The recent gangrape of a Brazilian tourist in Jharkhand underscores why India suffers from a serious perception problem. Several foreign governments have issued advisories to women tourists asking them to be careful while travelling in India. Tourism industry leaders have also demanded greater safety measures.

As women travellers leave scathing reviews and horrifying news reports of sexual assaults appear with alarming regularity, tourism numbers are not reviving in India.

The UN World Tourism Organisation reported a 90% recovery for international tourism in 2023 compared to pre-COVID 2019. For India, it’s under 75%, according to the Bureau of Immigration figures.

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