THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In spite of an alarming number of atrocities being reported against non-English speaking tourists during last season, the deployment of tourism police has not been boosted. Presently Varkala has just four tourism policemen as against 24 in Kovalam. These destinations together attract most of the 28 lakh tourist who visit capital city annually. Multiple molestation and assault attempts where reported against tourists at both beach and hotel rooms at Kovalam last season. There has been a spurt in clashes between Russian tourists and localites in Varkala. Human Rights Commission had pulled up Varkala police on inaction against an attack on Russian tourist by a section of autorickshaw drivers.
“Our tourism policemen are not trained to communicate in foreign languages barring English. Complaints from non-english speaking tourists come to us via hotel staffers who understand the language. The tourism policemen are directly under the control of circle inspectors. Unless they are deputed in Tourism police wing for long years, it would not be fair to expect a high class in their interaction abilities,” said a senior police official attached to Kovalam station. With more German and Russian tourist visiting state, the empathy of local stake holder with tourists has gone down, he added. Tourism police have no authority to register any case and they are expected to monitor trade of psychotropic drugs, immoral behaviour and teasing of tourists by anti-socials.
