Before her maiden trip to India a few months ago, Katherine Harris (name changed), a financial consultant in the U.S., was apprehensive about her safety due to the news reports about rapes coming in from Delhi. To ensure that they have a safe and hassle-free vacation, Harris and her husband decided to hire a personal security man for themselves.
“It turned out to be a great idea as our security officer kept us away from men attempting to take my picture, uncomfortable stares, or people getting too close for comfort,” she said.
Like Harris, the number of foreign tourists hiring bouncers, personal security officers, and guards is increasing. Cashing in on the trend, many private security agencies are now offering customised services to foreign tourists.
“The trend started about two to three years ago and after getting queries from foreign tourists, we started promoting our services online,” said Anubhav Khiwani, CEO of Delhi-based Denetim Services.
>Hotels offer a recipe for safety measures
From women-only floors to stringent access control to women chauffeurs, butlers, and concierge, most hotels in Delhi now go out of their way to make the stay of single women guests a safe and comfortable one.
>10 years on, tourist police yet to make their presence felt
Delhi Police has deployed 90 personnel at 10 locations in the city, which are among the most frequented by tourists, mostly foreigners.
“Our personal security officers are specifically trained and sensitised to their needs. Now we also get requests from tour operators to provide security to groups of tourists,” he said.
The services don’t come cheap; the cost of hiring a personal security officer for a day can be anything between Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 9,000, apart from the cost of their lodging and food during the trip.
He said a lot of queries come in from groups of students and backpackers.
“In such cases we try to charge less as a goodwill gesture,” he said.
“We provide different packages to foreigners to suit their budget, including unarmed bouncers, armed personal security officers, and four security officers for bigger groups,” said Shyam Singh, managing director of Secura Security.
“Of late, we are getting a lot of queries, mostly through emails,” he said.
Though not every tourist goes on to hire a security officer, most prefer some sort of an escort to keep them away from trouble. “Usually first-time travellers are more paranoid about safety. We don’t provide security guards, but ensure they get a male escort and that our drivers are verified,” said a south Delhi-based tour operator.
“The perception of India being unsafe is wrong, but tour operators get the most affected by such perception as sometimes visits by groups get cancelled,” said Subhash Goyal, president, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) and chairman of STIC Travel Group.
“We advise tourists to come through tour operators recognised by the IATO, who ensures that escorts go with them to all places and provide verified drivers,” Mr. Goyal said.
Also read: >Women aware of risks, but remain undeterred
| Shopping for knickknacks on Janpath, Triinu appears to be care-free and enjoying her visit to Delhi. But, before coming to India from her native Estonia, she said she had heard about the brutal incidents of rape that grabbed headlines all over the world. She was warned about being vigilant while travelling in India. Personally, she has found people in Delhi to be friendly and helpful. However, she does take certain precautions like sticking to known routes and never agreeing to shortcuts which cab and auto-rickshaw drivers suggest. |
| South African national Selma is on her first visit to India and has already had a harrowing experience. While walking in the narrow by-lanes of Chandni Chowk, a stranger began tapping her partner on his shoulder. When the couple walked ahead, the man followed and ended up misbehaving with Selma. A local shopkeeper and police personnel finally came to the rescue and dragged the man away. Selma said she was overwhelmed by the experience, but it would not deter her from visiting India again. However, she would warn her friends back home. Being from South Africa, she said she is used to being careful with her belongings to avoid pickpockets. |
| Magali, who travels to India often for both work and leisure, is on her 12th trip to the country. She said moving around Delhi she has never felt unsafe. In fact, she took an auto-rickshaw ride for dinner near the airport and returned to the central Delhi hotel she is staying at without any hesitation. She said living in Paris, she is aware of the issues faced by people in big cities. Being careful of one's surroundings and belongings is important wherever in the world you are, she said. Apart from that, she makes it a point to respect customs and traditions in India. |
| On her second visit to India, Katrina said the impression of the country abroad is that it is unsafe for women, and dirty. But, she has found people to be friendly as they offer directions and help. Though she said crime can happen anywhere in the world, she doesn’t go anywhere alone in India and avoids crowded places like Old Delhi. However, tourist spots in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur are safe, she said. Only problem she has faced is beggars, who get too close for comfort, but she said she has noticed they do the same to locals. Since she has Indian friends, she pays attention to their advice. |
Published - November 02, 2015 12:00 am IST
