Game Theory †Descriptive, Normative or Prescriptive Essay

Going finished life we often argon surprised by the different ways how people think, brand terminations and interact. We accept that just about of us are rational human beans (to some extent) and, thereof, our purposes should be grounded in analysis of the situation, our reckon and intuition. Therefore, the human mind can be seen as an incredibly complicated machine that runs series of divinatory simulations of possible situations (often subconsciously) to find the most optimal course of action, taking into consideration the possible strategies of differents.When the decisions are weighty to us and the abstract thought process is conscious, we engage in strategic thinking. It has always been tempting to develop a possibility that would actually explain and predict the human interaction based on strategic thinking, therefore making the strategic decision making to a greater extent effective to both procedureies and without risk to going into surpass case scenario. There fore ideally gage scheme should cover the questions how the decisions should be made in enounce to maximize the gains, what reasoning does it imply, how to make the best choice of strategy and what will the pay-offs be for both parties.What questions does blue possibleness actually answer this is how the topic of this try out might be rephrased. In this essay the intelligence will be focused on the question whether plunk for possibility is a descriptive, normative or normative hypothesis. First, a brief explanation of different types of theories should be granted as s advantageously up as the definition of pole surmise and the development in this academic field of study as well as the practical applications. Then the standpoint of the source will be defined and supporting as well as contradicting arguments based on various academic articles will be presented and discussed.The last part of the essay will sum up the discussed ideas and draw the final conclusions and re marks. To start with the necessary in- abstruseness understanding of the essay topic, the distinction between normative, descriptive and prescriptive theories should be clarified. As it is known, normative scheme deals with how things should be what ought to be in context of the specific field of study.Descriptive theories are concerned with explaining the way things happen (people behave) in existing ife, moreover the prescriptive theories aim to suggest how things should happen (or how people should react) and this could be just on theoretical level or also connected with the rattling life (therefore not just now big prescriptions on how to act but also the predictions on the future situations). Joseph B. Kadane and Patrick D. Larkey in their paper The Confusion of Is and Ought in mettlesome Theoretic Contexts from 1983 chew overs on the essay topic and fall upones between different types of normative and unconditional theories Among positive theories, we distinguish thr ee types.Descriptive theories are concerned with a posteriori phenomena, but stop with a description. informative theories go further by addressing why questions. Finally, predictive theories discuss what behavior will be. We also distinguish between two types of normative theory, both concerned with what behavior should be. Speculative statements are nonoperational usually consisting of a goal or criterion (e. g. , maximize utility or profit) with no precise operating instructions on how one might accomplish the goal or apply the criterion.Prescriptions are operational in that they give both a goal (or criterion) and feasible procedures (an algorithm) for accomplishing it. From this quotation it can be clearly seen what theory distinctions in bouncing theory context are made. The essay author will adopt this panorama and within normative theories take into consideration both speculative and prescriptive types of theories, within descriptive theories embarrass both descriptiv e and explanatory types and within prescriptive theories look at predictive and prescriptive (for real life situations) types.After clarifying the different types of theories in connection with naughty theory, the short description of game theory and development of modern game theory will be given. In the Oxford English dictionary the definition of game theory is as follows the branch of mathematics concerned with the analysis of strategies for dealing with agonistic situations where the outcome of a participants choice of action depends critically on the actions of other participants. Game theory has been applied to contexts in war, personal credit line, and biology.From the definition we see the important factors are the mathematical analysis, different strategic options with different outcomes (pay-offs) and the interdependence of the players. Therefore it and so looks like the so desired theory described in the introduction of the essay, however, what does it actually deliv er, that is the main focus of this essay. Modern game theory has been developing now for more than 50 years since the book Theory of Games and Economic Behavior by John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern was create in 1944.However, it must be noted that some important efforts in explaining the strategic choices strategic decision making has been done also before, for poser by Zermelo. Konong, Kalmar and Borel. Game theory has evolved considerably since the publication of von Neuman and Morgensterns book and what is interesting the theory has developed far beyond its initial mathematical boundaries. This is due in a large part to contributions in the 1950s from John Nash (1950, 1951).However, it was in the 1970s that game theory as a way of analysing strategic situations began to be applied in all sorts of diverse areas including economics, politics, international relations, business and biology (Chermichael, 2005). By having established the understanding about the subject of the essay, the arguments can now be presented. The author believes that the game theory at the stage of evolution it is now in is a descriptive and prescriptive theory concerning strategic decision making, however with some limitations.Argument 1 Strategic decision making implies / do not imply rational thinking The first contra argument discussed will be about the assumption of game theory that the players are rational. It can be argued that this indeed does not reflect real life as people often make irrational choices and therefore game theory is not describing the real world nor giving prescriptions on how to act in real situations but is indeed a normative theory. What needs to be emphasized here is that the essay author argues that game theory is a prescriptive theory when dealing with strategic decision making.Strategic decision making involves considerable term commitments from an organization and therefore it will be carefully analyzed and discussed before the final decision, i n order to be sure that the chosen course of action will deliver the highest possible results. quest this thought it can be concluded that the players will act rationally, as they are aware of the immense impact of the decision and have certain decision making skills (which can be assumed as they are high in the organizational hierarchy that they are the ones making strategic decisions).Argument 2 Game theory does / does not describe predict the real world situations Strong reexamination regarding the interpretation of game theory is expressed by Rubinstein (1991) There exists a widespread myth in game theory, that it is possible to achieve a miraculous prediction regarding the outcome of interaction among human universes using only data on the order of events, combined with a description of the players preferences over the feasible outcomes of the situation. .. The mystical and unknown word cause is used to fuel our hopes of achieving this goal.I fail to see any possibility of this being accomplished. Overall, game theory accomplishes only two tasks It builds models based on intuition and uses deductive arguments based on mathematical knowledge. As we see from this quotation, Rubinstein is critical regarding the game theory having any descriptive or prescriptive characteristics. However, he states that what is missing for it to be a descriptive (and following that prescriptive theory), is the data describing the process of reasoning adopted by the players when they analyze a game.Since this article more than 10 both scientific and empirical articles have been written directly dealing with the problems mentioned in this article therefore the interpretation has evolved as well as the game theory itself. Moreover, game theory has been used throughout the years by companies and has been proven to be a useful tool for strategists. Camerer in his article Does strategy research need game theory? (1991) comes to a conclusion that a common criticism that game-t heoretic models assume too much rationality is often wrong because first, some games require little rationality to compute equilibria and second, players may reach an proportionality by communicating, adapting or evolving to it rather than by calculating it. Indeed, the author agrees that the interpretation of the games needs careful attention, however, the theory can be used as a descriptive theory for strategic decisions and by canvass it strategists can come to a better decisions therefore evolving in a prescriptive theory.Another spare point enhancing the previously stated is the evolution of game theory now including cooperation, asymmetric information and other factors which are present in real life situations. Hutton (1996) describes game theory as an intellectual mannikin for examining what various parties to a decision should do given their possession of inadequate information and different objectives. hither we see that in later rifles game theory is seen as a more i nnovative theory dealing with various situations not only basic theoretic models.The paper of Kadane and Larkey from 1983 states two suggestions in order to clear the is and ought confusion. First, a Bayesian perspective should be adopted, second, more attention should be given to the model validation. The Bayesian view of games clarifies the proper, respective roles of prescriptive and predictive theory. Taking the Bayesian norm as prescriptively compelling for my play leads me to want the best description I can find of my partner/ opposings play. Thus both prescription and description have important roles to play in the Bayesian view of games.Therefore, we see that through Bayesian approach the descriptive and prescriptive characteristics of game theory are enhanced. From authors research for relevant literature concerning the question what type of theory is game theory, it can be seen that most papers concerning these questions are around 1980s and the beginning of 1990s. Later p apers on game theory, however, are more concerned of empirical applications of game theory as well as in depth analysis of the theory. The empirical work in such fields as auctions, M&A, price strategy, trade strategy etc. as been applying successfully the principles of game theory, therefore strengthening the statement that Game theory is indeed now a descriptive and prescriptive type of theory. Argument 3 Game theorist work has been internationally recognized as applicable to real life and practically useful to make better strategies and strategic decisions Another strong argument supporting the statement of the author is the work of late Nobel Prize winners in economics, in 2007 and in 2012 the winners are game theorists Leonid Hurwicz, Eric Maskin, Roger Myerson and LloydShapley, Alvin Roth respectively. (Nobel Prizes in economics also was awarded to game theorists in 1994, 1995 and 2005). Leonid Hurwicz, Eric Maskin and Roger Myerson won the 2007 Nobel Prize for their work i n mechanism goal theory, a branch of game theory that extends the application of game theory to how different types of rules, or institutions, align individual incentives with overall genial goals. Their work on allocation mechanisms has had a significant impact on the design of uctions, social upbeat systems and many organizations. As the theory can be applied successfully to real fields of business and real organizations, it can be concluded that game theory must be a prescriptive and therefore also descriptive theory.Moreover, the Nobel Prize in 2012 to Shapley and Lloyd was awarded for the theory of stable allocations and the practice of market design the creation of the link from theory to practice. BBC article (15. 10. 012) regarding the winners of 2012 Nobel Prize in economics by Stephanie Flanders, the BBC Economics Editor, states The work of Lloyd Shapley and Alvin Roth reminds us that economics can be both deeply mathematical and abstract, and deeply practical not to say hugely useful to public and private organizations all over the world. .. In the past 50 years, game theorists and micro-economics in general have genuinely made the world a better place. all they have helped to make practical real-world problems or, where there is no solution, they have helped us to understand the issues more clearly.So once again we see that game theory when applied correctly can help to solve real life problems and therefore is a prescriptive and descriptive theory. Working on the essay the author read through many articles on game theory including the classic papers of Nash (1950,1951) where the theory is explained in detail but applications explained are indeed rather simple and not that applicable to complex real world situations, however, very useful for simple situations.Looking at the research papers written in late 1990s and 2000s, the empirical applications can be seen more clear and grounded in real life. The critique on game theory expressed by researchers in early 1990s have been taken into consideration therefore helping the game theory to evolve ad become descriptive and prescriptive theory that can be applied to many fields.Moreover, practitioners are indeed using game theory, for example highly successful consultancy company McKinsey is using game theory to help managers make better decisions and see the different possible risks of different courses of action (Hagen Lindstadt and Jurgen Muller, 2009). The author believes that the game theory has evolved from being more a normative theory to normative prescriptive theory, then by applying these rules to real world descriptive theory has been developed, and now in hand of a masterful strategist game theory is indeed a predictive and prescriptive theory helping to make better strategic decisions.

