Question : HARASSMENT OF TOURISTS BY TOUTS

(a) whether the Government are aware of the growing activities of Touts at city`s International airport alluring the foreign tourists to the hotels where they are not only being fleeced and harassed but are made to deposit their passports by the hotel management to ensure their stay and restrict their movement;

(b) if so, whether a concept of Tourists police was mooted to help the foreign Tourists; and

(c) the measures taken by the Government to check the exploitation of foreign tourists by such elements?

MINISTER OF TOURISM & CULTURE (SHRI JAGMOHAN)


(a),(b) & (c): A Statement is laid on the Table of the Sabha.
STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.+313 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.04.2002 REGARDING HARASSMENT OF TOURISTS BY TOUTS.

(a): Yes, Sir. The Department of Tourism has received some complaints about difficulties faced by the tourists.

(b) & (c) : Yes, Sir. The Department of Tourism has written to all the State and U.T. Departments of Tourism to introduce various measures to check the exploitation of foreign tourists. In addition, at various fora, discussions have taken place with the representatives of State Governments to interalia introduce suitable legislation and deploy Special Police Force, which could assist and provide security for tourists. Some of the States, which have already set up a Tourist Police, are Goa, Kerala, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. This Special Tourism Police Force is meant to provide services in a spirit of courtesy and hospitality. The Minister of Tourism and Culture has urged the Chief Ministers of the States to enact suitable legislation in their respective States to curb the exploitation of the foreign tourists and other mal-practices related to tourists and to develop a feeling of safety and security by deployment of Special Tourism Police Force. The Department of Tourism has also set up a Complaint Cell to receive complaints from tourists and the redressal of complaints are regularly monitored.