India confident that gang-rape will not trash tourism
Travel advisories issued by the UK and the US urging citizens to avoid central Delhi have not affected the flow of foreign tourists to India, according to government reports.
Tourism secretary Parvez Dewan said: "So far there has been no adverse impact on tourism. We had an extensive meeting with tour operators and they told us that no one has cancelled their booking yet. So I am sure it is not going to affect the footfall in the country."
Delhi Police barred the city centre to the general public on December 29 in fear of large-scale protests following the death of a Delhi gang-rape victim, a 23-year-old student.
The situation sparked protests in streets throughout India, while the government has promised to enforce harsher punishments on the offenders.
The US State Department already warns women of the rape dangers in the country. It advises that citizens shouldn’t travel alone, particularly women.
The department notes that figures from Indian authorities indicate that rape is the quickest growing crime in the country, with the number of crimes against the female sex being the highest in Delhi.
The Tourism Ministry has written to all its offices overseas asking them to explain the situation following the December 16 gang-rape and the protests that followed the incident.
by Ian Jarrett
Ian Jarrett
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