The Ministry of Tourism has been engaging with State Governments and Union Territory administrations to strengthen safety and security measures for tourists across the country. While tourist safety is primarily a State subject, the Ministry has been encouraging States and UTs to establish dedicated tourist police units to improve on-ground safety mechanisms.
As a result of these efforts, several States and UTs including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh have deployed tourist police to assist and protect travellers.
The Ministry has also been urging States and UT administrations to utilise the ‘Safe Tourism Destination for Women’ initiative under the Nirbhaya Fund. The scheme supports projects specifically designed to enhance the safety and security of women travellers at tourism destinations.
In collaboration with tourism stakeholders and State tourism departments, the Ministry has adopted the ‘Code of Conduct for Safe and Honourable Tourism’. The guidelines aim to promote responsible tourism practices while safeguarding the dignity, safety and freedom from exploitation of tourists and local communities, particularly women and children.
To support travellers across the country, the Ministry of Tourism has established a 24×7 multilingual tourist helpline accessible through toll-free number 1800111363 or short code 1363. The helpline offers assistance in 12 languages, including 10 international languages, providing information related to travel in India and guidance to tourists in distress.
The Ministry has also introduced an online system for receiving and processing applications for classification of accommodation units and recognition of tourism service providers. Applications can be submitted through the National Integrated Database of Hospitality Industry (NIDHI+) portal, which has been integrated with an online payment gateway to enhance transparency, accountability and service delivery.
Improving connectivity to tourism destinations has also been a priority. The Ministry of Tourism is working closely with the Ministry of Civil Aviation to strengthen air connectivity to established as well as emerging tourism destinations. Under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS-UDAN), the Ministry is supporting the development of 53 tourism routes by sharing viability gap funding.
This information was provided by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
