On February 27, 2026, the National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (NITHM), in collaboration with the Department of Tourism and the Police Department, hosted a one-day retreat. The event was designed to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the six-day Tourist Police training program completed in October 2025

Inaugural Session and Key Addresses

The retreat featured several high-ranking officials who discussed the strategic importance of the Tourist Police:

• Prof. V. Venkata Ramana (Director, NITHM): Emphasized the role of tourist police in making destinations safer and noted the positive feedback received from visitors since the initiative began.
• Sri B. Shivadhar Reddy, IPS (DGP, Telangana): Observed that while religious tourism is strong, leisure travel needs better branding and marketing to compete. He praised NITHM’s capacity-building efforts and committed to future collaborations in research and training.
• Smt. Kranthi Valluru, IAS (Director of Tourism, MD, TGTDC): Confirmed positive field reports and announced plans for international exposure visits for officers to learn global best practices. She also noted that new uniforms, kiosks, and personal kits are being rolled out to enhance visibility and coordination.

Field Success Stories

Tourist Police shared several instances where their intervention provided critical support to visitors:

• Life-Saving Actions: Officers provided counseling and rescue at Pochampally and Bhadrachalam Temple. They also provided medical aid to a tourist at Bhongir Fort and reunited lost children with their families at Golconda Fort.
• Crime Prevention: At the Salar Jung Museum, officers resolved an online payment fraud. At Cheruvugattu Temple, they apprehended suspects involved in theft, blackmail, and illegal activities.
• Crowd Management: Flexible deployment strategies at Yadadri Temple have been instrumental in managing peak crowds and tracing missing persons.

Challenges and Future Recommendations

Participants identified several areas for improvement to further professionalize the service:

• Infrastructure Gaps: Issues were noted at Ananthagiri Hills (inadequate facilities) and Eegalapenta Boating Point (navigation issues).
• Operational Concerns: Discussions touched on unregulated guides, parking malpractices, and transport restrictions.
• Suggestions: The group recommended distinct uniforms for better visibility and redeploying personnel to high-traffic areas like Kolanupaka.

Technical Sessions

The retreat included specialized sessions to improve officer performance:

• Knowledge Building: Sri Ramana Kumar (Asst. IGP) urged officers to study the history of their assigned destinations to better assist foreign tourists.
• Feedback: A survey-based session focused on improving site sanitation, security, and protection.
• Soft Skills: Ms. Menna Fonseca (Founder, Mind Appraisers) conducted a workshop on stress management, anger control, and maintaining professionalism through emotional intelligence.

The retreat concluded with breakout sessions where officers shared video highlights of their achievements at various tourist sites. The consensus was that the initiative has significantly bolstered visitor confidence and safety across Telangana over all Program Coodinated Dr. Niraj Gohil, Ms. Michelle J Francis, Dr. N. Yadagiri.

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