Caravan Tourism Policy

Department of Tourism, Government of Goa

Click here to Register Caravan Online

1. DEFINITION

GoG or Government	State Government of Goa
DOT	Department of Tourism, Government of Goa (responsible for the implementation of the policy)
Caravan	The specifically built vehicles being used for the purpose of hospitality travel, leisure and accommodation would be termed as ‘Caravan’ or Campervans and would include vehicles viz. RVs, Campervans, Motor Homes, Trailer caravan (T2 type), etc. with minimum features as mentioned in clause 5.(II) of this policy.
Caravan Park	A Caravan Park is an area not within any restricted zone, and shall only be the area designated for parking of Caravans which have accommodation facility for the tourists to stay inside the respective caravan vehicle during day and night. Moreover, such Caravan Parks must be equipped with minimum infrastructure facilities like standard 230V power points, wastewater discharge connection pipes, freshwater inlet connection pipes, convenience facility and recreational space for the tourists.
Applicant	Caravan Tour Operators with their caravans registered in Goa.

2. INTRODUCTION

Goa has been one of the most prominent tourist destinations in India and is considered as a global tourism brand name. Owing to its picturesque territory ensconced between the fertile coastal strip of the Arabian Sea and the breathtaking mountain ranges of the Western Ghats, Goa is a renowned tourist destination in the world. Due to its natural setting, the state is bestowed with scenic beauty, lush green surroundings, splendid mountains, diverse flora & fauna, pristine backwaters, and the most fascinating beaches. With over 104 km of vast coastline, six major rivers and various inland lakes the landscape of Goa is very diverse, ranging from sandy seafronts to lush green hinterlands, from estuaries to mangrove fringed creeks, from river islands to traditional Khazan lands. Goa’s rural landscape complimented by its colonial heritage, gives the state an inherent cultural strength, making it an ideal destination for Caravan Tourism.

Goa has recently developed the tourism master plan and policy, which focuses on reinventing itself as a year-round responsible tourism destination. Also, as part of the strategy Goa also wishes to showcase its pristine hinterlands, backwaters and rich biodiversity of the western ghats along with its already world- renowned beaches. In order to explore new tourism products in the State and cater to the changing preferences of the tourists/ visitors, Department of Tourism, Government of Goa is introducing “Caravan Tourism Policy”. The concept of Caravan Tourism which gained popularity all over the world with its nonintrusive mode of development will enhance the potential and attractiveness of Goa as a tourism destination.

Caravan Tourism can effectively meet the growing demand, while ensuring adherence to quality, standards, and safety norms. The Caravan Tourism Policy for Goa intends to provide fiscal & non-fiscal assistance for the procurement/ development of Caravan Vehicles in the State.

3. OBJECTIVES OF THE POLICY

The Caravan Tourism Policy provides the flexibility with respect to itineraries and accommodations and has the potential to add a new dimension to tourism in the State of Goa. This Policy is aimed to :

Introduce and regulate caravan tourism in Goa
Incentivize the tourism industry for introduction of caravan tourism in Goa
To provide an alternate experience to travel enthusiast
To promote tourism in remote areas of Goa, where there is shortage of decent and affordable accommodations or where a permanent construction may neither be permissible nor feasible
Create job opportunities for local population
Promote the development of Caravans and Caravan Parks in Goa, away from the congested beaches and traditional tourist Chokepoints. Yet, ensure that tourists have the best experience at an affordable cost.

4. APPLICABILITY OF THE POLICY

The Caravan Tourism Policy is applicable to all existing and upcoming Caravans, Caravan parks and Caravan operators in Goa.

I. All Caravans operating in Goa shall mandatorily be registered at a regional transport office (RTO) in Goa.
II. Any kind of Caravan operations whether intra-state or inter-state shall be regulated by this policy.

The Caravan Tourism Policy is valid for a period of 3 years from the date of notification in the official gazette and can be further extended as per the discretion of the Department of Tourism, Government of Goa.

5. THE TOURISM CARAVAN

I. Registration of Tourism Caravan

As per “The Goa, Daman and Diu Registration of Tourist Trade Act, 1982 and Rules 1985” all entities or individuals undertaking any kind of tourism service in Goa, shall be required to register with Department of Tourism, Government of Goa. Therefore, the caravan operators shall be required to mandatorily register all their Caravans (to be utilized for the purposes of tourism), with Department of Tourism, Government of Goa to commence the commercial operations. The Department shall register only the first 50 caravans. However, considering the holding capacity of the state and the demand for Caravan tourism, the department reserves the right to increase the limit further.