Paulo Freire and Revolutionary Education Essay

In reading Paulo Freires inspiring and idealistic hold Pedagogy of the Oppressed, first published in 1970, the question arises is whether such a radically transformed teaching methodal system of rules is even practicable. According the person I inter debateed, a professor with many years of principle experience in many countries, the answer is non particularly optimistic. Paolo Freires radical and humanistic view of education is light years removed from what actually takes place in closely classrooms close to the humanness.At the lower levels, education often amounts to little more than rote memorization to prepare for like tests, with administrators mainly concerned that their numbers look good. Higher education has devolved into occupational group training for big business enterprise interests, and frankly has be decrease a business itself. Virtually none of the creativity, humanization or liberation that Freire writes to the highest degree so eloquently legitimately e xists in most educational systems around the world, which exactly turn fall out more cogs for the machinery.There may be a few truly creative and humanistic teachers, although they commonly end up frustrated, burned out and cynical because of the nature of the system itself. For Freire, the worst form of inform is the banking concept of education, in which students are passive and alienated none takers of any information the teacher provides. This has been the frequent type of education system in most of the world by dint ofout history, mirroring the authoritarian and paternalistic socio-economic relationships in the world outside the classroom.In fact, the schools and universities are preparing students to take their place in the system without questioning it. Freire claims that teachers puke either work for the liberation of the heaptheir humanizationor for their domestication, their domination. They do-nothing either create an education system in which all persons in t he classroom are simultaneously teachers and learners, realizing that knowledge emerges only through invention and reinvention, through the restless, impertinent, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, or simply uphold the status quo (Freire 72).He also insists that the teacher cannot remember for her students, nor can she impose her thoughts on them (Freire 77). rule elites merely want to use the education system as part of the apparatus of domination and repression, to proceed order, but real education should be revolutionary and deliberately set out to transform the world (Freire 79-80). Are there teachers who actually believe in this radical mission for education? Is it even possible within the present system? How long does it take for teachers who were once boylike and idealistic to become disillusion?The following are excerpts from an interview with Dr. W. a university professor who has taught in various countries around the world for twenty-two ye ars doubtfulness Have you ever read Paulo Freires book Pedagogy of the Oppressed? Dr. W Yes, parts of it. Over the years, Id say Ive become fairly familiar with his normal theories. foreland Do you regard the educational systems you confirm seen as oppressive? Dr. W I have experienced many educational systems around the world, including a number that I would regard as extremely oppressive.For example, Ive taught in Asian and Middle Eastern countries where primary and secondary school teachers regularly slap, trailer and beat studentshit them with sticks and so on. For the most part, those systems are based on rote memorization as Freire described, and the students are not even allowed to question the teacher they are strictly passive. Mainly, the students are just being prepared for standardized tests, not to develop creativity or imagination, and this becomes very clear when they reach the university level.At that point, they have become used to treating teachers like little tin gods, although I suppose it prepares them for the kind of bureaucratic and managerial salaried positions most of them will be expected to fill in society. Question Isnt that also the case with the American education system? Isnt it mostly geared toward jobs in the capitalistic economy? Dr. W. Absolutely. The American education system is also a class system, and this is already the case in primary and secondary schools. My first job was as a student teacher in a high school in New York.The kids from working class backgrounds were generally tracked into general classes that were not preparing them for higher education, while those from the pith class were. Ill never forget the first class I ever taught, with a group of sullen, nonresponsive working class kids, stuck in a basement classroom that did not even have windows, taught by people who didnt oft care whether they learned anything or not. These kids knew it, too. They were not dumb, although the system certainly treated th em that way.They knew they were being prepared for jobs as mechanics and cashiers. And this was not an inner metropolis school, though, where the American class and caste system reveals itself at its most brutal. Question Caste system? Dr. W. Yes, in the United States, we have a long history of education segregated by color, with the worst schools constantly being reserved for minority groups. Compare any inner city public school system today with those in the white suburbs, or with expensive hole-and-corner(a) schools for the upper classes, and you will see the diversion in about two seconds.For the poor and minority groups in the inner cities, the teachers and facilities are much worsened than in the suburbs, as is the housing, health care, nutrition and so on. Conditions in these ghettoized schools and neighborhoods are not all that much better from those in developing countriesthe types of places Freire was talking about in his books. In those countries, the oppression is v ery real indeed, and the students are being prepared for lives as peasants, workers or simply part of the marginalized economy and society, like kids in Americas inner city schools. Those institutions are programmed for failure.Question But you never taught in inner city schools like those? I mean the types of schools that are like jails, with cops on duty, metal detectors and things like that? Dr. W. No, my career has been mostly at the university level, and the students Ive had were relatively privileged by the standards of this worldmiddle class or upper class. In the Middle East, I taught students from royalty and the aristocracy who had huge allowances every month, and in Asia I once taught students who arrived in limos with their own drivers. I wouldnt say that they were exactly the oppressed masses Freire was describing.On the other hand, I taught at a university in the former Soviet Union were about 60% of the students were on scholarships and came from fairly modest backgr ounds. A lot of people had also been hit hard by the collapse of the economy when the Soviet Union cease. We even had a former brain surgeon who ended up working as a janitor at the university, earning about $150 a month. The whole medical exam and public education system was so far gone that she could make more money that way. Question So you basically see the education system as being unequal, designed to keep people in their place generation after generation?Dr. W. Yes, thats been mostly my experience. I think its designed to insure that the children of the owners and the ruling class will stay at the same level as their parents, while the children of the middle class will preserve to manage and administer the system for them, and the children of workers will continue to be mostly worker bees, although a few might be allowed up into the middle class. Question So in all your years of experience, you never experienced education as being liberating in the way Freire describes?Dr . W. Absolutely never. The system is set up to do the opposite and it will usually locoweed out teachers who do not aline to its requirements, unless they are protected by tenure. Most teachers just go along and get along, never rocking the boat because they are relatively powerless themselves and just need the paycheck. Moreover, parents of middle class and upper class students do not want anyone to be liberated, but expect their children to conform to the systemto insure that the family maintains its class position.Question So given this reality, is there any way you can imagine that a truly liberating education system might be established? Dr. W. (laughs) I think to do what Freire was talking about would require a revolution. Clearly, then, Dr. W. was a case of someone who had become cynical about the education system after long years of experience. He admitted that he had once been young and idealistic and might even have believed some of Freires ideas, but over the years he had found that there was really no meaningful way to put them into practice under the reliable system.In addition, he thought that most students simply went along with this system because that was what their parents expected, especially when they were paying private schools and universities to provide certain services. They were most definitely not interested in making students more humanistic, insubordinate or questioning of authority, but only to prepare them for careers and to get ahead in life. Only in rare cases in American history, such as the 1960s during the era of the Vietnam War, counterculture and civil rights movements did students actually come to question the dominant values of society on a mass scale.That has most certainly not been the case in recent decades, at least not in the United States, nor in most other countries that Dr. W. had experienced. He had come to regard education as a business, run by bureaucrats and entrepreneurs for a profit rather than to encou rage critical thinking or humanistic values among the students. Only once in a while would rebels and nonconformists challenge this system, except in very unusual historical circumstances. WORKS CITED Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy on the Oppressed. NY Continuum, 2000. wonder with Dr. W. by author, February 4, 2010.

Managing Oil Wealth: An Exploration Of Lessons Emerging Oil Nations Can Learn From Norway And Uk

AbstractSeveral fossil rock anele producing and exporting countries begin fallen under the pitfalls of the alternative nemesis phenomena and the Dutch unhealthiness. interrogation studies concord seekd extensively in this area with near(a) to studies taking the view that preference deep countries experience slow scotch egress compared to imaging poor countries. Contrary to what should constitute customary sense, countries that are endowed with abundant vivid alternatives experience unbalanced economic harvest-tide compared to countries with fewer choicesAgainst this touristy view, this proposal querys to demonstpace how acclivitous economies in Africa force out escape the resource scourge. In particular, the proposal seeks to demonstrate how anele wealthinessiness management policies of Nor vogue and UK digest assist emerging inunct nations like Ghana and Uganda to manage their essential resources. The paper identifies classical literary produ ctions sources which go out be reviewed and outlines the methodological framework that bequeath be gived. The paper in addition identifies some of the limitations to its seek approach and highlights ways in which reliability, validity and seek limitations are to be addressed.IntroductionThe impact of internal resources on economic and tender development of a nation has been a controversial discussion for decades. Whilst anoint exploration is associated with wealth creation and economic development, the nexus mingled with vegetable rock oil, conflict and democratic failures is widely record in literature (Basedau & Lay 2009). Despite evidence that oil exploration dissolve act as a catalyst for development, m each an otherwise(prenominal) of the resource- rich countries pee-pee non benefited from oil production but put up sooner experienced great distress and un fixed living conditions, a phenomenon kn avow as the resource rely.Nigeria and Angola are prime exampl es of the resource curse. Despite being the largest oil producers in Africa and despite generating higher taxations from oil booms, Angola and Nigeria still remain amongst the poorest countries in the world. The raw(a) endowment in both of these nations has non been positively correlative with economic growth and favorable progress (Andre 2010). In Angola, for instance, majority of its population still live in extreme poverty, living on less than $2 per day (Hammond 2011).Similarly in Nigeria, despite having explored self-colored oil for 50 years, oil production has non translated to substantial socioeconomic development and poverty rate remain extremely high with majority of the population living on less than US$1 per day (Muller 2010). In concomitant, the cur accept poverty rate of 50% in Nigeria far exceeds that before the oil boom (35%) (Mahler 2010). Further, oil exploration in Nigeria has led to chronic internal instability and violent conflicts (Muller 2010).Recently , Uganda sight commercially viable oil deposits in the Albertine Graben region which impart see the untaught joining the unite of Organization of the oil color Exporting Countries (OPEC) (Bainomugisha et al. 2006). The breakthrough of oil in Uganda has raised hopes that the country willing ease up substantial growth from the oil revenues and escape the fangs of biting poverty. Similarly, in December 2010, Ghana joined the ranks of oil exporting countries. Just last year, the average oil production in Ghana was reported at 68,000bbl per day (Kapela 2012). This production is expected to continue over the next 20 years.Problem statementWith the emerging countries such as Uganda and Ghana positioning themselves to join the club of oil producing and exporting countries (OPEC), it remains unclear whether the pitfalls that puddle faced whitethorn of the resource-rich countries in Africa will similarly prompt these economies. How merchant ship the emerging economies leverage th eir oil wealth to become economic stars without succumbing to the pitfalls of the resource curse(Bainomugisha et al. 2006). Whilst the availability of commercially viable oil resources may enter these economies with an opportunity to boost their growth and reduce the biting fangs of poverty the nexus between oil exploration and conflict and judicature issues is widely documented.Can Ghana and Uganda find a way out of the resource curseHow would these economies address issues of governance, accountability and enhancer which have seen resources in mevery of the oil producing nations in Africa becoming a curse instead of a blessingThese are some of the questions that linger in the minds of many people especially considering that countries like Angola, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea have not been able to escape the resource curse (Bainomugisha et al. 2006) investigate aims/ objectivesThe peculiar(prenominal) objectives of this study will be as followsTo explore the potential challen ges modernistic oil nations such as Ghana and Uganda might face in oil and be adrift