Safe Tourism
Julia Dmitrieva, gr. 7441
Safe tourism: the way forward
While terrorism affects tourism and a lot has been discussed and spoken about it, there is a lack of clarity about tourism and its effects on terrorism. Over the past decade, acts of terrorism have taken place at tourist sites, as well as places where people have gathered in large numbers. Be it Bali, New York, Mumbai, or Madrid the repercussions have been felt the world over.
Over the past couple of years, a number of stringent security measures have ensured there is a general sense of calm all over most of the world. Tourism numbers have showed a steady increase with both long- and short-haul flights going chock-a-block on most routes. While people continue to travel for both leisure and business, there is no denying every journey has a moment of adventure, an extraordinary sense of movement and transformation at one point, whether that be for a business traveler, a tourist, or regular traveler. Hence, all forms of travel can be bracketed into some form of tourism. With a safer and more secure world, are we ensuring we will travel without having to encounter an act of terrorism? Is a steady number of arrivals and footfalls ensuring we are keeping terrorists at bay? Do growing economies ensure trouble makers stay away from fermenting trouble?
If one were to go by the events of India, there are statistics to suggest tourism is beginning to flourish in India with no less than 650 million domestic travelers having traveled in India last year. Tourist destinations have been peaceful and incident free. The largest gathering of pilgrims concluded peacefully at Rishikesh in early 2010 with more than 100 million visitors coming to the twin cities of Rishikesh and Haridwar for the sacred dip in the River Ganga. Some districts of India are sadly out of bounds for tourists because of a variety of reasons ranging from existential to mismanagement of local politics. By and large, the seventh largest country has
Safe tourism: the way forward
While terrorism affects tourism and a lot has been discussed and spoken about it, there is a lack of clarity about tourism and its effects on terrorism. Over the past decade, acts of terrorism have taken place at tourist sites, as well as places where people have gathered in large numbers. Be it Bali, New York, Mumbai, or Madrid the repercussions have been felt the world over.
Over the past couple of years, a number of stringent security measures have ensured there is a general sense of calm all over most of the world. Tourism numbers have showed a steady increase with both long- and short-haul flights going chock-a-block on most routes. While people continue to travel for both leisure and business, there is no denying every journey has a moment of adventure, an extraordinary sense of movement and transformation at one point, whether that be for a business traveler, a tourist, or regular traveler. Hence, all forms of travel can be bracketed into some form of tourism. With a safer and more secure world, are we ensuring we will travel without having to encounter an act of terrorism? Is a steady number of arrivals and footfalls ensuring we are keeping terrorists at bay? Do growing economies ensure trouble makers stay away from fermenting trouble?
If one were to go by the events of India, there are statistics to suggest tourism is beginning to flourish in India with no less than 650 million domestic travelers having traveled in India last year. Tourist destinations have been peaceful and incident free. The largest gathering of pilgrims concluded peacefully at Rishikesh in early 2010 with more than 100 million visitors coming to the twin cities of Rishikesh and Haridwar for the sacred dip in the River Ganga. Some districts of India are sadly out of bounds for tourists because of a variety of reasons ranging from existential to mismanagement of local politics. By and large, the seventh largest country has