Panaji: Poor business, a severe commercial LPG cylinder shortage and assembly elections in at least four major states have prompted some of Goa’s beach shacks to call it a day by mid-April.Many of the shack operators have decided that it would be too expensive to continue operations till May end, when the season officially comes to a close. And with their regulars from Britain and Russia also flying back home, diminishing returns offer no incentive to keep the fires burning.“Around 5% of the shacks have shut down in South Goa,” said Shack Owners Welfare Association president Cruz Cardozo. “This is normal for some shacks to stop operations in April.”The LPG shortage brought about by the war in West Asia has not only made cooking expensive, but it has also prompted many British tourists to cancel travel plans to Goa for the summer.Popular areas including Arambol, Benaulim and Calangute are seeing early closures. Bonos Shack, Candolim, a popular joint for British tourists, has pulled down its shutters for this season and the staff have returned home.The closure coincides with the winding down of the UK charter season.“If you look at the beach, there are so many shack operators that have started removing their shacks. We need to find ways to increase the business,” said All Goa Traditional Beach Shack Owner president Manuel Cardozo.Many shack employees also opted to return home for the ongoing elections.“Some staff wanted to return for elections in West Bengal and Assam. This is normal,” said Cruz.While shacks along Candolim beach cater to the British charter tourists and foreigners, the ones along the Calangute and Baga belt cater predominantly to the domestic tourists.Shack operators said that this year saw the return of retired foreigners who once formed a significant crowd in Calangute-Candolim. A shack operator at Candolim said that some regulars from the UK returned this year to Goa after a hiatus.A Benaulim-based shack operator said that the drop in tourists and commercial LPG gas supply made it difficult to continue operations. “How can I pay salaries to my staff if there is no business? The tables are empty,” said the shack operator.
