Rape, murder, fraud: Swiss advisory for travel to India reads like a nightmare

New Delhi: A dream holiday in India turned out to be a horror tale for a Swiss couple last Sunday when they were assaulted by a mob near Fatehpur Sikri in Agra. While India's tourism and foreign ministers have reacted sharply to the unfortunate event, the country's image in global circles may have taken a massive toll with international press highlighting lack of safety and Swiss governmental agencies issuing lengthy warnings of and for tourists.

Local press in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe have highlighted the 'hazards' of traveling in India. This, however, is most evident from the travel advisory issued for Swiss travellers to India. An advisory dated August 25 highlighted the soaring crime rate in India and especially mentioned crimes against women. "Many rape and other sexual injuries are reported from all over India. Foreigners are increasingly becoming victims. Women will generally be advised to be more cautious. This also applies if they travel in exclusively female groups. They are less troubled with male accompaniment; However, caution is still required," reads the report.

The travel notes further elaborate on possibilities of snatching and fleecing incidents - apart from money-related frauds - under the crime section. There are also sections on terror threat, region-wise risk assessment, roads and transportation - where the report outrightly says most roads are in poor condition, and cultural norms to be followed.

It is generally observed that while every country issues travel advisories for its citizens visiting any other country, the Swiss authorities are now likely to update theirs following the recent attack on the couple from Lausanne - a big blow to India's image.