Why You Should Still Travel to India

   Photo by Beth Whitman

The recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai left the world stunned. The U.S. State Department has issued an alert for travelers either already in India or planning a trip there. Many of you whom are considering travel to India are now second-guessing your plans.

Don’t, says travel writer Beth Whitman. India is still incredibly safe and no more dangerous than travel in the United States was after the September 11th attacks in New York City. Last week’s events were a highly coordinated effort that took place in a relatively concentrated area within a city of 18 million people. Chances are slim that during your travels in India you’d be caught in the crossfire of such an horrific event.

In Whitman's book, Wanderlust and Lipstick: For Women Traveling to India, she addresses the issue of the occasional bombing by stating, “They don’t happen frequently enough to cancel your trip.” It does no good for a person not to travel because something might happen “out there."

In the light of the Mumbai attacks, Whitman gives 4 Reasons Why You Should Still Travel to India:

1) India is a huge, sprawling country. The chances that something will happen to you are miniscule. Imagine canceling your trip to Italy because there was a bombing in Ireland. You wouldn’t even consider it.

2) India has a tremendous amount to offer travelers. Not going to India now would be an irrational response to an isolated incident. It would be like cutting off your arm because your big toe hurts. Millions of travelers (5 million in 2007) travel to India every year without incident.

3) India needs your support. No, I’m not asking you to “go shopping”, as President Bush asked of the American people after the September 11th attacks (obviously he enjoys retail therapy). But I am asking that if you have plans to go to India, don’t cancel them. If you are considering a trip, move forward with your plans. The Indian government, to great success, has been working hard to encourage travel to India - you can be sure they are going to make every effort to ensure the safety of tourists as they cannot afford to see a drop in tourism.

4) Now might be the best time. It’s unfortunate, but tourism generally does drop off to a destination after a terrorist attack. This means that costs on flights and accommodations are often slashed as airlines and hotels tempt tourists to come back.

These attacks have just broken my heart. First and foremost, I’m distraught over the lost lives and the destruction that’s come to this beautiful metropolis. But, I’m even more deeply concerned about the long-term effects of these attacks on the tourist industry. Personally, I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to continue on with plans to travel to the subcontinent and you shouldn’t either…

Travel Well!
Beth