Caravan should comply with Central Motor Vehicles Rules, issued by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India and the Automotive Industry Standards AIS-124/AIS-113 for Type Approval and Certification of Caravans vehicles. Moreover, these caravan vehicles and standalone caravan parks must have all necessary licenses/ NOCs/ from the relevant local authorities, as may be applicable to ply in Goa. Such approvals shall include:

(i)For Caravan vehicle operators :

S.No.	Tentative List of NOCs / licenses / approvals	Department	Requirement
1.	Registration of Caravan Vehicle	Department of Transport, (Govt. of Goa)	Mandatory
2.	Registration of Caravan tour operator	Department of Tourism, (Govt. of Goa)	Mandatory

(ii) For Standalone Caravan Park operators (The policy does not incentivize andpromote standalone caravan parks. Following tentative permissions shall be required, if private sector wishes to develop such standalone parks. However, actual permissions may vary on specific case basis) :

S.No.	Tentative List of NOCs / licenses / approvals	Department	Requirement
1.	Trade License / NOC of the Gram Panchayat/Municipal Council to run the premises as Caravan park.	Respective Municipal Council / Village Panchayat	Mandatory
2.	Electricity Department for Electrical connection	Electricity Department	Mandatory
3.	Public works Department for water connection	Public Works Department	Mandatory
4.	Goa coastal Zone Management Authority for approval of plans	Goa coastal Zone Management Authority	If applicable
5.	Foods and Drugs	Directorate of Food and Drugs Administration	If applicable
6.	Bar License/ Excise license for sale of foreign/ Indian liquor	Department Of Excise	If applicable
7.	Health NOC (for Septic tank / soak pit etc.)	Health Department, Urban Health Center / Primary health Center	If applicable
8.	Fire Safety NOC	Directorate Of Fire And Emergency Services	If applicable
9.	Pollution NOC	Goa State Pollution Control Board	If applicable

II. Caravan specifications for registration

1. Mandatory Specifications for a Caravan
a. Caravan should comply with Central Motor Vehicles Rules, issued by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India or by the state transport commissioner and or the Automotive Industry Standards AIS-124/AIS-113 for Type Approval and Certification, and shall have a minimum of four wheels.
b. Caravan at the time of first registration with Goa Tourism with old chassis, should not be older than 3 years
c. Sofa and bed for minimum two people.
d. Kitchenette with cooking facility,fridge, and microwave oven.
e. Toilet cubicle with hand shower and sufficient freshwater and waste-water storage.
f. 230V single phase internal power system with UPS and external plug point
g. Motorised Caravan Vehicle to be Bharat Stage VI compliant.
h. GPS: Caravan would enable themselves with GPS facility
i. Hygiene & Safety and Environment-Friendly Practices
j. Eco-Friendly Caravans shall be given preference.

2. Desirable Specifications for a Caravan
a. Air Condition
b. Audio/ Video Facility
c. Partition behind driver

III. Registration Process

1. The applicant can apply for registration with Department of tourism, government of Goa:
a. Offline Mode: submitting the hardcopy of the requisite documents at, 1st floor, registration desk, Paryatan Bhavan, Patto, Panajim, 403001
b. Online Mode: Uploading and submitting the scanned copy of the requisite documents on www.goaonline.gov.in
2. The Applicant shall be required to getthe caravan(s) registered with the regional transport office in Goa and shall pay the applicable motor vehicle tax to Transport Department, Government of Goa as per extant laws.
3. Post registration with Transport Department, the Applicant shall submit the following documents for registration with the Department of Tourism, Government of Goa:
a. Registration Form as per Annexure-I
b. Annual Registration fee of INR 1000/- per caravan (the fee may be revised by Department of Tourism, Government of Goa)
c. Registration Certificate (RC) by Transport department
d. Copy of Insurance certificate
e. KYC document (Aadhar card / Driving License / Passport / PAN Card)
4. Post applying for registration, the Department of Tourism, Government of Goa may conduct an inspection of the respective tourism Caravan.
5. Applications that are incomplete in any respect or any deviation found during the inspection, shall be liable to be summarily rejected by the department of tourism, Government of Goa.

IV. Incentives by Government to attract caravan operators in Goa

FISCAL BENIFITS

1. Reimbursement of Capital investment made towards purchase / development of Caravan:
Department of Tourism, Government of Goa to encourage and promote the Caravan Tourism in the State of Goa will provide incentive opportunities. The incentive opportunities are as follows
(Second-hand motorized vehicles purchased and re-registered in Goa shall not be considered):

First 10 Caravans – Rs. 20.0 lakhs OR 25% of the total expenditure, whichever is lesser.
11th to 30th Caravans -Rs.10.00 lakhs OR 15% of the total expenditure, whichever is lesser.
31st to 50th Caravans -Rs.5.0 lakhs OR 10% of the total expenditure, whichever is lesser.

2. Reimbursement of Road Tax: Department of Tourism, Government of Goa shall reimburse the motor vehicle tax of the caravans registered in Goa, in the following manner (Second-hand motorized vehicles purchased and re-registered in Goa shall not be considered)

First 10 Caravans – 25% of the motor vehicle tax, up to a maximum of INR 1,57,500/- per vehicle
11th to 30th Caravans -15% of the motor vehicle tax, up to a maximum of INR 94,500/- per vehicle
31st to 50th Caravans – 10% of the motor vehicle tax, up to a maximum of INR 63,000/- per vehicle

3. Reimbursement of Annual Registration Fee for 3 years: Department of Tourism, Government of Goa shall reimburse the annual registration fee or INR 1000/- per annum, whichever is less, for first 50 caravan vehicles for 3 years of commercial operation (annual registration fee shall be reimbursed for 3 years of operation post successful submission of the annual fee, year on year).

