Is India Safe for Female Travelers?

06.03.2024 - 16:07 / skift.com / Peden Doma Bhutia

A Brazilian tourist has accused seven men of gang rape in the Indian state of Jharkhand, once again raising questions about the safety of travel in India for women.

For the Indian travel industry, it’s a critical moment: The incident has sparked widespread criticism of India as a destination across social media platforms.

“Our claim to ‘Incredible India’ stands in ruins today,” said Rajeev Kohli, joint managing director of Creative Travel. “All we can do is apologize.”

Kohli told Skift he has been fielding calls from his international network of sales representatives.

“The news is spreading fast in the Latin world. And yes, this will have negative consequences on our reputation as a destination. It will stop fresh bookings. Brazil is a strong market for women groups. But now, they will look at us with a great deal of suspicion now. This has set us back severely in our marketing efforts,” he said.

I spent over eight years travelling across India to write Midnight’s Borders. I have been asked multiple versions of this question — was it safe? Did I feel unsafe? Was it precarious?
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Himangshu Baruah, founder and CEO of Finderbridge, who recently launched backpacking trips catering to mostly solo female travelers in Indian northeastern areas like Mizoram, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, said it will take years to repair the reputation of these destinations.

Finderbridge has been catering to many foreign female travelers and prides itself on providing well secured and guided trips. Baruah said, the incident will disrupt bookings, especially those booked by solo female backpackers.

Chirag Gupta, CEO and founder of Deyor, an online platform providing curated holiday experiences, said that 30% of his clients are female.

He said he hasn’t received any cancellations yet but has been receiving calls from international guests concerned about upcoming trips.

“Our top priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of our clients, and we are closely monitoring the situation to update them with information and guidance. However, in spite of all our reassurances, should an international client still be unsure about their travel plans, we will provide them with 100% refund,” said Gupta.

At a time like this, destinations can respond by taking coordinated actions across various levels, according to Aashish Gupta, Consulting CEO of Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH).

“At the local government and destination level, it’s crucial to apprehend and prosecute all those responsible,” Gupta said. “At a national level, an effective crisis management response is essential to reassure travelers that