Federation of Small and Medium Hotels and Guest Houses in Goa - FOSAM, was primarily set up to cater to the interests of the Small and Medium Hotels and Guest Houses in Goa. Commencing with an exploratory meeting in September 2007, the group has now established clear guidelines and purposes for its work. It is agreed that FOSAM is largely designed to be a forum where owners of Small and Medium Hotels and Guest Houses:

• Meet to share experiences, learn from and with each other, identify common problems and concerns.
• Be a source of support to any of its members who may be in distress for reasons beyond their control.
• Be an advocacy/lobbying organization which will speak on behalf of the large number of Small and Medium Hotels and Guest Houses in Goa at governmental level in order to gain benefits for the sector, and, in turn, carry these benefits to the local communities where they operate.

• Influencing the Goa Pollution Control Board to rescind their decision to impose a working formula/method for the current year.
• To obtain agreement from the Pollution Board and Tourism Department that FOSAM will propose a new policy on pollution control for Small and Medium Hotels and Guest Houses by October 2008.
• Creating a research-based ‘white paper’ and ‘policy document’ to be used as a lobbying tool for an equitable, value-based tourism policy that benefits small and medium-size tourist accommodation facilities, and the Goan community more broadly.
• Initiating a lobbying process to obtain relief from luxury tax at standards set by the government that are not reasonable

FOSAM works in collaboration with the Centre for Responsible Tourism (CERT) which is an initiative of Caritas-Goa and the Council for Social Justice and Peace. This collaboration has been fruitful and substantial and will serve to support FOSAM as it upgrades and maintains high ethical standards as hosts in the tourism arena.

Members of FOSAM pledge to abide by the following code of conduct in four key categories:

Legal Obligations

• Shall act in good faith in all our dealings with the government and its representatives, i.e. not participate in bribery, abide by building regulations, and so on.
• Shall pay all taxes and registration fees with the understanding that these contribute to our state's revenues.

Civic Responsibilities

• Shall be a good neighbor by applying the highest standards of integrity, fairness and ethical conduct in the surrounding neighborhood and participate actively in community fora to address broader social problems.
• Shall treat all visitors with honesty and courtesy even if they are not staying at our guesthouses and hotels, and make sure that they are aware of the local customs and laws.
• Shall provide decent employment and make provisions for our staff during the off season period.

Protection of Human Dignity

• Shall not display tolerance of any activity that violates the human dignity of anyone else, e.g. pedophilia, prostitution, sale and abuse of drugs, and human trafficking, either on our premises or in the surrounding community.
• Shall not engage child workers.

Green Tourism

• Shall be committed to environmental protection because this is not just in our business interests, but also because an environmentally friendly business is in the interest of our own health and well-being and that of our families and communities.
• Shall segregate waste on-site and participate in a community system of garbage collection and disposal.
• Shall demonstrate respect for nature and wildlife.