Goa minister stokes controversy by calling domestic tourists ‘scum’
In an ill-advised outburst that could still prove costly, Goa town and country planning minister Vijai Sardesai has described most domestic tourists as ‘scum of the earth.’
Speaking at the Goa BizFest trade event, Sardesai argued for targeting high-end tourists from home and abroad, but likely served only to alienate what is a core market domestically.
"Today, we receive tourists who are almost six times the state’s population. Those tourists are not the top-end tourists. They are also the scum of the earth," Sardesai said, referring to visitors mostly from Northern India.
The disparaging comments continued.
"Are they responsible? They are not. If you compare Goans to rest of India, we are high in per capita income, social and political consciousness, we are much superior than people who are coming in."
He has previously made no secret that his preferred strategy to increase tourism revenue and attract higher-end visitors would ultimately drive ‘lower end’ domestic visitors away.
"Goa should become so expensive that tourists should say that it is not worth coming to Goa. Which tourists? The Indian tourists. We must have high-end facilities and get high-end tourism, which benefits the sons of the soil," he said at a meeting last month, according to the Indian Express.
Sardesai’s remarks were delivered at the trade event attended by regional business leaders including tourism industry executives.
After a backlash the minister remained unapologetic and claimed his comments were misquoted and not ‘xenophobic.’
Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar seemed to reinforce Sardesai’s view, saying he would ‘chase away’ tourists who do not respect ‘Goan culture’
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026