Adopt local dress code in Goa: Britain to tourists

Panaji, Mar 9: In a precautionary measure to control the attacks on foreigners in Goa, Britain has advised its nationals to 'observe and respect local dress and customs' while visiting the tourist place.

Citing an upsurge of rape incidents as the reason for the move, travel advisory uploaded on the foreign Commonwealth office website in late Feb 2010 carried a clear instruction for women to dress like the locals while visting Goa.

'Observe and respect local dress and customs and to take particular care,' in view of a 'series of high-profile incidents in Goa of alleged rape against foreign nationals, including Britons,' the advisory noted.

The advisory came just when the political parties in the state are considering a dress code for the foreign tourists holidaying in Goa annually.

Earlier in the wake of the rape of a 25-year-old Russian tourist in Goa by a local politician John Fernandes, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat had said that foreign tourists in Goa should observe a dress code.

The opinion was also shared by state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Laxmikant Parsenkar in Feb, who prescribed a 'minimum dress code' for foreign tourists in Goa.

Speaking in favor of dress code, Congress MP Shantaram Naik, known for his derogatory remark on rape in the winter session of the parliament, said that the foreigners walking half naked in the coastal villages were having a bad influence on school going children.

Britain, with nearly 40,000 of its national visting Goa annually, top the list of countries sending its nationals to Goa.

Out of nearly 2.4 million tourists visiting Goa annually, nearly half a million are foreigners.

OneIndia News