Prevent tourists from being fleeced at scenic spots

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A couple of days ago, this edit space highlighted World Tourism Day. In that editorial, we stressed safety as one of the aspects that needs to be looked into when it comes to tourism and rated safety as a top magnet for visitors to the city.

Scenic spots and historical landmarks are all very good, but it is amenities basics like a washroom and transport ease, besides safety, that will make this place a magnet. There are many factors within the safety ambit; one amongst them is to ensure that scamsters do not take advantage of visitors by selling fakes.

Now, a 31-year-old man was arrested by Kasturba Marg police for allegedly selling forged entry tickets to tourists visiting Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Borivli, Mumbai. The case came to light after a tourist complained about being sold a torn ticket for entry to the national park.

While SGNP is not only a tourist spot, several locals visit too; it is a draw for visitors. Cops must crack down on the entire gang responsible for printing these fakes. Go deeper and check if fake tickets are being made for other spots where entry tickets are needed.

If one park has been targeted, it is likely that other sites may have been on the radar too. The point is not just that a visitor has been conned. This can be dangerous too, as tickets may be printed for days when some sites are closed for different reasons and unsuspecting persons try to access them. Those involved need to ascertain how long this has been going on, how fake tickets were passed off at the counter as genuine and completely uproot this con operation.