Developing an incredibly 'safe' India

The recent spate of crimes against women will inadvertently work against India's tourism campaign. While some point out that such incidents are 'city-centric' and can't be helped, the authorities are attempting to nip them in the bud. By Andrea Lopez

A few years ago, Mumbai was perhaps one of the only cities in India to be stereotyped as the 'safest city for women'. But the recent incidents of increasing violence towards women in the city have prompted many to re-think their opinion of whether India is indeed as 'incredible' and 'safe' a destination as it is portrayed to be. According to a report issued by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), over 19,000 rapes were registered in 2006, a good increase of about 1000 since 2005. Of all the crimes reported in India, NCRB claims that every third is reported in the metro cities of New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Delhi topped the list of crimes against women with 4,134 cases reported. One-third of the rapes and a fifth of the molestations took place in the city itself. Hyderabad emerged as the second most dangerous for women with 1,755 cases.

So does this mean that the metros are slipping in delivering safety and security to its visitors? Abhijeet Patil, CEO, Raja Rani Travels is of the opinion that cities being hubs, can never be completely hassle-free for tourists. "Paris has its gypsies, Bangkok has its touts - every international tourist hub except maybe Singapore and Dubai, are completely free of hassles to tourists. So in that context Mumbai is quite safe."

The Incredible India campaign, however has taken a beating. A look at popular online blog sites reveals that harassment of tourists has indeed tarnished the image of the Incredible India campaign. Discussions on theft at or outside hotels, overcharging by taxi drivers and autorickshaws, harassment by touts at airports and rape are rife.

The good news for India however, is that tourism figures present a pretty picture and glaze the seemingly unsettling situation. Reports have indicated that foreign tourist arrivals which were 3.91 million in 2005, rose to 4.44 million in 2006, showing an increase of 13 per cent. A relief, some may say.

Staying safe, staying smart

The ministry of tourism has said that it is taking up the issue very seriously, and plans to increase the tourism police force in key cities across the country. Ambika Soni, Union minister for tourism and culture, recently said that India was as safe a destination as could be and that the incidents of harassment would be weeded out through vigilance. The ministry has written to tourism secretaries of all the states regarding the harassment of women tourists and has asked them to deploy special police at popular tourist sites. The question that remains is how much will translate into action.

Hector D'Souza, president L'Orient Travels, a Mumbai-based tour operator feels that Mumbai is still a safe city, if one sticks to the tourist zones within the city. "Generally tourists are never harmed, though they continue to be harassed by beggars and salesmen. It is important that this unruly trend is kept in check. Recent political agitations, which have turned violent, are a major cause of concern. It is here that laws and regulations should be strictly enforced; if not, we stand in danger of losing out on our status of being a safe international city," he said. "The biggest sufferers are backpackers and individual tourists. Those travelling with tour companies and who have pre-booked programmes do not generally become victims, because most of the programmes are escorted and the driver/guide/escorts provide the necessary protection. Tour operators are now providing tourists with a list of do’s and dont's, and a programme about the same would be a big help."

Rajasthan, a hugely popular destination for tourists has decided to bring in retired defence personnel into its tourism police force and has over 100 personnel deputed at popular spots. Mumbai too, is doing its bit after acquiring a bad name for not doing sufficient to protect its female tourists. A chunk of tourists to India come to Mumbai. Vasant Agavne, assistant commissioner of police, Mumbai said, "We have 10-11 tourism police centres in Mumbai and we are doing our best to protect the interests of all tourists, domestic and international."

Kuoni Academy of Travel, that has conducted CSR programs along with the Mumbai Tourism Police in the past, recently organised a two-day workshop where it trained 29 members of the tourism police force and cited tips for handling and resolving complaints, the role of the police force in disseminating information to tourists, and their role in enabling force members to understand the specific needs of domestic, international and NRI tourists. The program was a joint initiative of the Mumbai Police and Kuoni Travel Group. Hemant Karkare, joint-commissioner, Mumbai Police said that the idea behind such joint operations was to ensure that Mumbai remains a safe destination by looking after the security interests of tourists visiting Mumbai.

The tourism department has started various initiatives to help tourists. However D'Souza is of the opinion that it can set up assistance booths, especially at important tourist destinations (like the Gateway of India) for instance, which is manned by volunteers and students from the tourism and service industry. Here advise and assistance can be provided in the form of city maps, recommendations of what to do in crisis situations, imformation about good eating places as well as other relevant travel information. "Besides providing the tourist with a secure feeling, it will also keep a check on vagabonds and strangers intending to commit a misdeed. This practice is adopted at some spots, however information provided needs to be standardised," he says. Adopting the following simple self-measures would also go a long way in benefiting tourists.

• Don't befriend strangers, unless absolutely necessary.
• Never accept food or drink from strangers (even if sealed), especially at bus terminals, railway stations, airports, restaurants, pubs and other crowded areas.
• Avoid travelling alone late at night. Carrying a mace, whistle or a swiss knife definitely helps.
• If visiting a pub, walk out sober (It is a hard task, but being in a foreign land, it is important). Most incidents of gangrape and molestation take place when the victim is inebriated and seeks assistance to travel from one point to the next.
• It is always best to keep the tourist well informed, before he/she arrives.
• If travelling alone, choose hotels which are recommended by guide books/ tourism department/ travel websites/ and other networking agencies.