Recently, the Himachal Pradesh government put forward its She Travel Policy to provide more security and support to women who travel alone. The government hopes to make women who are traveling alone, both across its communities and mountainous regions; safe, comfortable and respected. At present, 18 percent of the visitors to Himachal Pradesh are women who travel alone; the goal of the She Travel Policy is to increase this number to 35 percent over the next three years.
Officials and tour providers have received the draft with the intent to provide constructive feedback about its contents. One of the primary objectives is enhanced safety, increased reliability and improved systems of support will help alleviate concerns when travelling. To assist with this process, the tourism industry will assess current security guidelines for 200 destinations. Local authorities will evaluate potential safety hazards, such as lighting and security systems, as well as points of entry/exit and the scope of their CCTV cameras. Authorities want to remedy identified deficiencies and implement new physical safety practices as expeditiously as possible.
A group of trained female safety marshal known as ‘SheGuard,’ will be set up by the government as a trained tourist safety assistant. It will be in place at key areas of tourist accommodation to provide assistance to women travelling as tourists. Some of these marshals will be stationed in key tourist locations to provide immediate assistance and comfort when problems occur.
A specific sub-portal will be created on the state tourism office website specifically for female solo travellers. This new sub-portal will contain all necessary safety tips, travel guidance, support resources in one location to serve as a credible point of reference for solo female travellers.
In addition, all registered accommodations and hotels must have CCTV cameras and emergency panic buttons. Moreover, properties that meet certain predetermined safety standards will also be designated as women-friendly lodging through an official certification process. Certified lodgings will receive formal acknowledgment for their certification under this new regulation.
Himachal Pradesh, in addition to developing a gender-based framework for tourism, is also focusing on a annual gender audit. This initiative will provide long-term accountability and the means by which improvements will occur on an ongoing basis. The overall goal of this type of policy is thus to reduce instances of harassment and misleading conduct in the state's tourism industry.
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