Of course we're to blame. When is someone ever forced to go on a holiday?
Fred K, USA

Background ¦ Your reaction

The Background:

Is safety the last thing you consider when choosing a holiday?

Are Western Europeans becoming so obsessed with chasing the ultimate thrill on holiday that they are ignoring common sense and going where they should avoid.

And is the travel trade guilty of nudging us on to ever more dangerous, and expensive, locations?

The recent murder of tourists in Uganda is focusing minds in the travel industry and elsewhere; a symposium at the Berlin Travel Fair this week is tackling the issue.

So what do you think? Have you ever been tempted to visit a risky location - what made you go?

Background ¦ Your reaction

Your Reaction:

In my opinion yes we have to blame ourselves. I think we have to take our own responsibilities about the consequences of our holiday decisions. Travel agencies can only advise us about the risks and safety of our holiday destinations. They cannot guarantee anything. Therefore we should inform ourselves properly about the country and area we are planning to travel through. But even then, we have to keep in mind that we can't rely on weather reports, political conditions in unstable countries and the culture differences we might face. Nobody has a crystal ball to predict the future.
Muriël Bicker, The Netherlands

In Britain we have our Government to blame for involving itself so whole-heartedly in America's imperialist adventures. Americans and Brits are now despised across large sections of the third world for their government's actions and innocent citizens have to pay the price. Incidentally, I understand that more British tourists are attacked and killed in Florida and other parts of the USA than in Africa, so perhaps we should declare the USA off limits too?
Barry Tregear, England

I live in a third world country and I think what western world say about terrorism is exaggerated, for me I will never be scared to go to have a vacation in a third world country, because I live in one of them and these countries are like my home. I tell all people who ever they are don't be scared to go to any country in Asia, Africa or Latin America. We are good people who love all creatures on earth. It is just our fate not to have the life that you don't have.
Mohannad Kafri, Palestine

I've been to Egypt, Turkey and Kenya in between all bombing and shooting. I knew the risks but still wanted to go. I think I would only have my self to blame if I went to dangerous areas, after all I am an adult and can make my own mind up.
Angela Jack, Britain

That is like saying "she asked for" for rape by wearing a short skirt. Its ridiculous. What we should know, coutesy of our governments is if it's dangerous and how to protect ourselves.
Alex Hopkins, USA

Everyone has a different definition of dangerous. Plenty of people cringe when they learn where I have been on holiday. Why is there a need to identify someone to blame? If you walk into a warzone, there are risks and it is your choice. But the person to blame for shooting you is the person you fired the gun. In travel through 4 continents, the only thing 'dangerous' that ever happened to me was being held up with a gun in San Francisco. Now, should we call the US a dangerous travel destination?
Dr Neil Emans, UK

There are some places in the world I would like to visit, but because of wars, etc, I choose not to go. We have to take responsibility for our own safety and decide if the possible consequences are worth it. A few years ago I had planned a visit to London because a friend of mine was currently living there. She wrote me a letter and said I may want to reconsider because the IRA was active right then. I was reading her letter while watching Los Angeles burn in riots after a jury decision. I decided to go on the trip. What was the difference? However, I would probably not go to places where people have been kidnapped and such. We each have to decide for ourselves and not put the blame on someone else. The travel companies should however warn people if there have been problems. But the traveller should contact embassies, etc to see if there are any warnings. Just makes sense.
Elizabeth, US

People should be able to travel without fear. However, politics, religion, crime, and fanaticism control the actual safety of the world's travellers.
David Lewis, USA

I have the responsibility to exercise good judgement and wisdom in protecting myself while travelling abroad, but it is never the victim's fault that a criminal commits the crime. It is the CONSCIOUS CHOICE of the criminal, independent of me, to commit his/her offence.
Justin Drafts, USA

People seem to be overlooking the fact that in these holidays it is not only the people who go on them that can be put in danger. What happens when people need to be rescued and a rescuer gets killed? Murder isn't it? You get the point. Think before you travel.
Pete Henshall, UK

