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Goa's tourism hit by attacks on visitors

Summary

19 March 2010

In India, the trial of two local men accused of killing the British teenager Scarlett Keeling has begun. 15-year-old Scarlett's body was found on a beach in Goa in February 2008. Attacks on foreign visitors have affected tourism to Goa.

Reporter:

Rahul Tandon

Report

I'm walking on a beach in North Goa. It's full of foreigners - some are sunbathing, others are swimming in the sea. This is one of India's most popular tourist destinations but the murder of a 15- year-old British girl two years ago and attacks on Russian tourists have damaged Goa's reputation as a safe holiday resort.

The number of foreign visitors has dropped by more than 10 percent. The recession is clearly a factor, but a lawyer hired by the Russian government to deal with attacks on their citizens, has told the BBC that the state's failure to secure a single conviction for a serious crime against a foreigner is also a reason.

To try and reassure visitors, ex-servicemen will soon be deployed on popular beaches like this. Ralph De Souza is the President of the Goa Travel Association.

Ralph De Souza:

"When the Tourism Protection Organisation comes to town, their 

mere physical presence will deter any person with any intentions. They will think twice before attacking or before committing any crime."

Businesses here hope that he's right otherwise beaches like this will see fewer foreign tourists swimming in the sea.

Rahul Tandon, BBC News, Goa