PANAJI: Nearly 45 percent of Goa’s population linked to the restaurant industry with nearly 50 percent of the money spent by tourists being spent on food and drink, said Prahlad Sukhtankar, the head of the National Restaurant Association of India’s (NRAI) newly launched Goa chapter.
Sukhtankar said that the data is from a recent study that underlines the significance of restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs to the Goan economy.
“So for every rupee spent in Goa, 50 paise is directly spent on food and beverage, because that’s the main activity here. People either go to restaurants and bars, or will go to nightclubs and there again they will eat and drink,” said Sukhtankar.
Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte launched NRAI’s Goa chapter at a Dona Paula based resort on Thursday.

Khaunte welcomed the setting up of the Goa chapter of the NRAI and said that the association would serve as a platform for restaurateurs to voice their legitimate grievances with the government for faster redressal.
Though chief minister Dr. Pramod Sawant did not attend the event, in a video message he urged the food and beverage sector to come together, share ideas and best practices.