Tourism in India
http://goindia.about.com/b/2013/04/03/how-are-safety-concerns-affecting-foreign-tourism-in-india.htm
How are Safety Concerns Affecting Foreign Tourism in India?
If recent news reports are to be believed, the writing is on the wall. There has been a 25% drop in the number of foreign tourists visiting India over the last three months, following a widely publicized spate of sexual attacks on women. Even worse, the number of foreign female tourists has decreased substantially, by 35%, over the same period.
The findings come from a survey of 1,200 tour operators in cities across India, conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India. According to the results:
Nearly 72% of the tour operators said that a number of cancellations of bookings has taken place especially from women tourists in the last three months, mainly from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia etc..." he survey found that the tourism industry has suffered the most in Delhi, followed by other smaller cities and regions such as Goa, Agra, and Jaipur. Instead of visiting India, foreign tourists have opted for trips to other Asian countries. No doubt, the fact that four western countries have issued travel advisories against India has influenced this decision.
However, according to this news report, the Tourism Minister believes that India can still achieve its goal of a 12% increase in foreign tourist inflow for the year. The reality is doubtful though, as the poll at the bottom of this Wall Street Journal Article indicates that a whopping 77.1% of respondents (more than 3,000 votes) perceive India to be unsafe for women travelers.
So, what's the reality?
In January, I wrote this post about women's varied experiences in India (including my own). Now, personally, having lived in India for more than seven years, I don't think it's become any more unsafe here. There are definitely more incidents of sexual assault being recorded (take, for example, this huge jump in molestations and
How are Safety Concerns Affecting Foreign Tourism in India?
If recent news reports are to be believed, the writing is on the wall. There has been a 25% drop in the number of foreign tourists visiting India over the last three months, following a widely publicized spate of sexual attacks on women. Even worse, the number of foreign female tourists has decreased substantially, by 35%, over the same period.
The findings come from a survey of 1,200 tour operators in cities across India, conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India. According to the results:
Nearly 72% of the tour operators said that a number of cancellations of bookings has taken place especially from women tourists in the last three months, mainly from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia etc..." he survey found that the tourism industry has suffered the most in Delhi, followed by other smaller cities and regions such as Goa, Agra, and Jaipur. Instead of visiting India, foreign tourists have opted for trips to other Asian countries. No doubt, the fact that four western countries have issued travel advisories against India has influenced this decision.
However, according to this news report, the Tourism Minister believes that India can still achieve its goal of a 12% increase in foreign tourist inflow for the year. The reality is doubtful though, as the poll at the bottom of this Wall Street Journal Article indicates that a whopping 77.1% of respondents (more than 3,000 votes) perceive India to be unsafe for women travelers.
So, what's the reality?
In January, I wrote this post about women's varied experiences in India (including my own). Now, personally, having lived in India for more than seven years, I don't think it's become any more unsafe here. There are definitely more incidents of sexual assault being recorded (take, for example, this huge jump in molestations and