The state government will recruit more women personnel into the tourism police force as part of strengthening the security of the tourists visiting the state.
Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran on Thursday said the Tourism and the Home Departments held a consultation and reached an understanding to provide more security cover to the tourists who visit destinations in the state in the wake of the tragic death of the Latvian tourist near Kovalam.
The formal consultation between the officers from the two departments made way for the decision to recruit more women into the tourism police force, among various other things.
Further, the tourism police personnel will be provided uniforms of a different colour to make them easily recognisable, he said.
The tourism police personnel will also be trained on how to interact with tourists and be trained in different languages.
A mobile app to help people easily get in contact with police personnel will be developed and launched soon, he said.
Tourists arriving at airports, railway stations and bus stations will be able to access police help with the aid of a revamped tourism brochure incorporating all the necessary information.
All tourist destinations will soon have new destination committees with representatives from the Home and Tourism Departments, local self-government institutions and the tourism industry.
These committees will meet on a regular basis and chart out plans to be implemented in the tourism sector of the respective destinations.
The minister also said tourism wardens, including men and women, will be appointed to aid the police after imparting formal training to them.
Further, all vendors and guides at tourist destinations will be given identity cards and uniforms so that people visiting these destinations will know they are government-recognised vendors and guides.
Vendors and guides will be selected only after proper police verification, the minister said.
Besides, all tourism destinations will have mandatory CCTV installed by the Tourism Department; private entrepreneurs, hotels and such institutions will also be directed to install cameras.
The department will also install signage boards across all destinations.
The shortcomings currently in the lighting systems will be addressed, he said.
The police would prepare a list of history sheeters and people susceptible to criminal tendencies will be kept away from tourist destinations.
Strict action will be enforced on all those who indulge in criminal activities and in the use of narcotic substances, the minister said.
All decisions pertaining to the safety of tourists will be implemented in next couple of months, the minister said.
State Police Chief Loknath Behera, Range IG Manoj Abraham, Tourism Secretary Rani George, Tourism Director P Balakiran, Tourism additional director (General) Jafar Malik, and other senior police and Tourism Department officers took part in the meeting.
Tourism Observer
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