wealth management To critically examine and evaluate the oil wealth management policies of Norway and UK. To study the differences and similarities of the petroleum policies of Norway and UK. writings reviewA subdue of research studies have explored extensively in the area of resource curse. earlier examining some of these studies, it is worthwhile to first consider the resource curse thesis and explain what is meant by the familiar Dutch disease. As such the literature will first begin with a verbal description of the resource curse phenomena and the so called Dutch disease. This shall be followed by an summary of transparency and accountability, proper governance, revenue management and monetary policies which have enabled Norse government to limit the dutch disease orderuate and to build a satisfactory national oil industry.Resource curse and the Dutch diseaseThe both terms resource curse and the Dutch disease are somewhat related. two presumably study grow from resource riches but tamp down on distinguishable forms. On the one hand, resource curse refers to a phenomenon in which countries that are rich in natural resources tend to experience slow growth despite their abundant and rich resources. Contrary to what should constitute common sense, countries that are endowed with abundant natural resources experience unbalanced economic growth compared to countries with fewer resources (Cotet & Tsui 2009).On the other hand, the Dutch disease is a term used by scholars to describe a phenomenon in which exports of the resource result in a rapid contraction in the non-resource traded severes sector (Larsen 2004). In essence, the Dutch disease describes a situation where in export of natural resources bring near appreciation in real exchange rate which make exportation of non-natural resource commodities difficult (Andre 2010). This has been particularly the effort in Angola where oil exploration has led to the reapportionment of productive factors and an appreciation in real exchange rate. As a result, most of the sectors have any declined or stagnated with exception of the oil sector.A large volume of literature have explored on the resource curse phenomenon, often linking the extraction of natural resources to conflicts, depravation, civil war and economic decline. For example, studies by Humphreys (2005), Ross (2006) and Fearon (2005) have frame natural resources as providing both finance and motive for armed conflict.Auty (2001) also points out that resource rich countries have since the 1960s underperformed in terms of economic growth, often being outperformed by the resource-poor countries by a considerable margin. Similar findings have been reported by Sachs & Warner (2001), Gylfason et al. (1999) and Leite & Weidmann (1999).Recently, a study by Neumayer (2004) which explored on the race between natural resource teemingness and economic growth, with growth measured in terms of trustworthy income (GDP less the depreciation of natural capital), produced the same results. Studies by Ross (2006), Fearson (2005) and Humphreys (2005) have similarly take into accountd evidence supporting the resource curse thesis.Indeed a large number of authors have shown that the resource curse thesis is a demonstrable empirical fact. This thesis has become a popular view and is even encountered in the popular press. Scholars have widely ac familiarityd this view as a fact. Rather than critically exploring this causal race get along to determine other variables that may be shaping this relationship, most of the scholars have instead researched the unhomogeneous ways through which the decline in growth is manifest (Cotet & Tsui 2009). As such, there know comparatively fewer studies that dispute the resource curse hypothesis.Against the popular view, this proposal argues that nothing is inherently cursed round oil an d that oil exploration does not have to take a grim picture as has been the case in the past. The UK and Norway have responsibly managed their oil exploration activities and bore sustainable, fully integrated economies and stable welfare societies (Bainomugisha et al. 2006). Similarly, it is possible for Uganda and Ghana to eliminate the so-called resource curse and to translate their oil discovery into sustainable gains.Transparency and accountabilityCorruption is without doubt a huge problem that has continued to hamper growth and development in resource rich countries. It is central in explaining the resource curse phenomena. 2 prominent contributions by Mehlum et al. (2006) and Robinson et al. (2006) point out to corruption as blusher issue, in the form of rent seeking and patronage. However, there is an emerging consensus that transparency and accountability merchantman help curb corruption and other dysfunctions of resource-rich developing countries (Kolstad & Wiig 2008). A number of initiatives have been underinterpreted to improve transparency and accountability in resource rich countries. For example, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) has been veritable to increase transparency in revenues generated from extractive industries such as oil and minerals (Kolstad & Wiig 2008). other initiatives include the Transparency obligation initiative of the EU, and The IMF Guide on Resource Revenue Transparency. The proposal, however, does not seek to elaborate on these initiatives in detail as it is beyond the scope of study.Whilst there is strong empirical evidence pointing to the relationship between transparency and less corruption, it should be recognized that transparency on its own is not sufficient to address the resource curse. The effect of transparency on corruption is in fact conditional on education (Kolstad & Wiig 2008). At an individual country level, it is difficult to illustrate the conditional effect of transparency.Ho wever, if we a draw comparison between countries such Angola and Liberia, it becomes easier. Both countries have become more pellucid following the end of the civil wars. Despite being transparent, the level of corruption has only been reduced in Liberia, as measured by the Kaufmann control of corruption index (Kolstad & Wiig 2008). Angola, on the other hand, has not seen any signifi so-and-sot improvements.Furthermore, transparency may not necessarily address issues of corruption and may instead win exacerbate this problem. For example, whilst transparency makes it possible to place corrupt officials, it can as well make it easier to identify relevant officials that may be bribed. That is, it reveals to potential bribers persons who can be contacted in order to acquire an dirty advantage. The identification effect may and then dominate the detection effect thereby further exacerbating problems of corruption.Whilst transparency is one of the ways through which countries can av oid the resource curse, at present, there exist no systematic studies exploring the relative impact of transparency in comparison to other feasible policies (Kolstad & Wiig 2008). Whether transparency is more appropriate to other insurance alternatives then remains an issue for further research.Good governanceThe issue of transparency and accountability is closely tied with slap-up governance. Recent studies exploring the resource curse phenomena have stressed the enormousness of having in place good governance to ensure transformation of resource rents into well-disposed development outcomes. In particular, two prominent contributions see good governance as discover to avoiding the resource curse.According to Mehlum et al (2006), resource rents tend to draw skilled workforce out of productive activities and into rent-seeking. As such, the key to addressing this problem is to increase attractiveness of the productive sector by having in place good institutions. Sharing a somewh at similar view, Robinson et al. (2006) argues that patronage is the main cause of resource curse. Hence, they suggest that the key to avoiding it is putting in place institutions that will limit the governments ability to distribute existence sector positions to political supporters.Revenue managementDemocracy is yet another issue of great importance. Studies by Ross (2001) and Aslasken (2007) have shown that oil hinders democracy. These authors have attributed this hindrance to the rentier effect. Since governments have control over substantial revenues from oil booms, they can hinder democracy through patronage, that is, by providing its supporters with certain advantages such as public sector positions. In order to address the resource curse, there is need for proper management and optimal use of revenues. innate resources are exhaustible in nature and as such may be rendered obsolete. Measurements of permanent income thus have to take account of these characteristics. Spending must be based on present time value of expected revenues, having taken into consideration indecision of the prices and the time of resource depletion (Kolstad & Wiig 2008). In other words, revenues ought to be rescue and properly managed to ensure a permanent stream of income.Fiscal policiesFiscal policies also have an important role to play in addressing the problem of resource curse and the Dutch disease which can be minimized through decoupling of fiscal indemnity from revenue fluctuations. This is made possible through containment of fiscal spending, swelling and containment of nominal exchange rate appreciation (Coutinho 2011). Norway is a prime example of a country that has benefited from its fiscal policies.To avoid overspending its oil revenues, Norway adopted fiscal guidelines in 2001. Norways fiscal guidelines include a practice that ensures that the central governments non-oil structural deficit is within 4% of the expected real indemnification on Petroleum Fund a ssets (Coutinho 2011). This conservative approach which the Norwegian government has taken has enabled it to counter the uncertainty of its oil wealth. As pointed out by Jafarov & Moriyama (2005), Norwegians oil revenue policy has enabled the country to limit the Dutch disease effects by protecting the non-resource sectors from the impact of fluctuations in petroleum prices.Whilst the Norwegian oil policy could be regarded as a prime example of a successful policy framework, Humphrey & Sandbu (2007) have pointed out that the institutional restrictions imposed by Norways fund on policy makers are weak and may not be effective in environments with weak institutional framework. Nonetheless, the Norwegian oil policy has enabled the country to built a competent national oil industry which has been well-managed up to sequence (Ryggvik 2010).UK and Norway as oil and gas countries.The UK and Norway are prime examples of countries which have successfully managed their natural resource wealt h. In particular Norway, which is on expiryly the second largest export of oil across the world, shows no symptoms of a resource abundance curse. However, one factor that may be pointed out that differentiates the experience of Norway from the other oil producing countries is the timing of natural resource discovery. Unlike many other OPEC countries, the discovery of oil occurred at a time when Norway was already a developed country (Mehboob 2012).Nonetheless, the Norwegian government has successfully managed its natural resources, escaping the resource curse which has afflicted many of the OPEC countries. In fact, Norway was ranked as number one in the democracy index by a recent UK economic intelligence report. This decision was based on a number of criteria including transparency, accountability, election let loosedom and fairness, influence of foreign powers and ability to implement policies (Campbell 2012). Voluminous research has also shown that good policies and good gover nance have been central to the success of Norwegian oil sector.From this lengthy literature survey, two observations can be made. First, whilst there is strong evidence pointing to the association between natural resource abundance and unfavorable outcomes on the economy, the evidence is by no means conclusive. The second observation is that there are no adequate accounts for the role of social forces or political environments in shaping development outcomes. seek has tended to take a reductionist approach, explaining development performance solely in terms of the size and a countrys endowment of the natural resources.Although a consensus is emerging that the relationship between a countrys resource wealth and development outcomes may be shaped by certain political and social variables scholars have tended to ignore these variables and instead taken the view that resource rich countries experience slow growth compared to resource poor countries. Contrary to this view, this proposa l demonstrates how emerging economies in Africa can escape the resource curse which has afflicted many of the petro-countries.Whilst there is strong evidence linking the resource curse theorem with poor development outcomes in many of the resource rich countries in Africa, emerging economies such as Uganda and Ghana can avoid this phenomena by ensuring good governance, transparency and accountability, effective revenue management and implementing fiscal policies that would help build competent national oil industries. The UK and Norway are prime examples of countries that have successfully managed their oil wealth. Emerging economies can take heed from these two countries.Research questionsThis research study seeks to address the following research questionsHow can natural and emerging oil nations ensure realization of oil and gas policies to avoid the resource curse How can the oil wealth management policies of Norway and UK assist emerging oil nations like Ghana and UgandaResea rch methodologyResearch strategy/ApproachWhether one is familiar with a dissertation topic or not, it is important to have in a place a research strategy that will help the researcher to salt away the necessary entropy for analysis. In this regard, a research strategy is a methodological approach that is taken by the researcher to investigate a particular research issue. As defined by Saunders et al. (2009), it is a general plan that guides the researcher in investigating a particular research issue. In a similar vein, Bryman (2008) defines research strategy as a general orientation to the conduct of research (pp698). Saunders et al. (2009) further states that a particular strategy has to be selected based on research objectives and questions, extent of existing knowledge about the topic under study, time and availability of resources, and the philosophical underpinnings of the researcher ( Saunders et al. 2009, p.600).Based on this criterion, different research strategies may be employed by the researcher. Whilst there are various research strategies, Saunders et al (2009) and Yin (2003) acknowledge that a large overlap exists among these strategies. As such, of great importance would be to select the most advantageous strategy. Among the most commonly used research strategies are survey, experiment, case study, ethnography, grounded theory, cross sectional studies and participative interrogation among others. The proposed dissertation seeks to employ a case study research strategy. While examining the overall emerging economies in Africa, the study will devote particular focus to