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Reflections on Travel Safety
September's airplane crashes in New York City, Washington, DC and western Pennsylvania have put the world on alert. Our sympathies go out to the victims of the immediate blasts and to the larger global community.
Airline Information and Travel Resources - Los Angeles Times
Details about individual
airlines and links to a variety of sources are included in this guide.
Advice to air travelers - Edward Hasbrouck
Edward Hasbrouck, author of "The Practical Nomad: How to Travel Around the World" and travel guru at AirTreks.com, offers tips and advice for air travelers during the current air travel disruptions.
Other recommended sources of information include the public bulletin boards, particularly Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree and its United States branch. Other interesting reads include Blue Ear Travel.
A malevolent Pandora has opened her box. Much as I abhor the thought, I cannot accept that the recent tragedy, the first of its kind, will be the last of its kind. The security measures that will be necessary to prevent most such future tragedies will be cumbersome and expensive, and will raise the costs of air travel in terms of time, money, emotion and practical hassle. In the past, Israel was an anomaly in terms of its ultra-high security. Now it looks as though air travel throughout the world may become like air travel to Israel: armed undercover guards always in attendance; long and exhaustive security checks; and the high costs in time and money necessary to support these measures. (What's Next?)"Things aren't getting worse, they're just being reported more," says Don Montague, President of the non-profit South American Explorers. "You can create a crime wave by reporting it. That said, travelers need to be shrewd."
Montague suggests that travelers carry only the essentials for the day in one's wallet or purse. "Any other vital documents -- credit cards, travelers checks and large bills -- should be guarded under your clothes in a money belt or leg pouch that is unseen and inaccessible," Montague says.
That said, the World Tourism Organization experts predict that that the industry will "demonstrate its characteristic resilience with a quick recovery." "Despite all the conflicts we've had in the world over the past 50 years, there has never been one year that experienced a decline in tourism," said WTO Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli. (Tourism knocked down but not out - World Tourism Organization)
In an address the weekend following the blast, New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani suggested that one of the best ways to help would be by visitors spending their tourist dollars in the city. "I don't think there will be as much of a problem getting tickets to The Producers," he said at a news conference.
Thus the fate of the industry lies in the hands of travelers -- who need to shown that measures are being taken to prevent the tragedies witnessed last week.
For travelers heading south of the border, do your homework! Learn about the country by reading recommended guidebooks and in-depth texts about the subjects that interest you. The Web is also a great fountain of information for those interested in responsible tourism.
Choose where you want to go and begin the work of learning how to travel in a way that treats others with respect.
The exceptions are those initiatives that model themselves on package tours or those that have coasted by with poor communications/promotion skills.
EcoClub Interview The 21st Century Introduces Itself - Michael Ventura Letter from Joanna Macy Tribute to Mark Bingham
Ron Mader lives in Mexico and hosts the award-winning Planeta.com website -- www.planeta.com. Ron is the author of the Exploring Ecotourism Resource Guide and can be contracted for presentations and workshops.
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