bottles in public, and unauthorised vehicle use on beaches.
Minister Khaunte emphasized that the legislation is a proactive step to eliminate touting and protect both tourists and the tourism ecosystem. “There are agents for everything, and this bill is a positive step to regulate and eliminate such activities,” he said during the assembly discussion.
In addition to raising penalties — now starting at ₹5,000 and going up to ₹1 lakh — the amended law introduces a new provision requiring the government to review fine amounts every two years, allowing for a 10% revision based on evolving needs and recommendations.
The government stated that the rise in tourist arrivals, and the concerns with increasing degrees of misconduct, were major issues that warranted an increase in the law. The statement of objects and reasons references that the violations not only disrupted public order and disrupted the state of the environment but also led to further dilution of the quality of experience to visitors or the people who reside in Goa.
The amendment marks Goa’s intent to take a strong position on responsible and regenerative tourism, to provide a cleaner, safer and more hospitable world to all who want to enjoy Goa.
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