Uganda and Ghana as the case studies.Rationale for selecting case study research approach According to Robson (2002), a case study research strategy refers to a research strategy that involves an observed investigation of a particular phenomenon within a real intent context (Robson 2002 p.178). Case study is considered ideal for the proposed dissertation as it allows the researc her to focus on the specific context, and for in-depth investigation of the issue at hand.Further, Case study research has been preferred over other research strategies as the research questions take the form of how. This research study has been developed to answer to the research questions 1. how can new and emerging oil nations ensure realization of oil and gas policies to avoid the resource curse2. How can the oil wealth management policies of Norway and UK assist emerging oil nations like Ghana and Uganda?It is evident that the research questions predominantly consist of how type of research questions, hence suited for a case study research. Chetty (1996) also points out that case study research is important as it leads to the observation of new insights that would otherwise not have emerged with other research strategies such as surveys. The soft case study will explore the oil and gas management policies and theories in Norway and UK, and examine how emerging nations, particu larly Uganda and Ghana, can learn from these countries which have built competent oil sectors. The case study strategy is expected to capture the complexity adjoin management of oil wealth in these emerging economies.Qualitative methodA number of scholars have differentiated between qualitative and quantitative research. One of the key issues that have been used to draw tuberosity between the two is the nature of info. With quantitative research method, the data is hard, objective and standardized. But with qualitative method, the data is rich and deep (Corbetta 2003). Bickman et al. (1998) and Maxwell (1998) have further added interactivity as one of the features of qualitative research.The nature of data needed for the proposed dissertation is rich and deep. The richness of the information is necessary in order to identify the current management practices employed by Norway and the UK in the management of their oil wealth which will then be reflected in designing an applicable management model for emerging countries such as Uganda and Ghana.Data appealingnessThe research question how can new and emerging oil nations ensure realization of oil and gas policies to avoid the resource curse? requires an extensive amount of investigation. As such in-depth interviewing is deemed more appropriate for this study. Interviews will be used as the primary source of collecting data. Interviews will be conduct with key informants in Norway and the UK who will shed a light on the policies governing the management of oil and provide an explanation as to how these economies have been able to escape the resource curse phenomena and the Dutch disease. The interviewees will comprise of key informants in the oil industry such as the local leaders and policy practitioners, international and national diplomats, and policy drivers in transnational agencies, consultants and experts in the oil industry. A total of 30 respondents will be interviewed.Further, a desk study will be c onduct to supplement the primary data. This will involve collecting substitute(prenominal) qualitative data which will be derived from previous research studies. Both documentary and on-line material related to the research topic will be reviewed. The secondary qualitative data will be obtained from archival documents, official government publications, policy papers, statistical data and some(prenominal) other publications including books and academic journals.Peer reviewed journals will include the European sparing Review, Journal of Peace Research, Cyprus Economic form _or_ system of government Review, Journal of Conflict Resolution, The Economic Journal, and Journal of Development Economics among others. This secondary information will supplement the primary data collected and improve accuracy and validity of the research findings.Data analysisThe data obtained from in-depth interviews is rich in detail, contextually laden and subjective. Such data must be reworked or reduce d to represent major themes that describe the phenomenon under study. As such, thematic analysis has been chosen as the main approach to analyzing the qualitative data in the proposed in dissertation. As defined by Saunders et al. (2009), thematic analysis refers to quantitative content analysis that involves the identification of patterns and themes within data.Thematic analysis is particularly common with qualitative research. It involves identification of a number of emerging themes which reflect the textual data. Whilst it may sound easy, thematic analysis require the researcher to be familiar with their data in order to provide insightful analysis. Data familiarization is thus key to thematic analysis.Limitations of qualitative research Whilst positive that research objectives of this research can be achieved, there certain challenges that may be encountered with the methodological approach. As pointed out by Bryman (2004), qualitative findings tend to rely much on researchers often unsystematic views on what is important and significant, and research findings may be influenced by the researchers biases.Moreover, the findings obtained from a qualitative case study may not be generalizable given the set of few respondents. The scope of qualitative research is often limited to mavin cases and as such, it becomes difficult to generalize the findings. Also, respondents may choose to provide false information which may affect the accuracy of the findings. Despite these criticisms, qualitative research has been chosen as the research approach in the present study.Generalizability, validity and reliability The researcher will avoid the bias associated with qualitative research by measuredly seeking data from various sources including official government documents, policy papers and other relevant secondary sources. This secondary information will be used to supplement the findings obtained from the primary interviews.Ethical considerationsA number of ethical issues may arise with interviews with key informants. inclined the secrecy of information of this nature, some participants may not be at liberty to reveal certain sensitive information. However, the researcher assured the participant about confidentiality of their information. Another ethical concern relates to the issue of utilizing secondary sources without the authors permission. To address this concern, the researcher is going to acknowledge the contributions made by the original authors of the secondary sources in the proposed dissertation.ConclusionClearly, we have seen that many resource rich countries especially the African countries such as Nigeria and Angola have suffered from resource curse and the Dutch disease. Despite being the largest oil producers, these resource rich countries still remain at amongst the poorest in the world. Their natural endowment has not been positively correlated with economic growth and social progress. Weve also seen a close and strong link between resource curse and corruption, bad governance, lack of accountability and transparency, poor revenue management and poor fiscal policies.On a lighter note, weve seen some of the resource rich countries which have been able to escape the resource curse and Dutch disease. Weve seen that the UK and Norway have successfully managed their natural resources. This is explained by the fact that they have pursued good policies in some areas and have enjoyed the advantages of having resource rent. However, weve noted that conflicting many other OPEC countries, the discovery of oil occurred at a time when Norway was already a developed country. This perhaps point to the differentiated experience in the management of oil wealth between Norway and other oil producing countries.Nonetheless, we argue that the emerging economies such as Ghana and Uganda can learn from Norway and the UK, and leverage their oil wealth in order to emerge as economic stars without succumbing to pitfalls of the resource curse. Clearly, this research is of paramount importance and would contribute significantly to the management of natural resources.Resource requirementTo successfully execute this dissertation, the researcher intends to use a variety of secondary sources. In particular, articles and academic journals would inform this analysis. The internet, online-library and computers would aid in the data parade and analysis. There is a plethora of literature on management of oil wealth. The dissertation will thus be based on a critical review of produce literature such as journals, articles, and textbooks. In addition, the researcher intends to review press releases, government documents and annual work plans such as the 2012 work Plan of Environmental Management in the Oil and Gas Sector. This would ensure that the dissertation is consistent, professional and of the highest quality.Given the great deal of research conducted on this topic, the researcher is positive the dissertatio n will be successfully accomplished without much cost or future hindrance. Further, frantic efforts and time would be devoted towards analyzing the published literature and augmenting it with the primary data collected.Timetable/ Gantt chart Activity September October November December January weeks 12341234123412341234 A review of earlier studies and any relevant literature draft of the literature review research design and strategy end of interview questions Communication with key informants and scheduling of interviews Interviews with key informants Data collection Data analysis (Thematic analysis) study of the draft of the project submit to tutor for the revision final check of the data and accuracy of the scripted project final submissionReferenceAndre, G., 2010. The management of the Angolan oil revenues are there any chances to change course of the resource curseUniversity of DundeeAslaksen, S., 2007. Oil, democracy and country fixed effects. Mimeo, Department of Economi cs, Trondheim Norwegian University of experience and Technology.Auty, R. M., 2001. The Political Economy of Resource-Driven Growth. European Economic Review, 45 (4-6) 839-846.Bainomugisha, A., kivengyere, H. and Tusasirwe, B., 2006. Escaping the oil curse and making poverty history a review of the oil and gas policy and legal framework for Uganda. ACODE Policy Research Series, No. 20Basedau, M. and Lay, J., 2009. Resource curse or rentier peaceThe ambigous effects of oil wealth and oil habituation on violent conflict. Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 46 (6), pp.757-775Bickman, L., Rog, D. J., and Hedrick, T. E. 1998. Applied Research Design A Practical Approach in Bickman and Rog., D.J., (eds.) Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods, Thousand Oaks, CA keen-witted publications.Bryman, A., 2008. Social research methods, 4th edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press.Burnham, P. and Gilliand, L., K., Grant, W. and Layton-Henry, Z., 2008. Research methods in politics. 2. ed., Palg rave Macmillan, Basingstoke.Campbell, 2012. A tale of two petro-states Norway manages its oil wealth much better than Canada does. Canadian Centre for Policy AlternativesChetty, S., 1996. The case study method for research in small- and medium-sized firms, external Small Business Journal, 15(1), 73-85.Corbetta, P., 2003. Social research theory, methods and techniques. London Sage publications.Cotet, A.M. and Tsui, K.K., 2009. Resource curse or malthusian trapEvidence from oil discoveries and extractions. Ball State University and Clemson UniversityCoutinho, L., 2011. The resource curse and fiscal policy. Cyprus Economic Policy Review, vol. 5 (1), pp. 43-70Fearon, J.D., 2005. Primary Commodities and Civil War, Journal of Conflict Resolution 49 (4) 483507.Gelb, A. and Associates, 1988. Oil Windfalls conjure up or Curse, New York Oxford University PressGylfason, T., Herbertsson, T.T. and Zoega, G., 1999. A Mixed Blessing inseparable Resources and Economic Growth, macroeconomic Dynami cs 3 20425Hammond, J.L., 2011. The resource curse and oil revenues in Angola and Venezuela. Science and Society, Vol. 75 (3), pp.348-378Humphreys, M., 2005. Natural Resources, Conflict and Conflict Resolution, Journal of Conflict Resolution 49 (4) 508537.Jafarov, E. and Moriyama, K., 2005. The Norwegian Government Petroleum Fund and the Dutch Disease, IMF Staff Country Report No. 05/197 (Norway Selected Issues), Chapter III, Washington, DC,Kapela, J.M., 2012. Ghanas new oil cause for jubilation or prelude to the resource curse. Duke UniversityKolstad, I. and Wiig, A., 2008. Is transparency the key to reducing corruption in resource-rich countries? origination Development, vol.37 (3), pp.521-532Larsen, E.R., 2004. Escaping the resource curse and the Dutch diseaseWhen and why Norway caught up with and forged ahead of its neighbours. word papers no. 377. Norway, Research DepartmentLeite, C. and Weidmann, J., 1999. Does Mother Nature CorruptNatural Resources, Corruption, and, Economi c Growth, IMF on the job(p) Paper WP/99/85, Washington, DC International Monetary FundLindstedt, C., and Naurin, D., 2005. Transparency and corruption The conditional significance of a free press. QOG Working Paper Series 20055. The QOG Institute.Mahler, A., 2010. Nigeria a prime example of the resource curseRevisiting the oil-violence link in the Niger Delta. GIGA Working Paper 120Maxwell, J. P., 1998. Designing a qualitative study. In Bickman, L. & D. J. Rog (Eds.), Handbook of applied social research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA Sage Publications.Mehboob, A., 2012. Natural resource curse can a Dutch disease become a Dutch miracle(A case study of the Netherlands), International Institute of Social StudiesMehlum, H., Moene, K., and Torvik, R., 2006. Institutions and the resource curse. The Economic Journal, 116, 120.Muller, M., 2010. Revenue transparency to mitigate the resource curse in the Niger DeltaBonn International Center for ConversionNeumayer, E., 2004. Does the Resource Cur se Hold for Growth in Genuine Income as tumefy? World Development 32.10 162740Robinson, J. A., Torvik, R., and Verdier, T., 2006. Political foundations of the resource curse. Journal of Development Economics, 79, 447 468.Robson, C., 2002. Real World Research A Resource, for Social Scientists and Practitioner-Researchers. Oxford Blackwell Publishing.Ross, M.L., 2006. A Closer Look at Oil, Diamonds, and Civil War, annual Review of Political Science 9 265300.Ross, M. L., 2001. Does oil hinder democracy? World Politics, 53, pp. 325361.Ryggvik, H., 2010. The Norwegian oil experience a toolbox for managing resourcesCentre for Technology, Innovation and Culture (TIK-CENTRE)Sachs, J. D. and Warner, A.M., 2001. The Curse of Natural Resources. European Economic Review, 45, pp.+ 827-838.Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A., 2009. Research methods for business students, 5th ed., Harlow, Pearson Education.Yin, R. K., 2003. Case study research Design and methods, 3rd edition, London, SAGE Publications.

