India safety initiatives may not be enough to get back female visitors

Visits to India by female tourists dropped 35 percent in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year, according to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India…India can ill afford to lose the foreign currency that tourists inject into the economy.

The Indian government and the tourism industry are scrambling to reassure would-be visitors. Indian states are forming tourism police forces, hotels have created exclusive areas for women only, and tour groups are adding features like women’s-only tours and cellphones for all customers.