The charm of Russian tourist starting to wane in Goa

CALANGUTE/MORJIM, Goa, India – They may account for a large chunk of Goa’s tourism business, but for restaurant and shack owners in north Goa, the charm of the Russian tourist is definitely starting t

CALANGUTE/MORJIM, Goa, India – They may account for a large chunk of Goa’s tourism business, but for restaurant and shack owners in north Goa, the charm of the Russian tourist is definitely starting to wane. The cloud of resentment against visitors from Russia has only gotten darker following a series of rather distasteful incidents-from small misunderstandings to serious altercations, like the one that snowballed into a riot-like situation at Calangute a week back, leaving a waiter with his faced slashed.

According to restaurateurs who regularly cater to Russian tourists along the coastal belt from Calangute to Morjim, the quarrels often start as a result of the language barrier, with most Russians unable to speak or understand English.

While eateries and bars have menu cards printed in Russian, problems arise when the guests are presented the bill in English. “Quite often, they pretend not to understand the bill, and try to leave without paying the full amount. Russian tourists are also quick to get offended and jump to the conclusion that we are out to exploit them. It’s a very difficult situation,” says a shack owner from Candolim. He also complains that some of the Russians tend to act boorish, talking loudly and “dominating” the spot; effectively driving away tourists from other countries who would perhaps prove “better customers”.

Another restaurant-owner who requested anonymity added, “The Russians are the biggest patrons of beach shacks, but some of them tend to order the cheapest items. As a result, shack operators have had to change their strategy in order to make profits-for instance, in a fish curry typically prepared with kingfish, they now use cheaper fish-mackerels or sardines. The same goes for fried fish portions.”

Russian tourists are also perceived as mean, thanks to their tough bargaining skills, and their reluctance to tip. “And to add to all that, Russians hardly leave tips, which are a major source of income for waiters and bellboys. This leaves them feeling bitter and consequently, service becomes rude,” the restaurateur adds. There are, of course, exceptions, he admits.

And then there is the problem of enterprising tourists turning competition for stakeholders of the tourism industry-Russians have started running taxi and tourist-guide services, internet cafes, hotel and ticket booking agencies, restaurants and event management companies, encroaching upon the businesses of the locals.

A water sports operator remarked that all these issues are part of the overall decline in the quality of tourist arrivals, with “high-class” (read deep-pocketed) tourists no longer coming to Goa. “Now the beaches are dirty and have become crowded, so we don’t get the type of tourists who used to come earlier and spend lavishly,” he laments.

Ekaterina Belyakova, head of the Russian Information centre in Goa argues that mutual tolerance could solve most issues for both sides. “Problems do arise due to the language barrier, but these misunderstandings should not lead to aggression. It’s true that Russians sometimes sound rude or abrupt when they place the order or ask for the bill, but this is mainly because they only know a few English words, and people working in shacks should be more understanding.”

She stated that the centre, which is supported by the Russian consulate, will address this problem by starting short-term Russian language courses in March. “These courses will be taught by professional teachers and will be industry-specific for tourism stakeholders,” she added.

Defending her countrymen, she also pointed out that the handwritten bills provided at the shacks are sometimes difficult even for Indians to decipher.

Belyakova also feels it is unfair to brand all Russians as poor-spenders. “One has to look into the statistics to understand. For instance, if there are 5,000 Germans coming to Goa, and all of them spend lavishly, Germans are immediately considered ‘good tourists’. There are nearly 2,00,000 Russians coming to Goa annually, and at least 15,000 to 20,000 of them are wealthy and high-spenders, but they become a minority. It’s not fair to generalize, and often, the wealthy Russians do not visit the shacks, but stick to their five-star resorts,” she said.

“Also, it is very much Russian culture to tip the waiters, and every Russian I know leaves a tip-the bare minimum if they did not enjoy the food or service,” she quipped.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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