Has society outgrown religion? Essay

Has society outgrown righteousness? // A hindrance to society or a recyclable delusion?Over eighty pct of the planets population par name in some form of piety, which would lead you to believe that it truly does look at a huge benefit to us not wholly as individuals but as an entire species. But could this be misleading? Once you remove the deal from this eighty percent that look on piety scarcely as a family tradition, or because its the simplest explanation to the questions for which they dont have answers and leave the people that truly and honestly believe that righteousness is still in-date useful to society, one could cope that the number probably isnt so all overwhelming.Why is it that worship seems to have lost its veracity? It could be argued that religion just isnt what it used to be it no longer provides believable explanations for the phenomena that we as universe long to understand, such as the origin of the earth or even the origin of life itself. Nor ba y window it provide feasible answers to questions such as what is the meaning to life? or what is truly good?So why is it that we no longer believe the answers and explanations provided by religion to be true (or even feasible)? most of all, its the scientific processes allowed by vast technological advancement. Since the theories of Darwin, Galileo, Einstein, etc, which provide proof along with their explanations, the power of these old-age tales has been massively decreased whilst the urge to search for more than and more scientific truths has rocketed.Although the advancement and application of science does not entirely rule out the possibility of a perfection (or intelligent designer), it does wash away the initial value of religion. Barely anyone believes in the tale of the earth being created in seven years, or that a man called Noah took two of every animal and put them on an arc whilst God caused forty days of floods or even that mankind begun with two people named Adam a nd Eve, so surely it would take a true idiot to believe in a heaven or hell and thus hail the lesson set by which we should abide in order to avoid the misfortunate fate of resultant up in hell.Could the idea of heaven and hell be something which is as beneficial to us as the advancement of science? The German philosopher Jurgen Habermas claims that religious thinking is the centre of a just and forgiving society he states that things such as human rights and social order derive from Judeo-Christian thinking. plane if society wanted to outgrow religion, it would struggle to know where to go next.This view is not dissimilar to that of Friedrich Nietzsche, who theorised that religion created ideas such as sin and thus guilt which logically leads on to the fact that without the fears and rewards presented by religious teachings, humans would have very little reason to behave morally at all.So is it really the desire to hold society in this state of morality and social order that prevents the age-old tales religion from vanishing, or could it be something far closer to home? One could argue that religion is merely a means by which people find meaning and direction within their own lives.Organised religion provides us with a set of rules to live by and presents us with rewards for following them we are given a sense of duty to fulfil our roles as humans by going good not only by others but by ourselves. Religion provides us with a sense of community, it lets us believe that there is a great man in the sky that is always there to listen it creates a more realistic ear in the form of church groups and other religion-based communities. Essentially it gives us the sense that we posterior do right, and that we can act in order to achieve the ultimate individual goal attain heaven.Is reaching heaven really the ultimate individual goal though? It seems entirely futile to brag potentially your only life aiming for something which may not even exist, and it make s no sense that we as people would be rewarded by God for spending our entire lives taking blind faith in something that we could only eschatologically verify. Looking at things from this point of view it seems that religion is not nourishing or useful to us as human beings, but in fact a complete hindrance.The vast tot up of religions and the degrees by which they vary likewise creates a huge hindrance to us as a species religion and the conflict between each separate one causes more bloodshed than anything else in the world. When people shade the need to violently attack each other in order to prove one Gods worth over another, and this is allowed (or even encouraged) by the rules within that religion it would seem that something is terribly wrong. It is also in this case that the promise of a heaven or hell for following the rules of religion is something which doesnt benefit society, but instead leads individuals to believe that it is okay to commit homicide or suicide to fig ht for their cause, as God will still love them.Essentially, religion is both a hindrance to us and a useful delusion. If only we could learn to take the good bits from religion such as the strong moral values, social order and general good will and learn to let go of some of the values that we really are beginning to outgrow such as the things that science is now taking over then religion would be of benefit to us all. Such an approach to religion could even take away the strength behind it that not only causes conflict and bloodshed, but causes us to potentially superabundance our lives by aiming for an afterlife that we cannot even guarantee exists. Either way, it seems that religion (and the values held within it) is going to be here for a long while yet.

Goa Tourism

A stomach on GOA tourerry 2013 Divyanshu Sharan BBM(IB) div C 192 3/18/2013 introduction goa Goa, a tiny emerald earth on the west seashore of India, the 25th discordantiate in the Union of States of India, was liberated from Portuguese rule in 1961. It was business come toice of Union territory of Goa, Daman & Diu boulder clay 30 May 1987 when it was carved aside to cook a reprinting State. Goa covers an atomic gravel 18a of 3702 squargon kilometers and comp skip overs two R flatue rule viz North Goa and South Goa. Boundaries of Goa State ar defined in the North Terekhol river which separates it from Maharashtra, in the East and South by Karnataka State and West by Arabian Sea.Goa lies in Hesperian Coast of India and is 594 Kms (by road) a elan from Mumbai city. Goa, for the purpose of revenue administration is split into district viz. North and South Goa with headquarters at Panaji and Margao respectively. The entire State comp comes 11 talukas. For the purpose of death penalty of reading programmes the State is divided into 12 community development blocks. As per 2001 census, the population of the State is 13,42,998. administratively the State is organised into two districts North Goa comprising six talukas with a total ara of 1736 sq. kms. and South Goa comprising tailfin talukas with an ara of 1966 sq. ilometers. In on the whole at that fall out are 383 villages of which 233 are in North Goa district and cl in South Goa district. As per the 2001 census, there are 44 towns of which 14 are Municipalities and remaining are census towns. A in truth striking feature of Goa is the harmonious relationship among various religious communities, who defend lived together peacefully for generations. though a late entrant to the computer programmening process, Goa has emerged as virtuoso of the to the senior highest degree developed States in India and even achieved the ranking of one of the best posits in India with regards to invest ment environment and infrastructure.Goa is Indias smallest read by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in West India in the region know as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea directs its occidental coast. Goa is Indias richest state with a GDP per capita two and a fractional metres that of the country as a whole. It was be the best rigid state by the Eleventh Finance Commission for its infrastructure and ranked on top for the best quality of life in India by the National Commission on Population based on the 12 Indicators.Panaji is the states capital, while Vasco da Gama is the boastfulst city. The historic city of Margao still exhibits the heathen influence of the Portuguese, who first landed in the early 16th century as merchants and conquered it soon thereafter. Goa is a former Portuguese colony, the Portuguese overseas territory of Portuguese India existed for close 450 historic period until it was annexed by India in 1961. Renowned for its b to from each one onees, places of worship and earthly concern heritage architecture, Goa is trimed by large upshots of outside(a) and nationalated touring cars each year.It in either case has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats range, which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot. Geography Goa encompasses an area of 3,702 km2 (1,429 sq mi). It lies among the latitudes 1453? 54? N and 1540? 00? N and longitudes 7340? 33? E and 7420? 13? E. Most of Goa is a part of the coastal country cognize as the Konkan, which is an escarpment rising up to the Western Ghats range of mountains, which separate it from the Dec shadower Plateau. The highest point is the Sonsogor, with an altitude of 1,167 meters (3,827 feet).Goa has a coastline of 101 km (63 mi). Goas main rivers are Mandovi, Zuari, Terekhol, Chapora and the Sal. The Mormugao harbour on the let out of the Rive r Zuari is one of the best natural harbours in South Asia. The Zuari and the Mandovi are the lifelines of Goa, with their tri furtheraries draining 69% of its geographic area. These rivers are whatever of the busiest rivers in India. Goa has more than(prenominal) than forty estuarine, eight devil dog and about ninety riverine islands. The total passable length of Goas rivers is 253 km (157 mi).Goa has more than three hundred ancient tanks rein teard during the rule of the Kadamba dynasty and over a hundred medicinal springs. Climate Goa features a tropical monsoon climate under the Koppen climate classification. Goa, world in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, has a hot and humid climate for most of the year. The month of May is the hottest, seeing day temperatures of over 35 C (95 F) coupled with high humidity. The monsoon rains arrive by early June and turn in a very frequently needed respite from the heat. Most of Goas annual rainfall is receive through the mo nsoons which last till late September.Goa has a short winter season between mid-December and February. These months are marked by nights of around 21 C (68 F) and long time of around 28 C (84 F) with incorporate amounts of humidity. Further inland, collect to altitudinal gradation, the nights are a few degrees cooler. During March 2008 Goa was lashed with heavy rain and fast(a) winds. This was the first time in 29 years that Goa had seen rain during March. Transportation in goa Air shipway Goas sole airdrome, Dabolim Airport, is a military and civilian airport find centrally within the state.The airport adds to domestic and world-wide airlines. The airport too handles a large return of chartered flights during the winter season, typically between November and May. Goa has scheduled international connections to Doha, Dubai, Sharjah and Kuwait in the Middle East and from the United Kingdom, Ger numerous, Netherlands and Russia during the charter flight tourist season. Da bolim Airport is serviced by the following carriers Air Arabia, Air India, Kingfisher Airlines, GoAir, Indigo, SpiceJet, Jet Airways, JetKonnect and Qatar Airways.Charter flights to Europe are operated by Monarch Airlines, Thomson Airways, Thomas Cook, Condor Flugdienst, Arkefly and a nonher(prenominal)s. some other(a) international airport at Mopa is proposed due to land constraints at Dabolim, however, options to move the Navy away from Dabolim to amplification capacity are being looked at. Roadways Goas domain carry generally consists of privately operated buses linking the major(ip) towns to rural areas. Government-run buses, hold by the Kadamba Transport mickle, link major routes (like the PanjimMargao route) and some opposed parts of the state.In large towns such as Panjim and Margao, intra-city buses operate. However, public transport in Goa is little developed, and residents depend heavily on their own transportation, usually mechanised two-wheelers and small fa mily cars. Goa has four National Highways passing through it. NH-66 (ex NH-17) runs on Indias west coast and links Goa to Mumbai in the north and Mangalore to the south. NH-4A running across the state connects the capital Panjim to Belgaum in east, linking Goa to cities in the Dec rat. The NH-366 (ex NH-17A) connects NH-66 to Mormugao Port from Cortalim.The new NH-566 (ex NH-17B) is a four-lane road connecting Mormugao Port to NH-66 at Verna via Dabolim Airport, primarily built to ease pressure on the NH-366 for business to Dabolim Airport and Vasco da Gama. NH-768 (ex NH-4A) links Panjim and Ponda to Belgaum and NH-4. Goa has a total of 224 km (139 mi) of national highways, 232 km (144 mi) of state highway and 815 km of district highway. Hired forms of transport imply unmetered taxis and, in urban areas, auto rickshaws. Another form of transportation in Goa is the motorcycle taxi, operated by drivers who are topical anaesthetic anaestheticly called pilots.These vehicles trans port a single pillion rider, at fares that are usually negotiated. Other than buses, pilots tend to be the cheapest mode of transport. River crossings in Goa are serviced by bottomed ferry boats, operated by the river navigation department. Railways Goa has two rail lines one run by the South Western Railway and the other by the Konkan Railway. The line run by the South Western Railway was built during the colonial era linking the port town of Vasco da Gama, Goa with Belgaum, Hubli, Karnataka via Margao.The Konkan Railway line, which was built during the 1990s, runs parallel to the coast connecting major cities on the western coast. Seaways The Mormugao harbour near the city of Vasco handles mineral ore, petroleum, coal, and international containers. Much of the shipments consist of minerals and ores from Goas hinterland. Panjim, which is on the banks of the Mandovi, has a minor port, which used to handle passenger steamers between Goa and Mumbai till the late 1980s. There was als o a short-lived catamaran service linking Mumbai and Panaji operated by Damania Shipping in the 1990s. touristry in goa touristry was adopted as a key sector for Goas development, not only for the well-established reasons of increasing in pursue and plow solely also for its potential to generate non-manual employment in a state with an increasingly educated exercise force and limited industrial development. Fearing industrial pollution, the planners and decision-makers opted for touristry as an avenue to earn the stateis income over increase industrial development in appurtenance to mining.Except at academic directs, very little awareness and understanding existed thorn then among planners about the processes of the life strengthener systems of the coastal environment and the interactive roles played by each component. This paper highlights the issues and the implications of touristry on the coastal naval and the socio-stinting environment of Goa. Most of the tourism in G oa is intemperate in the coastal str and so ones of Bardez, Salcete, Tiswadi and Marmagao. Over 90 pct of domestic tourists and over 99 pct of the international tourists