T’puram: Following the tragedy in Vietnam in which 15 Indian tourists were killed after the boat they were on capsized, people travelling abroad have been advised to exercise caution.Travel and tour operators say that groups and individual tourists should be careful in selecting destinations, activities, boat operators or water-related adventures. The boats were operated even as the sea was rough, and not all tourists were wearing lifejackets.Sources said that in many cases, the local operators tend to cut costs and will arrange boats or ferries that do not follow safety regulations.Siji Nair, CEO of Global Travel Market, said that travellers should check the reviews of the destinations, hotels, the agencies that offer activities before selecting them.“It is not advisable to choose a destination merely on the basis of discounts or cost. Travellers should check whether it is safe, review the hotel’s ratings, and avoid boats or adventure activities if the operator is not following safety protocols,” Nair said.M K Ajit Kumar of India Tourism Forum said that the tour operators should ensure that they select agencies that provide safety features for boats and joy rides.He said that the agencies should be blacklisted by tour operators.“I wonder whether any one is monitoring who is taking tourists and who is facilitating our tourists abroad. The govt can try to monitor,” Kumar said.A large number of people have started to travel abroad by booking flights, hotels, sightseeing and activities online by themselves. Many fall prey to exploitation since they do not have a travel agent back home or locally as a backup.When it comes to individual bookings, tourists should watch the antecedents of the tour operators or agencies that offer services like boating or joy rides and adventure sports, said Kumar.“Tourists from India are targets of robbers in Europe and in some southeast Asian countries. So, people should select a destination carefully,” said Siji Nair.
