A dash of susegad

Sea, sand and a dash of the susegad culture is what makes Goa - the place where Ralph De Souza, group chairman of de Souza Group and honorary secretary (managing committee) for Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry, traces his roots to. He speaks to Neeti Mehra of life in the land of sunshine

The first and the last leisure outpost of the country, Goa continues to lure in urban dwellers - primarily those who seek escape from metropolitan grittiness in a valiant attempt to capture a slice of the Goan susegad.

But some are from the privileged stock. Ralph de Souza, group chairman of de Souza Group and honorary secretary (managing committee) of the Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry, is one such. Born into an atypical Goan business family, warmth, and invariably, hospitality was au naturel. Recounting his childhood, de Souza says, "We are a very big family, both the paternal as well as maternal side. We have always had many friends who were welcomed to our house by our parents. This factor, along with the Goan culture, embedded in me the hospitality that Goans are so famous for."

The economics and law graduate topped off his education with a post graduate degree in management, and hopped into the family business of iron ore mining and exports. But his heart strings pulled him elsewhere. And opportunity struck, Goa style. It was the 80s and Goa was opening up as a tourism hub. By the end of the decade, he, along with his brother Norman, grabbed the chance, and plunged into hospitality. de Souza says, "I enjoy the company of people, making friends and travelling. These factors, along with the pride I have for Goa, motivated me to join the Industry."

'Goa'ing ahead

de Souza's philosophy in life is as simple as life is complicated. "I am blessed with a happy life," he explains, "And even in small things I am able to find happiness and joy. I believe that happiness is subjective and it is upon the individual to be happy." Meticulous organisation is an addendum to it. "Work wise, I complete my day's work and plan the next day's work, before retiring to bed," he adds sanguinely, a policy that has held him in good stead.

The de Souza Group owns and runs four hotels. The flagship of de Souza Hotels & Resorts is a spacious four-star property called Sun Village, while the other properties include Aldeia Santa Rita in Candolim, Horizon in Calangute and Santiago in Baga. The group also has interests in two travel agencies and tour companies, besides a forex company, and a construction firm.

Today, the group is venturing into service apartments, which de Souza reflects, is the need of the hour. "This financial year, our hospitality division should cross a turnover of Rs 100 crore," he says confidently.

Varied interests

As Goa transformed from a hippie hub to a leisure travel destination, the requirements of the industry, and, its positioning, changed. de Souza's involvement with the Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry started on one such note of change. In 2003, he was inducted into its managing committee, and in 2005 he was appointed as its Honorary Secretary, a position which he holds till date.

Alongside, he has been heading the tourism cell as the chairman on the sub-committee for tourism. Speaking of the chamber's efforts, de Souza adds, "The Goa Chamber has been very proactive and dynamic, expanding its activities according to the need of the hour. Since the time tourism was declared as an industry by the Goa government, it has welcomed the hospitality industry as its member."

Looking after member interests, the committee is an invaluable source of advice, solutions and promotions. "Training sessions and informative interactions, along with the chamber's publications have changed the face of the tourism industry in Goa, which has resulted in an increase in professionalism and tourist inflow into the state," he says, elucidating its pro-activeness.

The journey hasn't been easy. Waning and waxing tourist inflows, owing to adverse travel advisories issued by foreign governments, the Gujarat 'plague', and 9/11 have coloured its growth. "Each of those periods has been challenging and we had to pull all our resources, mainly our positive attitude towards life, to overcome them," says de Souza.

Juggling roles with alacrity, he devotes equal time to each social obligations as well as business commitments. "I am dedicated in what I do and have various interests. This has given me the capacity to fulfill different demands in different positions that I hold and the roles that I have to play, be it in business or in other organisations that I am involved in," he says. Donning various hats, he has been the president of the Travel & Tourism Association of Goa, Chairman of the Goa Heritage Action Group, Managing Trustee of the Museum of Christian Art, and the Goa American Heart Foundation.

The future

Peering into a crystal ball isn't necessary to understand the transformation the state is going through. Development is a price of progress, points out de Souza. And why not? In a dynamic economy, one cannot remain static, he adds. "The choice of Goa as a centre for the International Film Festival of India and the UNESCO heritage sites in Old Goa have taken this state to the upper crust of the travel trade," he claims.

Over-development is an alarming issue, and stemming the rot before it submerges the pristine state is necessary. "Although there is liberalisation in charter market and casino policy, the number of flights landing into Goa will remain limited as Dabolim is a naval base and the slots available for landing are limited. Its government has also announced a ceiling on the number of casinos and at the moment, there are two full-fledged offshore casinos operating in Goa. We hope that these factors will keep the tourism sector in Goa from over-development, which might be detrimental to its future," he says on a cautious note.

It would be sacrilegious to live in Goa and not enjoy the leisurely pace of the state. Summing up his life's journey, he says, "My life's journey has been rather adventurous and good. I have enjoyed my work and the challenges, at work as well as in the organisations I am involved with." And all in good measure. He lives in a house over 200 years old in a tiny village called Saligao, with his wife and two children. He concludes, "We always have a good time at home since our family is very traditional and musically inclined. There have been trying times, but compared to the blessings received from the divine providence, they are pushed to negligence, and I thank the Good Lord for his blessings."