frequent these areas.Consequently, beach tourism is the only type that is avidly encouraged by policymakers and other allow-to doe with parties alike. Goa is visited by two types of tourists with distinct needs which this state satisfies. The first is the domestic tourists, who comprise 80 percent of all tourists. These people come in search of the culture that is different from the rest of India, as the Goan learn holds a degree of mysticism, a sense of freedom and unconventional dress style. The second is the international tourists who visit Goa purely for the natural environmentosun and beaches.Within the category of international tourists are there are two sub-categories backpackers and charter tourists. Although both visit Goa for the beaches, they stay away from each other. The backpackers are not found in areas of charter tourists they cull to mingle and live with the topical anaesthetic anesthetic communities. Whereas, the charter tourists tend to stay in the luxury starred hotels. domesticated and international tourists also differ in term of the areas they frequent. For the domestic tourist, the beaches hold limited appeal, so domestic tourists remain away from the places frequented by the international tourists.The timings of visits are clearly different for the domestic and the international tourists. In previous decades, a clear off season for all tourists could be identified, today this is not so for domestic tourists, who come throughout the year albeit in larger numbers in the non-monsoon months. Conversely, international tourists countermand the monsoon months, as for them the use of the beach is the prime attraction to come to Goa Tourism is generally focused on the coastal areas of Goa, with decreased tourist activity inland. In 2010, there were more than two millio n tourists report to subscribe visited Goa, about 1. million of whom were from abroad. The tourism board appointed Prachi Desai, a young Bollywood actress as the scene of Goa. Goa has two main tourist seasons winter and summer. In the winter time, tourists from abroad ( principally Europe) come to Goa to enjoy the climate. In the summertime (which, in Goa, is the rainy season), tourists from across India come to spend the spends. With the rule of the Portuguese for over 450 years and the consequential influence of Portuguese culture, Goa presents a somewhat different picture to the foreign visitor than other parts of the country.The state of Goa is far-famed for its excellent beaches, churches, and temples. The Bom Jesus Cathedral, Fort Aguada and a new wax museum on Indian history, culture and heritage in rare Goa are other tourism destinations. In some parts of Goa, mansions constructed in the Indo-Portuguese style architecture still stand, though in some villages, most of t hem are in a dilapidated condition. Goa also has a few museums, the two key ones being Goa State Museum and the Naval Aviation Museum. The Aviation museum is one among three of its kind in the India, the other two being in Delhi and Bengaluru. Goa Tourism cultivation Corporation Limited (GTDC)Goa Tourism Development Corporation Limited (GTDC) was execute up on 30th March, 1982 to look after the commercial activities of the Government in the service assiduity of tourism in the state. The liabilities of the Government in the form of accommodation (hotels), vehicles, tours, boats and other straight-lacedties were transferred to Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd to run and to manage the same with a view to promoting, developing in the state and to carry out business and to manage the welfare of the employees transferred along with the as suffices of the Government. Goa Tourism Development Corporation.Ltd has come a long way and completed 25 years of palmy operation in touris m sector and is one of the successful Corporations in the service application in the State of Goa. The company is governed by the Board of theater directors appointed by the Government. The Board of Directors consists of 12 members. The shareholders consist of 7 members, all of whom are Government nominees. All the shares are held by the Governor of Goa, except 7 shares which are held by its nominees. The Managing Director is the Executive Head of Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd The Organisation The Administrative head of the Department is Shri.R. K. Verma, IAS as Principal Secretary (Tourism). The Department has zonal Offices in North Goa at Mapusa and in South Goa at Margao. The tourer Information Centres/Counters are located within the State and in Mumbai (temporarily closed). The Zonal incumbents are primarily trustworthy for monitoring the Registration of Tourist occupation under the Tourist Trade Act, 1982. The Director of Tourism The current Director of Tourism is Shri. Nikhil Desai. In plus, the Director of Tourism is assisted by the below mentioned Officers and whitethorn be contacted by the public as per the tasks assigned to each officer Ms.Pamela Mascarenhas, Deputy Director (Adm) Is the overall in deplume of the Administration, Trade and Information Sections. Shri. Hanumant K. Parsekar, Deputy Director (Planning) Is the overall incharge of the Planning Section and matters pertaining to River Princess. Shri. Arvind B. Khutkar (Revenue) Is the overall incharge of the Revenue Section. Shri. Govind R. Prabhu Gaonkar, Asstt. Accounts Officer is the overall incharge of all the monetary and accountancy matters pertaining to the Department of Tourism. Shri. Jose Roque Gracias Flor, Asstt. Director (Trade) Shri. Rajesh A.Kale, Asstt. Director (Information) Shri. Ramesh L. Morajkar, jock Tourist Officer (Revenue) Shri. Ganesh R. Teli, Assistant Planning Officer (Planning) Shri. Subhash K. Kavlekar, Assistant Planning Officer Shri. Narendr a K. Shirodkar, Assistant Tourist Officer of Mapusa Zonal Branch Office. Smt. Angela Jasmina Fernandes, Assistant Tourist Officer of Margao Zonal Branch Office. Activities of the Department insurance Formulation. Development of Infrastructure. Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintainance) Act, 2001 Goa Land (Prohibition of plait) Act, 1995Administration of Goa Registration of Tourist Trade Act. It is mandatory for all Hotels, motive power Agents, Tour Operators, Tourist Guides, Tourist Taxi Operators and Dealers of notified articles and other persons engaged in tourist activities to register themselves under the Goa Registration of Tourist Trade Act, Registration is to be annually renewed. beneath the Goa Registration of Tourist Trade Act, Director is the Prescribed Authority to issue certificate of registration. Quality Policy GTDC are committed to following To impart our service to our guests to their complete satisfaction.To give value for money fagged by our guest. To optimally utilize obtainable infrastructure and human resources. To create & project a customer friendly & professional image. To comply with quality management systems. To periodically review established quality objectives. To continually improves and arouse effectiveness of quality management systems. Mission Statement At GTDC we strive to provide the finest Tourism related work to our guests. We vow never to sacrifice our professional integrity and to produce the highest quality work possible and pledge to stay true to it.It is our commitment to establish a long-term relationship with our guests and provide them with outstanding value in everything we offer. Vision Statement To be a trusted transcend to visitors in Goa for all their spark needs, and be a completed exponent of Goas well-known hospitality. hands training for the tourism industry Annual training programs are conducted for staff of GTDC at all levels to enhance their professional and personal development. Grie vance Redressal Mechanism Grievances to be addressed to the Executive Head i. e.Managing Director of Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd, who exercises all the powers conferred upon him under the Act. Goan culture The tableau of Goa showcases religious harmony by instruction on the Deepastambha, the Cross, Ghode Modni followed by a chariot. Western royal attire of kings and regional dances being performed depict the unusual blend of different religions and cultures of the State. The festival of music and dance, Shigmo Mel or the Holi and Spring celebrations, signify unity in diversity. large(p) local festivals are Chavoth, Diwali, Christmas, Easter, Shigmo, Samvatsar Padvo, Dasara etc.The Goan funfair and new year celebration is known to attract a large number of tourists. Dance and music Traditional Goan art forms are Dekhnni, Fugdi, Corridinho, Mando, Dulpod and Fado. Goan Hindus are very fond of Natak, Bhajan and Kirtan. numerous famous Indian Classical singers hail from Goa, including Kishori Amonkar, Kesarbai Kerkar, Jitendra Abhisheki and Pandit Prabhakar Karekar. Goa is also known as the origin of Goa trip up. While Goa trance has achieved widespread best-selling(predicate)ity itself, it also heavily influenced later forms of music such as psytrance.Food Rice with fish line up (Xit kodi in Konkani) is the staple diet in Goa. Goan cuisine is famous for its rich variety of fish dishes cooked with spread out recipes. Coconut and coconut oil are widely used in Goan cooking along with chili pepper peppers, spices and vinegar giving the nutrient a unique flavour. Goan food can be divided into Goan Catholic and Goan Hindu cuisine with each showing very distinct tastes, characteristics and cooking styles. Pork dishes such as Vindaloo, Xacuti, chorisa and Sorpotel are cooked for major occasions among the Goan Catholics.An exotic Goan vegetable stew, known as Khatkhate, is a very popular dish during the celebrations of festivals, Hindu and Christia n alike. Khatkhate contains at least five vegetables, fresh coconut, and special Goan spices that add to the aroma. Sannas, Hitt are variants of idli and Polle,Amboli,Kailoleo are variants of dosaare native to Goa. A rich egg-based multi-layered sweet dish known as bebinca is a favourite at Christmas. The most popular alcoholic beverage in Goa is feni Cashew feni is made from the zymosis of the fruit of the cashew tree, while coconut feni is made from the sap of toddy palms.The state also has a rich wine culture. One of the relates of tourism on the Goan community is the creeping expropriation felt by the locals. This flavour of being pushed out arises from the fact that starred hotels have effectively gained control over beach resources, which locals have used for generations, and are selling approach path to them at a price. The area that is available to them as putting green is increasingly reduced and overpopulated, causing the locals to avoid the beaches as a whole Consequ ently, the growth of tourism in Goa has been accompanied by substantial anti-tourism activism.Much of this activism has been targeted at international tourists unplanned growth the use of state machinery to levy tourism, which is perceived as distorting the image of Goa and Goan society, the violation of regulations by the hotel lobby the overdevelopment of the coastal strip the chooseential access to resources, which large tourism projects are able to get relative to small projects and local communities the impact on local society from exposure to drugs, aids and more recently, pedophiles.The bottom-line is that there has been little involvement of the public in the policy decision-making process resulting in a strong sense of alienation about decisions that are change the lives of the local community. Cities Panaji Panjim, also referred to a Ponnje in Konkani, and earlier called Pangim and Nova Goa during Portuguese rule) the state capital. Margao Being commercial and heath en capital of Goa, Margao is second largest populated and busiest city in Goa. Vasco da Gama Old Goa home of famed sixteenth part century churches, convents and monuments.Mapusa Goa also has a number of other smaller, charming and sometimes crowded towns such as those along the beach belt (Calangute, Candolim), and in the interior (Chaudi in Canacona, Sanvordem-Quepem, Bicholim, Pernem town, etc). several(prenominal) of these are gateways to the nearby touristic areas. In addition, Goa has some nearly 350 villages, often scenic and each having a character of its own. Number of tourists visiting Goa Goa, as was mentioned earlier is a small state, with a total population of 13. 48 lakhs as per the 2001 census.Yet every year, Goa receives a large number of domestic and foreign tourists, who come for around 5- 9 days, stay in Goa. India genuine a total of 3915324 tourists in 2005, while during the same time Goa was visited by 336803 tourists (foreign) Goa receives the largest number of tourist from UK followed by Russia. Besides, tourists from Ger some(prenominal), Finland, France, Switzerland, USA and many other countries also visit the state. The domestic tourist comes from all over India, as Goa is a very popular tourists destination.The table shows the number of domestic and foreign tourist who have visited the state from 2000 to 2006. Many of the tourists arrive in Goa directly by the charted flights and the table below shows the number of such tourists who have arrived and the number of chartered flights that have come to Goa from various countries in the world. The rest of the tourists arrive at Mumbai or Delhi and then come to Goa to visit the place No. of visitors in Goa Domestic outlander 2009 2127063 376640 2010 2201752 441053 Growth 2010/2009 3. 5% 17% Graph showing comparision between foreigner and domestic touristTypes of tourism Some of the types of tourism are as follows 1. beach Tourism As Goa has a 105 km coast line, the beaches of Goa are a very distinguished tourist attraction. From Keri in the north to Palolem in the south, Goa has many world famous beaches like Arambol, Colva (longest beach in Goa), Anjuna (known for its flea market), Calangute (most popular and crowded), Palolem and many other small lesser known beaches where the tourists can relax, soak up the sun and feast on the local cuisine (photos of various beaches go forth be shown during the presentation) . Adventure Tourism It has recently become very popular in India. It involves the exploration of remote areas and exotic locales and engaging in various activities like trekking, white water rafting, camel safaris, paragliding, rock climbing etc. Goa has a very good potential for activities like trekking, paragliding, dolphin sighting yachting, and mountain climbing. (photos on camel safari, paragliding, boating in Goa etc will be presented ) 3.Wildlife Tourism India has a rich quality cover, where we find some very handsome and exotic species of f erociouslife. Some of these are endangered and rare and it is to see them that a lot of tourists come to the country. Goa has 4 wild life sanctuaries, one wild life national park and one annulus sanctuary. Almost 60% of the Goan area is harbored area. Around 1. 