Shimla, Feb 26:
As the Himachal Pradesh government rolls out its SHE (Safety, Hospitality & Empowerment) Travel Policy to promote women-friendly tourism, stakeholders in Shimla’s hospitality sector have underlined that the policy’s success will depend on urgent ground-level reforms.
Welcoming the initiative of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department, the Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholder Association (Regd.) said the number of women travelling solo or in women-only groups is steadily rising.
However, the association cautioned that unless Shimla addresses long-pending issues related to tourist harassment and misleading practices, the policy risks remaining only on paper.
The association flagged that Shimla remains the only major destination in the state where tourists are routinely followed or stopped by guides, porters and touts shouting “hotel, hotel” soon after entering the city.
Such behaviour, it said, causes discomfort, anxiety and traffic congestion, besides creating an unsafe perception—particularly among women travellers.
With online bookings now standard, the association said there is no justification for roadside chasing or pressuring tourists to stay at accommodations of someone else’s choice.
It alleged that tourists with confirmed “pay at hotel” online bookings are often misled and diverted to unregistered homestays or hotels leased by guides in far-off areas, leaving genuine hotels vacant and visitors dissatisfied.
Late-night disturbances and unauthorised stopping of vehicles have further compounded safety concerns.
Significantly, the association pointed out that such practices are largely absent in other Himachal destinations like Manali, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Chail, Kasauli and Narkanda, raising serious questions about enforcement in the state capital.
To push for corrective action, the association announced it will launch a signature campaign seeking a complete ban on chasing tourist vehicles and unauthorised roadside guiding, and will submit a memorandum to the government demanding strict enforcement.
Citing best practices, the association referred to the Uttarakhand Tourism Department, which operates an official portal for hiring registered tourist guides.
It urged Himachal Pradesh to develop a similar system and strengthen Tourism Information Offices so tourists can hire guide services through a transparent, regulated mechanism.
Underlining the issue, MK Seth, President of the Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholder Association, said, “The SHE Travel Policy is a welcome step, but its success depends entirely on what a woman tourist experiences on the ground.
Chasing vehicles, stopping tourists on roads and misleading them into unregistered or far-off accommodations creates fear and discomfort, especially for solo women travellers".
Shimla is the only destination where this outdated practice still thrives. If we are serious about women’s safety and freedom of choice, such activities must be strictly banned and guide services should be routed through transparent, government-regulated systems.”
The association stressed that reforming these outdated practices is essential to make Shimla a genuinely safe, welcoming and women-friendly destination—and to ensure that the spirit of the SHE Travel Policy translates into real confidence on the ground.