The 'Dark Continent' is a star of the small screen because it is in turmoil. The ongoing failure of the democratic experiment results in well documented murder, coups and genocide. However if we superior westerners go there we expect to be protected in some way. I'm flabbergasted that this is even an issue for discussion. In addition to the obvious violence and war, there are marauding creatures, Trapanasomyasis, Malaria, AIDS, drought and floods. You all know this. I know this. If you want to be safe go to Butlins. Having said that if you survive Africa you'll never settle for anything less.
Alex, UK

I have been an adventure travel guide and pilot for 15 years. Most people who undertake extreme adventure travel trips are seasoned travellers well aware of the dangers involved. Anyone who travels to a high risk destination should accept full responsibility for their own safety. The thrill involved is the main reason we go in the first place.
Mike Price, Canada

Although I think that it is down to the individual to decide whether they wish to risk the more dangerous locations I do feel that travel agents should be completely frank about the potential problems. Currently they do not always know about them themselves however, I think that this should be rectified quickly.
Pete D, UK

Having travelled to some of the worlds hot spots (Algeria, Albania, Cambodia) at the age of 20, I am absolutely convinced it mainly - not only - depends on your own ability to assess potential dangers and take appropriate safety precautions in order to reduce possible risks to a reasonable minimum.
Cornelius Rott, Germany

The hysteria generated by the media about the killing of Westerners travelling in Third World countries, is an attempt to suppress any kind of imaginative or risk-taking instinct lest it lead us to question the safe, bourgeois existence we enjoy at the expense of the rest of the world.
Laura Morgan, UK

You can't protect people from their own stupidity. There's enough news out there to enable people to decide for themselves just how much risk they are willing to accept. If that risk eventuates, don't go blaming travel agents who are just selling packages when all is said and done. So assess the risk (or not), go where you will, and if you end up as a statistic, don't expect me to get upset about it.
Nigel, Canada

Travel Agents should have some legal responsibility for ensuring their customers have adequate information prior to booking a holiday. A truly beautiful and peaceful country to visit is Ghana, with its unspoilt, secluded beaches, rainforests and warm, welcoming people. The majority of people are well educated and speak English.
Nana Fifield, UK

In the end we are all responsible for our own actions. Anyone travelling around the world who doesn't take the time to find out what is happening where you are travelling is asking for trouble.
Richard T. Ketchum, USA

People are free to make their own decisions about travel. If they are determined to venture into the unknown and the dangerous, it is up to them. As a deaf person every holiday represents danger for me, but I make the decision, and I am intelligent enough to weigh up the facts before travelling.
Dr. Andrew Feather, England

I have recently returned from Africa trip and staff of company were not trained or aware enough to deal with possible dangers that might arise. Our guide let five people go off across Uganda on their own to find the gorillas after he had failed to obtain us permits even though first two weeks of the trip were sold as gorilla safari.
Angela Mitchell, England

In my opinion, people don't go for the "thrill". It just boils down to ignorance and the attitude that it will never happen to me. Most of the time, we judge people by our own standards and we can't even begin to comprehend the actions and the reasons behind the actions. Life is cheap!
Heather Savage, South Africa

Life is dangerous enough anyway, without deliberately looking for danger.
Susan Ruiz, Puerto Rico

The idea that travel agents are the babysitters of those to whom they sell tickets are absurd. Do we expect someone who sells us a pair of walking shoes to tell us not to walk off cliffs? I travelled to Cambodia two years ago and am leaving for Indonesia in eight days. Then and now, I am making myself fully aware of the political situations and am taking care to avoid places that are actively hostile to travellers. If someone wanders into a dangerous spot like Irian Jaya or rural Colombia and runs into trouble, I call that natural selection.
Kirk T. Huff, Japan

Most travel agents sell us packages as if it were "over the counter" item. The young person working there seldom knows the in and outs at that destination. One should always seek people/friends, who have had experience with a given local, and have the clear knowledge of all pitfalls there.
Simon Stauber, Hungary