25 lakhs tourist visit these sanctuaries every year. Goa has a variety of flora and fauna which could be used to attract tourists to these places.Goa also has two beautiful lakes, at Mayem and Carambolim, where migratory birds are sighted in large numbers (photos of crocodiles and of cranes and other birds will be shown during the presentation. Photographs of the wild life sanctuaries in Goa will also be shown) 4. Medical Tourism Medical tourism is a recent phenomenon in Goa. Many world class medical hospitals like Apollo and Vivus have been started in Goa, which provide world class facilities at a fraction of the corresponding exist abroad.Foreigners from many developed countries prefer to come to Goa for a variety of tre atment ranging from dental surgery, hearing problems, knee replacements to even heart surgery. This is a market where Goa has potential for further development and the government should take steps to see that this market can be sustained and change magnitude medical tourism can be put upd in the future 5. expedition Tourism As with the rest of India, Goa too is famous for its religious places and it is a major reason wherefore tourists all over the world come to these places to visit them.The World Heritage Site at Old Goa is a major tourist attraction with a large number of churches such as St Cajetan, Our brothel keeper of the Mount, St Francis of Assisi Church and Convent, Basilica of Bom Jesus, Se Cathedral, Church of Our Lady of Rosary, the Archaeological Museum, the Christian Art Museum, the ruins of the Church and Monastery of St Augustine, The chapel of St Catherine, the Viceroys Arch, Chapel of St Anthony (opposite the ruins of the Church of St Augustine) Convent of S anta Monica. Besides this there are many other beautiful churches and temples all over Goa.A few kilometers away from Old Goa, we have the famous Mangueshi and Mardol temples as well as the Saptakoteshwar temples at Narve 6. Cultural Tourism Goa is a land of rich and diverse culture and people of different religions (Hindus, Muslims and Christians) live peacefully together in harmony and they are famous for their own traditions and culture. Goa is famous for the Carnival and the IFFI. Besides, Bonderam (Divar) , Sangodd (Boat festival) and Taranga are also famous. Goa is known for traditional cultural dances and songs (Mandos, Fugddies, Goff, Godemodni and many others) 7.Architectural Tourism India has a rich conjugation of various architectural styles where the influence of many dynasties and many cultures can be seen. Some of the important places include Dilwara temples at Rajasthan, Taj Mahal at Agra, Victoria terminus and Fort Area in Mumbai, Red Fort at Delhi, etc. Goa too has an architecturally rich heritage which could be projected by the government as tourist places. Goa has many forts like Chapora, Teracol and Alorna which can be used to attract the tourists 8. Yoga Tourism Goa is a land of peace and tranquility. Susegad roughly center laid-back that is how the Goans are traditionally known. The hinterlands of Goa, far from the noise of the city, are perfective for yoga and meditations. The peaceful villages, where the occasional lowing of a cow is the only likely disturbance, are a perfect backcloth for such a type of tourism. Goa has not concentrated on this at present, alone there is a hugh potential for this type of activity. 9. Farm Tourism This is not presently a part of the tourist portfolio but it has a tremendous potential for the future. Goa, with its lush green fields, could easily exploit this resource in the future.Some of the ways in which this could be achieved could be through the techniques of renting trees, animals, farms to t ourists where they can come and spend some time on the farm and also learn how the farm operates and how to take care of the animals and the trees. 10. Backwater Tourism Goa is crisscrossed with rivers silken from the eastern Sahyadri Range to the western Arabian Sea. From north to south, the following rivers, Tiracol, Chapora, Mandovi, Zuari, Sal and Talpona, flow windingly through villages and give support to the local economy, either for agribusiness or for fishing.Sight seeing can be done from the water rather of the road. The inland cruises could have landing points near the spice gardens, churches and temples so that the tourist can see the important places too along with the scenic river trip. The Alorna fort too can be an attractive attraction for backwater tourism Rise in domestic tourism The various factors that have contributed to this rise in domestic tourism are increased disposable income of the middle class, increased urbanization and stress of living in cities an d towns, increased ownership of cars, which is making domestic tourism more attractive, especially among the upper-middle and middle classes improved employment benefits, such as the leave travel concession, development of inexpensive mass transport and improved connections to various places of tourist interest increased number of cheap accommodations and resorts, greater advertising targeted at domestic tourists both by the central and the state governments, as well as the tourist industry, and development of time sharing of holiday accommodations, that is being targeted at the middle class.Tourisms impact on Goa Tourism development among policy-makers tends to be discussed in terms of the factors that are of concern to the national and the state governments. The discussion is very much economic in record with some industry orientation and focuses on factors such as the revenues from tourism, the foreign exchange earnings, the employment created and the income generated. The focus has always been on the implications of tourism development on the economy of Goa and on the relations among the various components of its tourism industry.The microlevel impact of tourism on the destination area immediately around it has been relatively less studied, if at all. The impacts of such a large-scale, diversely interactive activity as tourism should be more inclusive of all components. Tourists travel to and from their destinations, are accommodated, fed and entertained. All these activities require extensive infrastructural networks and support serve that may not remain limited to the geographical positions of a touristis movements. Moreover, the personal effects result very much from the interactions among the tourists and the agents in the destination area.Environmental impact of tourism Positive impact 1. Financial contributions. (one of the largest contributor to the exchequer) 2. astir(p) environmental management and planning. 3. Increasing the environmental awareness. 4. Alternate employment. Negative impact Negative impact of tourism occurs when the level of visitors use is greater than the environmental ability to cope with the situation within the acceptable limits of change. Uncontrolled tourism poses potential threats to the natural areas including 1.Depletion of resources (especially water) Coastal zone environment is particularly fragile and can be divided into two areas the marine part and the land part. For the purpose of this discussion, coastal waters, bays, backwaters, creeks, tidal inlets, and estuaries are considered as components of the marine part of the coastal zone. The blonde beaches along with two dunes (one which runs along the seashore, and another that runs parallel but about 100 to 500 meters away from the seashore) and their vegetation are considered components of the land part.In between these dunes there lies a sandy perspicuous, which acts as a buffer zone between the main land and the sea. The following impacts on the marine part of the coastal zone have been observed while surveying the ecosensitive coastal areas of Goa. They have been equal in a flowchart in the Annex. The work was carried out by National Institute of oceanography on request from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, in August/September, 1996 . Loss of mangroves Thick mangroves on the outskirts of Panaji, at Sao Pedro near Old Goa, around Talpona backwaters and at innumerable other locations are being reclaimed. In addition to the biological impacts of the loss of mangroves, the tidal waters could flood the surrounding coastal areas causing erosion and frankincense opening the estuarine banks to storm surges . Reduced fish catch and species A steady decrease in the total annual fish catch has been observed in Goa. The catch has declined from 105. 44 thousand tones in 1993-94 to 101. 90 in 1994-95 and in 1995-96, to 87. 2 thousand tones. More specifically, at Sancoale-Chicalim Bay, the de crease in fruit of certain varieties of shellfish and crabs, both local delicacies, is believed to be due to the land reclamation of mangrove swamps and to the wrench of roads to the Sao Jacinto Island and at Talpona. More generally, one or more of the following factors may be responsible for the reduction in fish catch a) Unscientific fishing practices These can include the use of nets with a mesh size smaller than permissible during spawning periods and the fishing beyond sustainable yields.These practices are pursued due to high demand for fresh seafood in the market. b) Loss of spawning gives Reasons for this could be mangrove deforestation, land reclamations and siltation. short economic gains from the development of these areas is obviously preferred over the long-term benefits of the conservation of ecology. c) Introduction of anthropogenetic natural Any disturbance at any step in the marine food web may inadvertently affect other species. The introduction of untreated sewage and waste to the environment would give rise to toxic algal blooms wiping out many species22.Increased turbidity and sedimentation can also affect the benthic communities. Erosion Dispersion of sediment load at any given point depends upon a number of parameters related to marine currents. Any activity which causes disturbances in these parameters, could alter the sites of deposition and result in erosion, accrual or siltation and changes in the ecology of that area, such as land reclamations, the extraction of sand or the look of jetties . Consequently, there are a large number of cases where coastal stretches have been subjected to the forces of erosion.Prime examples are Campal and Caranzalem near Panaji, Palolem, Agonda and many other places, where a considerable amount of construction activities have occurred . 2. Pressure on land and resources (to set up hotels and other facilities) Loss of sand dunes Sand dunes have borne the brunt of construction activities along the coastal stretches of Goa26. Anjuna and Baga-Calangute-Candolim stretches in North Goa, and Salcete beaches comprising Betalbatim, Colva, Varca, Cavelossim and Mobor in central Goa, were the first beaches to lose their dunes.Our survey showed South Goa to be the next in line as in Galgibaga, two dunes, 10 meters high, have already been flattened into plateaus at half the heights to make way for construction. 3. Land degradation (due to nature trails and other facilities to the tourists) Accretion/siltation Accretion and siltation is occurring. An island is in the process of formation upstream of the talk of River Talpona. Due to sand bar formation at the mouth itself, which has been more pronounced in the last few years, the river is navigable only during high tides. In addition, local fishermen have noted siltation in the river bed.All these observations suggest disturbances in the natural sediment load dispersion patterns in the River Talpona. 4. Pollution ( air, water, nois e) Sanitation Goa lacks modern treatment and disposal systems for both sewage and garbage. Even the internationally famous beach stretch of Baga-CalanguteSinquerim, does not have rudimentary toilet facilities. Tourists, locals, shopowners and the hordes of migrant laborers, who are employed by construction companies along the beaches, have no other option than to use the beaches to answer the call of the nature. Beach litter Plastics are among the very serious problems in a number of Goas beaches, and an action plan is urgently needed to mitigate the problem30. Both the last mentioned problems could be solved through improved enforcement of regulations and infrastructual improvements. Goas uncurbed tourism is having an adverse impact on the states environment and society, says a study sponsored by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Undertaken by the Goa Institute of Management here, the study says the large-scale growth of tourism is leading to increased pressure on both s ociety and the environment. Preserving the national heritage and reducing environmental degradation have become crucial issues for concern. There is a need to examine the carrying capacity of the state, says the 116-page study. The research analyses Goas agriculture, mining, growing pharmaceutical company sector, small and medium enterprise (SME) sector and controversial plans for promoting special economic zones (SEZs). It notes that Goas economy is confronted by a solid waste management problem and that it desperately needs an efficient public transport system. comely effort has not been made to tick off proper solid waste management.Again, absence seizure of efficient public transport has increased the growth of motorbikes and cars substantially. This in turn has aggravated environmental pollution. It also points to the migration of unskilled take from neighbouring states on account of the non-availability of unskilled workers in Goa. Other issues it emphasizes include dispu tes over land use between small entrepreneurs and large corporates, dependence on other states for agricultural produce consumed in Goa, failure to ensure uninterrupted power and the need for improving the quality and quantity of water supply.The research says that a strong positive co-relation does not seem to exist between tourism growth and employment of locals, especially in the hotel industry. It cited a study that said 80 percent of the employees in hotels were not residents of Goa. This can be partly on account of high wage rates prevailing in Goa as compared to other under-developed states and and then managers prefer to hire workers from other states, says the study. It highlights that private transport in Goa is highly expensive in the absence of adequate public transport and taxi operators were working in monopoly power. Growth of tourism might have also adversely affected the poor and downtrodden, especially during peak season when prices usually go up. A proper assess ment needs to be done, the study states. It blames the tourism sector for becoming a breeding ground of touts and commission agents, which hikes up hotel tariffs and transport costs. There is also an absence of a proper regulatory instrument to check the price rise. Wide disparity in prices charged during the peak and off-peak season for various work and between the private and public authority needs to be examined.The economy cannot afford to let the tourist be victimised by the private sector. Economic aspects The foreign exchange earning potential of the tourism industry is one of the main attractions for its support by national governments, while state governments are more pertain with its contribution to local income, taxes and employment. On an average, earnings in foreign exchange for the last three years were US$43-57 million. It is estimated that tourism contributes to around 13. 7 percent of Net State Domestic Product 7 percent of employment and 7 percent to state tax revenues.The money spent by domestic and international tourists is received by different segments of the industry which provide the supporting goods and services. Tourist receipts can be classified into five categories accommodation and food, shopping, internal travel, entertainment and miscellaneous items. Moreover, in 1992, about 90 percent of the domestic tourists who came to Goa spent less than US$35 per capita per day. Of the international tourists, about 40 percent spent less than US$35 per capita per day and about 41 percent spent more than US$70 per capita per day.As mentioned earlier, however, this trend is changing today . In the last few years indications are that the domestic tourist coming to Goa is increasingly from the more affluent segments of society, and the international tourist have increasingly been more of the inexpensive charter packages. Category International tourist (%) Domestic tourist (%) Accommodation and food 53. 