The North News
Chandigarh, December 8
India’s Tourism Ministry has urged states and Union Territories to step up protections for visitors, warning that safety gaps continue to undermine confidence among domestic and international travellers. Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, said the responsibility for safeguarding tourists rests largely with state governments, but added that the Centre has been pushing for stronger, more visible security measures. Sixteen states and UTs — from Kerala and Karnataka to Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh — have now deployed dedicated tourist police units, a system long championed by the Ministry but unevenly adopted across the country.
Alongside policing, the Ministry has leaned heavily on the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), which fields complaints ranging from fraud and harassment to basic service failures. Foreign tourists may also use the platform, though only with an India-registered mobile number — a limitation that has drawn criticism from some in the travel industry.
A multilingual tourist helpline, available around the clock on 1800-111-363 or the short code 1363, now operates in 12 languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Arabic and Spanish. Officials say it is intended not only to offer travel information but to support those in distress, particularly newcomers navigating unfamiliar cities.
Shekhawat also said the government has repeatedly encouraged states to draw from the Nirbhaya Fund — a central corpus dedicated to women’s safety — to develop “safe tourism destinations for women”, an initiative that remains patchily implemented despite rising concern over gender-based violence.
The minister insisted the Centre would continue pressing states to adopt stronger safeguards, arguing that the country’s global reputation as a travel destination depends on it.
