Female tourists abused in Rajasthan

desertrose

After doing some research with a friend over few topics here and there, i could contribute some of this information,Did you know that our tourism status is 46th in the world (0.5% of global tourism traffic)? We have slipped from the fourth to seventh place in Asia – below Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, even Korea. And India gets a mere 2.5 million tourists while China, with its restricted destinations gets 25 million. India has 5.6% of GDP from tourism vs. the world average of 11.7%, 5.8% of employment vs. 8.2% worldwide.

machadinha

And this is because of the topic at hand? I somehow doubt it.

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Nick-H

Well, this kind of stuff going on isn't going to help.

If the rest of the world is noticing; that I don't know.

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PeakXV

Those dwindling tourist stats are the reason many of us diehards still go to India.

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Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

Aishah

Media doesn't help that's true. But does it stop tourists going to Australia or New Zealand or USA or Germany or.....??Rape is still going on in all these countries and others. As I said previously, it has to be put into perspective.These are all appalling incidents and not good for 'tourism in Rajasthan' but I don't think they are actually going to stop tourists coming here. At least they are being reported openly and not hushed up which has been the case previously and articles, like the one Nick posted from The Hindu, may be the start of slow-changing attitudes - all for the better here.

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Nick-H

I think the big difference with the New Years Eve stuff is that this was mob violence.

The driver who abducts the passenger is more akin to what could be said to happen in any country.

karuna

Mildly interesting and related. Rediff have a poll on women's safety on their home page, results here.

Quite an even split of opinion [it was when I posted it]. I wish you could sort the answers by city!

Aishah

Just now caught the last 10 mins. of a programme running on Verdict NDTV - Are women tourists unsafe in India? - and a poll was taken at the same time. 77% said that they were unsafe. Not very good. A 51 year old woman said she might come back to Goa sometime but at the present, she was feeling too unsafe to stay there and she wouldn't want her daughters to be there either.

Sama

I saw that same show last night. what made me spit nails again was the attitude of some of the men interviewed and the comments scrolling across the screen -- the guy in Rajasthan said that he believes western women are loose and all they want is sex when they come to India. an indian woman said that indian men believe that all western women are just waiting to hook up with an indian guy. last but not least, one of the comments scrolled across the screen was that western women should follow the "ethics" of India when traveling so THEY don't get into trouble.

what troubles me is that a western woman was recently raped in cochin and I have read accounts that western women are being targeted. I arrive in cochin tomorrow morning on the train at 3:30 AM and have not been able to contact the hotel owner who said he is sending a driver. I will have my swiss army knife open and ready to use it if I have to. I've walked down Chicago streets with that protection and I am certainly not afraid to do that here.

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capt_mahajan

Yogagal, there have been a spate of such recent reports and incidents, yes. Disgusting.

But I for one don't think Western women are being targeted. They are probably victims because, amongst other reasons, they are obviously strangers and possibly alone.

Also keep in mind that in todays mindless media, any dimwit who wants to send a SMS has it displayed on the screen.

Which does not mean that some/many dimwits don't have those views anyway.

I don't know Cochin well. But at 3.30 am, if there is no hotel pickup, consider waiting within the station till daylight- unless somebody with a better knowledge of Cochin posts here.

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atala

It is Ernakulam Junction or Ernakulam town where YogaGal is heading. Main through trains arrive there, not in Cochin. She was in Madurai, so she took the Guruvayur Express which arrives Ernakulam Jn 3:30 a.m. I arrived last year with the Ernakulam Express at the same station early morning, although that was around 5 a.m. It is a rather mellow station and area. I would not expect any trouble there. Very helpful caR drivers there. Let's hope for the best.

Aishah

Yes, good luck YogaGal but I'm sure you will be fine. I didn't see the full programme but if I had I think I would have been fuming like you. Such misconceptions and generalisations about western women...But this is nothing new, has been going on for years.

Sama

I chalked up the the idea that western women are in more danger than average to the sensationalistic writing of Indian newspapers. still....when you read enough of that stuff it gives one pause...I was not afraid about getting here in the early AM, it just heightened my awareness -- I was ready to spring into action if anyone looked at me the wrong way!

i was fine -- hotel sent the driver who was in a nice car NOT a rickshaw, yeah! -- and the train was 45 minutes late so many people at station.

but as I walk around cochin this morning, I have never been with so many westerners (mostly Europeans, not americans) in India. somehow not liking it for that fact, but that's me -- I'd rather be back with the slum kids in their school in madurai.....

I am also wondering why we (i.e., IM members) bother telling women what we do about how to dress in India...I've seen more short skirts and tank tops than I've ever seen in India and frankly I look like a GUY the way I am dressed -- baggy linen pants with a kurta.....gotta get me some different clothes!

capt_mahajan

God's own country

Joking, I think.

Glad you had no problem at the station.

Nick-H

Because it was correct two years ago.

Things change fast!