Tourism Minister Selja unveils Code of Conduct for Safe, Honourable Tourism

Union Minister for Tourism & Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Kum. Selja unveiling the Code of Conduct for Safe & Honourable Tourism, in New Delhi on July 01, 2010.

Union Minister for Tourism Kumari Selja today unveiled the code of conduct for "Safe & Honourable Tourism" to meet the country's future needs and challenges in this sector.

Ms Selja described the code as "our own innovation inspired by the existing code of ethics of the World Tourism Organisation."

She said the code was developed by Ministry of Tourism in association with PATA India Chapter, Save the Children – India, United Nations Office on Drugs & Crimes (UNODC) and Equitable Tourism Option (EQUATIONS).

The Minister said that, after the "Athithi Devo Bhavah" campaign, which addresses issues relating to treating our women travellers with dignity, a similar campaign needed to be initiated to sensitising the incoming tourists to refrain from indulging in any such activity, which might disturb the social fabric of the country. Ms Selja also urged all the stakeholders to adopt the code at the earliest.

Ms Selja said the Tourism Ministry would soon be organising a series of workshops with stakeholders to develop a plan of action for implementing the code.

Tourism Secretary Sujit Banerjee said the code had been evolved keeping in mind the following objectives:

(i) Encourage tourism activities to be undertaken with respect for basic rights like dignity, safety and freedom from exploitation of both tourist and local residents,

(ii) Aid the prevention of prostitution, sex tourism and forms of sexual exploitations in tourism ,in particular women & Children

(iii) To enhance prevention of activities like forced or involuntary drug use, manipulated and incorrect information, cultural & Social intolerance which could increase vulnerability to crime.

NNN