I think we should not blame people who visit places, full with natural beauty because they just want to be in free mood to have a look of nature other than having a routine life. Tourists are the respected guest what we feel should always welcome them. Calling places dangerous one its completely governments duty to find out related facts behind the tragedies and provide full securities to the guest who really respect the places where they want to be and have wonderful memories. Any place whether it is small or famous and keep any visitors, it's governments duty to provide security to them. Otherwise what kind of impression we give to others.
Ashita Singh, India

Travel agents must inform customers, who may not know of the risk involved. Therefore, it is the customers problem, based upon the choice they decide to make.
Rey, USA

If people are aware of where they are going there is no problem. If however the holidaymakers are naive then it is the responsibility of the travel agent. Basically there are two types of people going abroad: True Travellers and Holiday Makers.
Martin G N Lord, England

To suggest that the murdered tourists were to blame for their death is grossly insensitive and insulting. It is becoming increasingly easy to visit parts of the world that were once out-of-bounds for Joe Bloggs, and, indeed, knowledge of other cultures and lifestyles can only help broaden our minds.
Of course there are risks associated with certain locations but I would hope tour companies are honest about these and that prospective holidaymakers carry out the necessary research to allow them to make an informed decision.
John, England (currently Japan)

Of course we're to blame. When is someone ever forced to go on a holiday?
Fred K, USA

Travel Agents are selling a product. They cannot know whether or not a group of rebels will attack from across the border unless they have local contacts in every destination they provide (unlikely). It is always the responsibility of the traveller to research their destination. Uganda has always been a very dangerous place.
Rick, New Zealand

What is a dangerous holiday? I'm an ex-pat living in Bogota, Colombia but would rather live and travel here than such "family" holiday spots as Miami. Many places are only as dangerous as the tourist makes them.
Dom, Colombia

Yes - I can't bear the' Pepsi Max' attitude of some travellers. With the assumption that being Western will keep them safe, they seek thrills and dangerous situations, but for what? To make interesting dinner party stories?
Wendy, UK

Travellers often get very erroneous impressions about their possible destinations from the advertisements. You would never know from the Disneyland ads that Anaheim, California, (Disneyland's location) is a town where the houses have bars on the windows. How many persons reading the tourist literature on popular vacation spots learn about the crime rates there? Tourists get led like sheep to the shearing pen by travel agencies and tourism bureaux. Caveat emptor!
James Castro, USA

It is without doubt the fault of the travel agents who, along with their glossy brochures and pasty faced assistants dressed in nasty uniforms hoodwink the public in order to gain commission on whatever holidays they can sell without ever giving real advice or sensible guidance. Most Britains haven't got a clue when they are choosing a holiday and blindly expect the same standards of civilisation wherever they may roam. This may have been available during the days of the Empire but sadly no more. Anywhere in Africa or South America is definitely dangerous as far as office workers from Croydon seeking a sun tan are concerned. They should stick to the Costa Del Sol or the Balearics where the only dangers are sunburn and/or hangovers.
Neil Ashurst, Ghana

I think, there is no place where there is no danger. Even in Europe, U.S. or any other civilised countries, I can find or hear of the accidents and crimes which would push me down into a deep depression. Everyone feels the same, I suppose. But, the travellers, when it comes to themselves, they don't think it could happen to themselves the same way. If they make allowance for it, they won't go out to spend dangerous holidays.
Hironori Nakamura, Japan

Holidays can be dangerous anywhere you go. Whether you go down the block or around the world, you will still encounter dangers.
M Pfundstein, United States

We are ultimately responsible for our own actions and choices during holidays and travel. If we chose to go to Spain or France on a family holiday, then we pay for the organisation of a large, reputable travel company (Thomson, say). We should expect a safe and peaceful holiday, with plenty of back up.
The problem is that adventure companies now package the 'independent travel' ethos into a two week break, thereby bypassing the research phase for travellers. It is shocking how many people let themselves in for activities to which they are just not prepared (I cite WW rafting), with these trips often badly run by Western standards. I wonder if the travel agent would sell the holiday to their own relative??
Adam Sawyer, UK

