NT Reporter
Panaji
Goa recorded 40 cases of crime against foreign tourists between 2022 and 2024, with the police filing chargesheets in 28 cases. Trials were completed in four cases, resulting in two convictions, according to data tabled in the Rajya Sabha on August 13 by Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Shekhawat said tourism, including the safety and security of tourists, is essentially a state subject. The data on crimes against
foreign tourists during 2022-24 was sourced from the National Crime Records Bureau, he said.
In 2022, 14 cases were registered and chargesheets were filed in nine. In 2023, 14 cases were registered and chargesheets filed in 10, with trials completed in three cases and one
conviction.
In 2024, 12 cases were registered and chargesheets filed in nine. Trials were completed in one case, which resulted in a
conviction.
Shekhawat said the Ministry of Tourism was focused on creating a conducive environment to increase foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs). While sporadic incidents involving tourist safety may temporarily influence travel decisions, overall FTAs are determined by multiple factors, and no specific assessment attributing changes solely to such incidents has been undertaken, he said.
The Tourism Ministry has been taking up the issue with state governments and Union territories.
The Ministry wanted them to establish dedicated tourist police and strengthen on-ground safety mechanisms for tourists, Shekhawat said.
With the ministry’s efforts, 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, he said.
The Union minister also said the ministry has periodically urged all states and UTs to avail themselves of the benefits of the ‘Safe Tourism Destinations for Women’ scheme under the Nirbhaya Fund, which can be used for projects specifically aimed at improving the safety and security of women tourists.
