Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi has asked state governments and Union Territories to form a separate cadre of tourist police specifically for the protection of tourists. Chiranjeevi was speaking here on Thursday after inaugurating a day-long National Conference of State Tourism Ministers. He suggested the formation of a tourist police force by borrowing personnel from the police department or hiring ex-servicemen or home guards. Referring to the recent tragedy in Uttarakhand as unfortunate,he said there is a dire need to keep in mind the principles of sustainability and carrying capacity while developing tourism destinations. This must be done especially for religious places where large number of pilgrims congregate at a given time.. It is our responsibility to immediately assess the carrying capacity of various tourism destinations and address the sustainability issues. In case some remedial measures are required,they must be taken before any disaster happens. Uttarakhand has been a warning to all of us. Referring to the recent incidents of assault on women tourists,which has seriously damaged our image,Chiranjeevi said: It is not only important that we provide security to the tourists but it is also important that we instil a sense of confidence in them.