The people who can afford to go on 'Dangerous Holidays' are generally the arrogant sort with more money than sense. I can understand that people want to escape the 'city' and go back to nature, but we have come to assume that out in the real world there is no danger as the lives they have now are so secure. I can also understand the fact that there are charity workers who do face danger but for the benefit of other people and there are people out there who check out what dangers may lie ahead of them. Many are too complacent in the idea that if they have not been told about any dangers, they won't occur.
Nick, England

With modern day society being manufactured to make our lives safer, the population searches for an activity which re-establishes the element of risk. This thrill seeking is the spin off of a society which has taken away basic inherent dangers. Holidays to ever increasingly exotic locations serve as a way to 'Spice up Your Life', and to take ones own life in ones hands. We cannot blame people for wanting to travel to such dangerous countries as we all need an element of excitement in our lives - 'safe' often equates to boring in some people's minds.
Mark Curle, United Kingdom

When you live in a place where everything you want is a phone call and a credit card away, an adventure becomes very appealing. I have travelled on 'dangerous holidays' to the Third World many times and I think it is the ultimate way to leave your day to day routine behind. I have had tense moments with the army and the police but I have been lucky. If something happens to me then so be it, it is worth the risk to me.
Sean, Canada

The conceit (and mistake) of 'first-worlders' is thinking that we take our relatively well-ordered, predictable and protected lives with us whenever we step outside our daily lives. However, all the world isn't a stage-managed Disney park. I remember several years ago an American tourist learned this lesson in a very final way when she was eaten by a crocodile while senselessly swimming in a river in the Australian outback. Generally, a healthy dose of common sense and due caution would come in handy.
Michael Bishop, USA

What's a dangerous place? Most of those making a fuss think a place is dangerous if the locals don't speak the same language as them. If we sat around and listened to all the hue and cry most of us wouldn't cross the street.
Mike, England

The ultimate responsibility in making the decision to visit a 'dangerous' place rests with the traveller. However, this does not exclude a degree of responsibility by the government, the media and travel agencies to provide informed, accurate, contemporary information about occurrences (ie political conflict/economic or health concerns). The point is, that 'risks' are all around us, everyday, regardless of the country in which we reside or visit. That's life!
C Russell, USA

Some destinations are known to be dangerous and people insist on going there. Anyone going to the great lakes region, Egypt, Israel, etc, knows there is some sort of risk associated with it.
The problem becomes more complicated when it comes to places that most of the media don't care about.
Last year I went to Nepal during the summer and found myself in the middle of some serious riots, buses exploding due to terrorist attacks and a major offensive of government troops against guerrillas which I never knew existed!
My life was never at risk but there was a general feeling of unease. Yet, as I came back, I never heard of any incidents in the country. Did they stop the moment I left?
S Gouveia, Luxembourg

Of course everyone must take responsibility for their own actions, but in order to make an informed decision to travel to a volatile region it is reasonable to expect that travel and government agencies will provide up to date advice about the safety of countries throughout the world.
I have been planning a gorilla trek for 2000 and a couple of months ago looked at the Foreign Office's Web site to check the safety of the countries my tour would be passing through. There was no mention of last year's kidnappings in Uganda.
If prospective travellers take all possible precautions before travelling, but information they are given is false, then the source of that information should be held accountable.
Kate, UK

With the increasing number of cheap flights and cut-price package deals, beach holidays are becoming more affordable than in the past.
Many people are not interested in just sitting on the beach for two weeks and want to experience other cultures and ways of life. I agree it is foolish to visit areas where hostilities are openly displayed and to ignore expert advice, but there are many areas of the world where the situation is not so clear cut.
C Day, UK