The aforesaid reimbursements shall be disbursed on first-come-first-serve basis and those registering first shall have an opportunity to complete 1 year of operations earlier and thereby becoming eligible for claiming the incentives. Second-hand vehicles purchased and re-registered in Goa shall not be considered for any kind of incentives and benefits.

Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, at its discretion and upon review of the extant situation from time to time, may suitably alter the proposed limit of beneficiaries as specified in the aforesaid clause 5.IV or extend the tenure of the policy or both, as the case may be, for the purposes of promotion or furthering the objectives of this policy and depending on the extant rules, regulations and market scenario.

OTHER BENIFITS

a. Job opportunities for the local community
Department of Tourism, Government of Goa through the policy encourages the participation of the local community in Caravan tourism related activities by facilitating the following:

The local community shall brief the tourists about the local socio – cultural traditions of Goa and thereby operators are encouraged to appoint local population.
Priority to be given to local youths for providing support services and products.
the operator shall tie-up with the local community for the experiences and engage local work force for seamless introduction and operations of the caravans.
Capacity building of the local youths, artisans and craftsmen and appropriate skill development trainings shall be imparted from time to time on need basis.

b. Promotion by Department of Tourism, Government of Goa
The Authority shall on best effort basis market the service through its website, various channels, forums, establishments, outlets and related entities to try and secure success of caravan tourism. This includes but is not limited to publicity for the service in its advertisements, website, printed material at travel marts and exhibitions attended by Goa Tourism. The Department of Tourism may assist the operator in marketing and promotion activities across its various channels depending on their annual marketing budgets.

V. Eligibility of Caravans for availing incentives

The Caravans registered with Transport Department & Department of Tourism, Government of Goa shall only be eligible for availing any incentive under this policy. Further the following clauses shall be adhered by the applicant to be eligible for availing the incentives:
1. The caravan should be operational in Goa for at least 1 year from the date of registration with Department of Tourism, Government of Goa.
2. The aforesaid incentives will be extended to a maximum of 10 (ten) caravans per entity/operator.
3. All vehicles for which reimbursement on motor vehicle tax is being claimed must have been purchased during the operative period of this Policy and should comply with the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, issued by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India.

VI. Procedure of availing incentives

The eligible applicants shall be required to apply for availing the incentive / reimbursement by submitting the following hardcopy documents to Department of Tourism, Government of Goa:
a. Reimbursement of Capital investment made towards purchase / development of Caravan:

Reimbursement form as per Annexure – II
A CA certificate along with proofs and supporting documents of capital expenditure / investment made on purchase / development of a Caravan
Invoice of Caravan purchase (if applicable)
Cancelled cheque
Copy of registration certificate with Department of Tourism, Government of Goa

b. Reimbursement of Road Tax:

Reimbursement form as per Annexure – II
Cancelled cheque
Copy of registration certificate with Department of Tourism, Government of Goa
Receipt of the Road tax submitted to Transport Department of Goa

c. Reimbursement of Annual Registration Fee for 3 years:

Reimbursement form as per Annexure – II
Cancelled cheque
Copy of registration certificate with Department of Tourism, Government of Goa (year on year)

Department of Tourism, Government of Goa shall carry out the necessary scrutiny for all the reimbursement forms received with respect to the Policy and may undertake inspection of the caravan or enquire the applicant for any further clarifications.

VII. Withdrawal of incentives:

Department of Tourism, Government of Goa reserves the right to withdraw the incentives or cancel the registration, if the applicant is found to default/ violate/ breach any of the terms and conditions of the Policy or any other violation as prohibited under prevailing laws.

The incentives provided to the applicant shall be forfeited and necessary action may be taken by the Department.

6. CARAVAN PARKS

As Caravan tourism is a new tourism product for the state, thereby Goa Tourism encourages the private operators to tie-up with existing branded Hotels / resorts / guest houses / jungle lodges and develop caravan parks in the premises of the accommodation unit (“hybrid caravan park”). The private operators can also develop stand-alone caravan parks at scenic locations, post receiving adequate licenses & NOC (refer clause 5.I.ii of this policy) from extant government authorities (“standalone caravan park”).

For the below mention points related to Caravan Parks, Policy for Development and Promotion Caravan and Caravan Camping Parks of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India shall be considered as guiding document.

Operational Requirements of Caravan Parks:
Safety and Security
Site Development and Land Requirement
Movement and Parking
Tourist Facilitation Centre (TFC)
Waste Management infrastructure

ANNEXURE – I

REGISTRATION FORM WITH DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM, GOVERNMENT OF GOA UNDER CARAVAN TOURISM POLICY

ANNEXURE – II

REIMBURSEMENT FORM FOR AVAILING INCENTIVES SUBSIDY UNDER CARAVAN TOURISM POLICY