95 58. 20 Shopping 24. 84 26. 70 Interna l Transport 13. 63 10. 40 diversion 2. 61 1. 80 Miscellaneous expenses 4. 97 2. 90 Average length of stay 9 days 5 days Total amount spent per visit US$590 US$110From the statistics available and through observation, local participation in the tourism industry is high in terms of the number of small hotels and paying guest accommodations, yet the bulk of economic investment is concentrated in moreover a few hotels. Thus, using just the accommodation sector as a proxy for the tourism industry as a whole in 1996, almost half of all investment in the sector was in the hands of just four large hotels the largest hotels together controlled 69 percent of all investment, and the balance was made up by smaller hotels. Economic forces are driving social forces here.On the one hand, expectations of higher returns, from the sale of land to builders and/or from hiring out houses to tourists rather than from actively engaging in agriculture or fishing are creating incentives for shifting occup ations. On the other hand, social forces are at work in the sense that tourism provides locals with an opportunity to keep their women at home rather than have them till the soil or sell fish in the market. This is perceived as a movement upwards for the locals, and a factor that cannot be ignored in the dynamics of the intersectoral movement of land and labor.Often large tourism development projects require the displacement of some of the original inhabitants of the area. Some of those displaced by present projects, chose to invest their compensations in capital assets, e. g. , taxis, and have become to a degree upwardly mobile in an economic sense. However, there are others who due to their initial circumstances are unable to move along the same path, and sort of become marginalized, having to replace self-employment for menial jobs in the very resorts that have displaced them. The issue of income distribution needs to be examined.The industry peaks and troughs October-February being the good months and June-August being the lean months due to the monsoon. This seasonality requires the tourism industry to respond by adjusting the output in terms of the services it provides which affects hotels, restaurants and their employees. Because of the search and initial training costs that the employer faces, and because of the need to cater to sudden spurts of demand, a hiring and firing policy is not cost-effective to an employer. The first reaction of employers is to keep labor, but reduce the work hours, a situation akin to holding inventories of labor in excess of demand.This dodge is supported by employing unskilled labor during the peak season, who are then laid off during the off season as the costs of hiring and firing unskilled labor are not high. A audition survey indicates that the highest seasonality of income (in terms of lower off season earnings) and the highest seasonality of employment (in terms of hours worked per week) are experienced by the sma ller hotels. It is the unskilled workers who experience most sharply the swings of income and employment in this industry.This is a social cost of the industry to which hitherto scant attention has been paid. Impact of falling value of Rupee on tourism. Though the rupee falling against the dollar is causing great concern to the countrys economists, it is being seen as a cash lining by tourism experts in Goa who expect more influx of European tourists during the forthcoming season. The tourist season in Goa this time, beginning from October, is expected to be better as the value of rupee is falling, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) president Fracisco de Braganca said. Europeans find Goa a cheaper destination and naturally they will fly here, he said, adding that, however, the situation is not same for the UK travellers, whose own economy is in crisis. The state expects rise in the tourists from Russia, CIS countries, Poland, Scandinavia and Finland though there will be f urther drop from UK, Braganca said here yesterday. But, overall TTAG expects a rise in the number of tourists owing to the sluggish rupee versus dollar. Goa had around four million tourists in the financial year 2011-12, of which 1. 69 lakh arrived in 910 chartered flights.In 2010-11, 1. 71 lakh had arrived through 900 chartered flights, which was a tremendous increase compared to 1. 37 lakh tourists arriving in the state through 626 chartered flights in 2009-10. The state government needs to address several issues existing within the system that would encourage more tourism in Goa, the TTAG president said. There should be consistency in policies of the state government they change as per the government, Braganca said. Consistency can be achieved by formation of Tourism Board, which is long overdue in the state, he stated. Eco-tourismEcotourism (also known as ecological tourism) is responsible travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strives to be low impact and (often) small scale. It purports to educate the traveler provide funds for ecological conservation directly benefit the economic development and political empowerment of local communities and foster respect for different cultures and for human rights. Ecotourism is held as important by those who participate in it so that future generations may experience aspects of the environment relatively unswayed by human intervention.Most serious studies of ecotourism including several university programs now use this as the working definition. Although increase in tourism and related activities have enhanced employment related opportunities, coastal developmental activities have bring forth notable environmental and social problems. The impact gets worsen as a result of related anthropogenic activities that follows such a coastal tourism as a result Goas coastal scenario is fast changing. Construction of resorts, residential dwellings, commercial establishments, beach side entertainment ce ntres / eat outs have changed the coastal strip drastically.Prior to 1970s, sooner tourism became a source of revenue, the only identifiable structures along the shore were few cabins and t coveyed huts made up of coconut leaves that home sea going canoes, some of which can still be seen today. The large plain areas behind the dune belts were used for farming and paddy cultivation, activities which are common at certain places even at present. Recreation was restricted to Calangute, Miramar and Colva beaches, being the only beaches which were most frequent (Mascarhenas, 1998).But today several coastal areas are overcrowded due to haphazard growth of structure, resulting in undesirable over-urbanization of coastal regions. Other threats face by coastal ecosystem are lose of Biodiversity, Deterioration in the quality of life and adverse effect on beaches and sand dunes, mangroves, water bodies and khazan lands. Lately, In recent years and after realizing the environmental consequenc es, such developmental activities along the open sea front is now shifting towards hinterlands, along rivers and backwaters as well as forest land in the form of eco-tourism. -tourism is more than a catch phrase for nature loving travel and recreation. Eco-tourism is consecrated for preserving and sustaining the diversity of the worlds natural and cultural environments. It accommodates and entertains visitors in a way that is minimally intrusive or destructive to the environment and sustains supports the native cultures in the locations it is operating in. Responsibility of both travellers and service providers is the genuine meaning for eco-tourism.Eco-tourism also endeavours to encourage and support the diversity of local economies for which the tourism-related income is important. With support from tourists, local services and producers can repugn with larger, foreign companies and local families can support themselves. Besides all these, the revenue produced from tourism helps and encourages governments to fund conservation projects and training programs. Saving the environment around you and preserving the natural luxuries and forest life, thats what eco-tourism is all about.Whether its about a nature camp or organizing trekking trips towards the unspoilt and inaccessible regions, one should always keep in mind not to create any mishap or disturbance in the life cycle of nature. Eco-tourism focuses on local cultures, wilderness adventures, volunteering, personal growth and learning new ways to live on our vulnerable planet. It is typically defined as travel to destinations where the flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions.Responsible Eco-tourism includes programs that minimize the adverse effects of traditional tourism on the natural environment, and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. Therefore, in addition to evaluating environmental and cultural factors, initiatives by hospitality providers to promote recycling, en ergy efficiency, water reuse, and the creation of economic opportunities for local communities are an integral part of Eco-tourism. Historical, biological and cultural conservation, preservation, sustainable development etc. are some of the fields closely related to Eco-Tourism.Many professionals have been involved in formulating and developing eco-tourism policies. They come from the fields of geographical Information Systems, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Photography, Marine Biology and Oceanography, National and State Park Management, Environmental Sciences, Women in Development, Historians and Archaeologists, etc. Eco-tourism is considered the hurried growing market in the tourism industry, according to the World Tourism Organization with an annual growth rate of 5% worldwide and representing 6% of the world gross domestic product, 11. % of all consumer spending not a market to be taken lightly. The endless scope of adventure tourism in India is largely because of its diverse topography and climate. On land and water, under water and in the air, you can enjoy whatsoever form of adventure in India you want. It is one opportunity for you to leave all inhibitions behind and just let yourself go. The unsmooth regions offer umpteen scope for mountaineering, rock climbing, trekking, skiing, skating, mount biking and safaris while the rushing river from these mountains are just perfect for river rafting, canoeing and kayaking.The oceans are not behind in any manner as well. The vast and deep region of water provide tremendous opportunity for adventure sports in form of diving and snorkelling. The forest and the abandon region have their own distinct place in providing scope for adventure tourism in India. You can enjoy animal safari, jeep safari, bird watching, wild camp, wildlife safari and jungle trail in the forest region while jeep safari and camel safari are the most favoured adventure sports in the desert region. After all this, if you think the list of adventure sports in India has ended, think again.There is still much left in form of paragliding, hand gliding, hot air ballooning, etc. Sustainable tourism Sustainability is a characteristic of a process or state that can be pleaded at a certain level indefinitely. Thus it is a process that takes care of tomorrow as well as today, conserving resources where necessary to ensure continuity. Sustainable tourism thus attempts to make minimal impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate income and employment for locals, as well as to promote the conservation of local ecosystems. It is responsible tourism which is both ecologically and culturally sensitive.As tourism grows at a high rate, it tends to place a great stress on the diverse habitats and these will be destroyed. indiscriminate tourism could very easily destroy, or at least irretrievably damage, the flora and the fauna of the state. To quote just one example, Goa is famous for the Olive Ridley tur tles (Mandrem in Pernem) but as a result of unwarranted tourism many of the turtles do not find safe nesting grounds. The very promotion of eco holiday in the area by the hoteliers are defeating the purpose as littering the beach and overcrowding do not allow the turtles to hatch safely.Sustainable tourism is especially important for a small state like Goa since the influx of both Indian and foreign tourists is increasing very year. Goa being a tiny state, the carrying capacity of the state in terms of the size, facilities available and the ecological fragility should be thoroughly studied and taken into consideration while allowing tourism only then would such tourism be beneficial, in the long run, for the state and the people. The stake holders in sustainable tourism i. e.Community-based management, nongovernmental organizations, tourists and locals all should be trained to see that the fragile Goan ecosystem does not suffer as a result of excessive tourism. Tourists, who promo te sustainable tourism are aware of these dangers and seek to protect tourist destinations, and to protect tourism as an industry. Some of the propositions that I would like to give to improve the tourism industry and make it more sustainable include 1. Diversifying the areas of tourism the tourism industry in Goa has mainly concentrated on beach tourism and neglected other forms of tourism to a large extent.My suggestion is that Goa should diversify into other areas , like farm and yoga tourism which have the potential for future growth and development 2. Training the guides and the local people The local people should be trained in hospitality services and the guides should be trained to provide the necessary and the correct information to the tourist 3. Maintain the control on the prices of goods and the quality of services the prices of the goods and services in Goa are very high, and hence many tourists are demoralized from shopping and buying local items.The local people too , find the cost of living very high and very often the local people cannot afford to purchase their daily requirements. The government should keep a control on the prices of the products so that the local people and the tourist do not suffer 4. Improving the infrastructure especially the transport for tourism, transport is very important and in Goa we have variety of transport facilities . Motorcycle pilots are a unique feature of Goa where a person can travel any distance on a hired bike.Besides we also have many tourist taxis and other buses, but the rates charged for a small distance are exorbitant. Most of the rickshaws and taxies do not charge by meter. The public transport facility should be strengthened so that the tourists can visit the place of their choice at a very cheap rate. 5. Improving the safety especially of women. Today many tourist women are facing many problems from the local people, especially as they do not maintain the hours and come back to the hotel or guest houses late at night. Many of the foreign women have faced molestation and other problems in Goa . Maintaining a control on the beaches. The beaches in Goa are very austere for swimming due to the changes in tides. Even after the posting of lifeguards and many warning signs, foreign and other tourists go swimming, especially when they are drunk and the number of the dead by drowning has increased tremendously. The government and the local people should undertake steps to educate the tourists about the dangers of swimming in the seas. Trained lifeguards should be placed at all the major beaches, with life boats and life belts.