Risk is an essential part of life. If lives are largely free from danger, as they increasingly are these days, then people will seek thrills in their leisure time, especially those who have few ties and family responsibilities. What is wrong with that?
Anyway, it seems that the threat of litigation is, by and large, stopping holiday operators from encouraging their tourist clients to take risks. (For example, few ski companies offer snow rafting any more, because it is deemed too risky and they are scared of the potential litigation.) To blame the holiday suppliers is wrong.
I believe that if you are prepared to take the risk then you should be prepared to accept the consequences. Don't blame everybody else if something goes wrong. If you want adventure without risk, go to Disneyland.
Alastair Smith, UK

I have spent a lot of time in Colombia which is generally regarded as a dangerous country. Undoubtedly certain parts of the country are dangerous but an understanding of where these areas are and just how dangerous they are cannot be gained by merely perusing a tourist guidebook.
Reliable and up to date information about many regions of the world is difficult to come by without actually visiting, and then, whilst there, talking to plenty of local people. It is for this reason that tour operators themselves should research and continually monitor the areas to which they run trips and ensure that they fully inform prospective tourists of any risks.
Jarrod, UK

Dangerous holidays are the modern equivalent of Victorian expeditions. There are very few unexplored parts of the globe but humans still need that feel for adventure. Hence the prevalence of theme parks, bungee jumping etc. As long as thrill seekers realise the dangers they may have to face (and most do to get the thrill) then let them get on with it.
Neil Rajah, UK

Yes. The media puts too much blame on the foreign office for not providing information. In reality I suspect the tour operators more as they have people on the ground and can probably assess the situation more accurately for a given holiday. I suspect the urge to sell holidays overrides possible warnings.
Of course the tourists themselves are ultimately in control of where they wish to go and should try and find out as much as possible in advance. Having said that, it's impossible to predict anything. People get mugged or even murdered virtually anywhere in the world. Keep discreet and don't try to offend any of the locals!
Rob Smith, UK

I think it is necessary for westerners to respect local cultures a little more. There have been many instances of westerners with colonial mentalities abusing their welcome in a foreign country. Some people have very deep sentiments and if there are some relations with a specific country that may raise the alarms then the traveller should take their own necessary precautions. But above everything they should respect that country's cultures.
Some foreigners may consider the west to be a "dangerous" place, because some laws work in complete opposite to the social norms there.
KAF, USA

Cameron (of Scotland) seems to think you are safe if you travel only to "western holiday resort/attractions." How soon we forget, Miami has seen several murders and muggings of tourists in recent years. It is not only 'third world' countries where danger may be found.
If a person makes a free choice regarding where he/she will spend vacation time, then that person is responsible for their own actions.
Neil Hastings, USA

If they don't heed the travel warnings and advisories from their foreign ministries, then they should be held responsible for their own problems.
Brian, USA

People who travelled to Yemen knowing that people were being kidnapped on a regular basis were utterly foolhardy. I have stated to friends that nothing would induce me to travel in the Mahreb or Sub Saharan Africa. Rich Westerners are obvious targets for criminal elements and the local police are often not much better. This even applies to parts of Southern Europe - do you recall Britain making formal representations to the Spanish government some years ago on their failure to protect foreign tourists?
People and travel companies should be aware of the risks and not travel to bandit areas. The only people I am sorry for are the humanitarian workers who are killed or injured while trying to help in unstable regions.
Dr Paul Dee, USA

If someone is intending to travel to a location that is not known as a western holiday resort/attraction, then it is up to the person who is travelling to ensure that the area is safe. After all, it is the traveller who is at risk and once murdered, it will be too late to complain to the travel agency.
Cameron, Scotland

I spent many years working in the Middle East and Africa. I have also travelled all over the Far East and Europe - even visiting Czechoslovakia and Hungary when they were communist countries. But I went to all these places knowing the risks, and made a point of not sticking my neck out too far. It is incumbent upon those who wish to visit "dangerous" places to ensure they are informed, including what help their own government can possibly give them should problems arise - which, one will find, is usually pitifully little.
Mark M Newdick, USA

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