Claiming the Right to Say No-30 Nov 09-EQUATIONS - Equitable ...

Introduction
In 2008 the Philosophy Department of Rachol Seminary, Goa organized
a three day seminar on ‘impact assessment of tourism’ for its students who
wished to later take up a research on studying Israeli tourist behaviour in
Goa. The workshop was attended by thirty-five 2 nd year students as a
part of their capacity building in understanding tourism issues. Of the
thirty-five, eleven students participated in the study on Israeli tourist
behaviour in Goa. When the study was initiated, Israeli tourists were a
prominent group among foreign tourists in Goa; there were growing
tensions between Israeli tourists and local people, and the Rachol
seminarians were keen to attempt a study on the impact of their activities,
behaviour as tourists & their impact on the social, economic,
environmental and cultural impacts. As this study goes into print, many
other tourist groups defined by nationality – such as the Russians - are
also making the headlines because of sites of conflict and tension between
expectations and needs of tourists vis-a-vis local communities and the
perceived impact of this dynamic.
This study is to be read as a preliminary research by seminarians. Its aim
was to help the “researchers” understand the travel patterns and
behaviour of Israeli tourists, situate it within the Indian and Goan context
and make the links to their own studies in theology. The methodology
adopted was one of seeing, observing, discussions (Israeli tourists, local
population, traders, government officials), photo documentation. Therefore
in the report we have retained this style of personal observations and
personal narrative, left unaltered some repetitions, and have retained
also much of their writing unedited without insisting on footnotes and
references. Its value to the individuals involved was as much an immersion
experience as it was a research study.
This work, the first of its kind to be undertaken by group of seminarians,
has been supported by Caritas-Goa, Centre for Responsible Tourism,
Council for Social Justice and Peace, EQUATIONS and Rachol Seminary.
EQUATIONS
October 2009
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