The government’s move to make India a more safe place has been welcomed by hoteliers, however, they feel hospitability should not be compromised, says Syed Ameen Kader.
Maintaining its pledge towards preventing any form of child sexual exploitation and human trafficking, the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has unveiled the final code of conduct for ‘safe and honourable tourism’ this month.
The code, which was in the making for the past few months in consultation with United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Save the Children India, and Pacific Asia Tourism Association (PATA), underlines guidelines for hospitality players to educate their staff; inform guests about the code; prevent usage of business equipment for viewing, distribution and promotion of materials which involves sexual exploitation; and inform police about any such incidents.
The code is meant not just for large hotels, but also smaller properties, guest houses, and service providers such as taxi drivers and tour guides.
Said Sujit Banerjee, secretary, MoT: “I hope this will have a salutary effect, where tour operators, hotel owners, and lodge owners will abide by it (the code) and not allow such things to happen on their premises. After all, IT is now the order of the day, and so objectionable material can be controlled on laptops, computers, and televisions.”
He said a hotel that has signed the code of conduct should have this information available at the check-in desk. “The code will spread more awareness; these crimes are happening not just in the big cities, but also smaller cities and religious centres,” Banerjee added.
The issue is quite serious in India as it is one of the source, transit, and destination countries in the world, in human trafficking. “Ninety per cent of India’s trafficking for sexual exploitation is internal.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development estimates that there are three million commercial sex workers in the country, of whom 40% are children,” said Cristina Albertin, representative, UNODC, South Asia, who was instrumental in drafting the code along with the government.
She said although a lot has been done by the government and civil society to control the problem, the additional engagement of the MoT will further strengthen the cause.
“We are very optimistic that the code of conduct will make a difference, as we have seen the proactive engagement by MoT and by service providers, in the process to take this quickly forward. We hope that it can make a huge difference soon in light of the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Delhi,” Albertin added.
UNODC thinks many hotels will become signatories to this code and will actively implement its provisions as there is a natural interest to preserve an image of a clean and honourable company.
Hoteliers have also welcomed the move and said they would be happy to implement such a code of conduct in their properties. Goa being a prime leisure destination, visited by both domestic as well as foreign tourists alike, is proactive in the measures it’s taken.
“It’s a very positive move and I think it will be very easy to sell among all the hoteliers and staff. As a group, Taj has been on the forefront in that. There is a lot of security already in place,” said Vishal Singh, general manager, Vivanta by Taj, Goa.
Ajay Bakaya, executive director, Sarovar Hotels, said: “I am very happy that this code is being put in place. We will study it and make sure that we have enough systems in place for training and communication for customers as well as employees.”
Rajat Chatterjee, general manager for Goa Marriott Resort, also agreed this is a step in the right direction, which can go a long way in sensitising the industry and making them more vigilant.
“As an international chain we are governed by a code of ethics of Marriott International that respects guest privacy, however, we can definitely create internal communication systems and support such causes,” he said.
The newer hotels have already put in place various systems to prevent access to any unwanted and pornographic sites.
“We have implemented security measures to ensure that all guests and their profiles are secured through a firewall, which has a 128 3DES encryption, allowing only authorised inflow and outflow of traffic. Also, any internet based action is monitored and kept in our server database for future reference,” said Saji Joseph, general manager for the newly opened Alila Diwa Goa hotel.
However, some hoteliers have expressed their concern over practical difficulties in implementing some of the guidelines.
“I can control and block such sites on the internet in my public area, but if someone is in the room and accessing the internet, there is very little I can do about it, beyond communicating in a fashion that is clear and responsible, because I am not the police,” said Bakaya, adding that he won’t have any hesitation in implementing things which are practically possible.
Expressing his personal opinion on the issue, Pascal Dupuis, general manager for Leela Kempinski Goa, said: “I welcome it, but we should not over do it. I think guests want to come here on a holiday and relax. There are lots of questions asked to guests and we (hoteliers) are already annoying them at the gates with security bag check, car check, and ID card check. So we should find a good medium, making sure that everybody is happy and safe.”
He said it is a serious issue, but not so much so in hotels. “Hotels are here to give the best hospitality; we are not here to police and find out exactly why you are here. You can’t put security in every room,” Dupuis added.
The big hotel chains are sensitive about the issue and ready to pledge their support for the cause, but they also do not want to offend their genuine guests by putting in lots of restrictions and vigilance.
