India is set to deploy tourist police at its important tourist destinations to ensure the security of foreign visitors and also in view of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2010.

'To ensure safety and security, the state governments have been requested to deploy tourist police at all important tourist destinations,' India's Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Kanti Singh said Wednesday at a press conference organized as part of the Arabian Travel Mart (ATM) 2008 here.

'More tourist guides, including foreign language speaking guides, are being trained to ensure that an adequate number of guides are available at all important tourist centres,' she added.

The minister said the Commonwealth Games are expected to attract around 10,000 foreign visitors besides 10,000 sportsmen and women.

'The hotel accommodation capacity is being augmented, for which income tax holidays have been granted to two-, three- and four-star hotels in certain specified zones,' she said.

Elaborating on the issue of the tourist police, E.K. Bharat Bhushan, joint secretary in the tourism ministry, said: 'Some states in India have already developed tourism police for the safety of tourists and we are trying to replicate the model in other states as well.'

He added the tourist police will be part of the regular state police forces but will be trained to handle tourist-related aspects.

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