Status of Panchayati Raj Institutions PRIs in Goa is not very promising when it comes to tourism governance. Tourism hardly gets captured in the debate on local governance due to two main reasons; Firstly, the community is not aware of their power in this domain; Secondly, unwillingness of State Government to share information and devolve the decision making powers with respect to tourism.
Tourism which is claimed to be the mainstay of Goan economy has impacted the local community, their environment, socio-economic balance in many ways. Governance of tourism with incorporating local views and people centric approach can check unregulated growth of tourism and its impact. The findings of this study suggest that most of the power with respect to tourism has been vested with various departments of the government of Goa. DoT and GTDC are the main actors. The other departments involved are Department of Forest (DoF), DoTCP. Authorities like Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) does not take PRIs in confidence while approving/formulating plans for tourism development.