Sounding off on the “militarization of tourism”

A few weeks ago, Italian journalist Arianna Dagnino contacted me about a story she was writing for the weekly newsmagazine Lo Specchio (which, as an imprint of the major daily La Stampa, is more or less the Italian equivalent of the New York Times Magazine). “I’m writing a story on the ‘progressive militarization of tourism’,” Dagnino wrote. “In other words, especially for a white Westerner it’s becoming more and more dangerous to travel around the world (at least in certain countries) and a lot of tourists tend to spend their holidays in very secluded, luxurious enclaves, without daring to get outside of the area controlled by the security agents. …Is [independent travel] still feasible nowadays? What are the risks? Has risk become part of the deal in the travel equation?”

My full reply to this can be found below. Dagnino’s article, which recently ran in Lo Specchio, can be found in pdf form here (note: it’s in Italian only). An English blurb for the story on her website reads:

“Hotels and beaches under strict armed survelliance. Visitors isolated in secluded and fully protected four-star enclaves. Perhaps time has come to change the way we travel. The Italian travel anthropologist Duccio Canestrini suggests the route of responsible holidays is to forget 4-star resorts and all-inclusive tourist packages and choose a more sustainable way of traveling — taking lodging in family-run guest houses, mixing with the local people, shopping and eating where the locals do: not to be a rich, Western “target” but an honorable guest in a foreign country. And famous travel writers Rolf Potts (‘Vagabonding’), and Christopher Wakling (‘Beneath the Diamond Sky’) have good tips for those who choose an alternative way of traveling.”

For those who can’t read Italian, here’s what I told Dagnino:

“I might point out that the idea that “it’s becoming more dangerous to travel around the world” is not a statistical fact so much as it is a media-driven notion. Statistically, far more tourists are killed by, say, accidents on rented motorbikes than they are in terrorist attacks. Yet we rarely read articles about the dangers of rented motorbikes.

“Something to keep in mind here is that terrorism is, at its heart, a publicity stunt. The media likes to speculate about moral motives for terrorism — often tied into current world political events — but it’s not about inflicting revenge or making a political statement: It’s about creating fear and altering people’s habits and ways of thinking.

“So, if travelers are really concerned about avoiding terrorism (and again, terrorism is still a statistically isolated phenomenon), vagabonding-style travel is actually much safer. That’s because vagabonders (that is, long-term and independent travelers) don’t make much of a terror target. Travelers who frequent inexpensive local hotels and restaurants and travel solo or in small groups on spontaneous itineraries have almost no “publicity” value. Rather, opportunistic terrorists take aim at large groups of tourists who move in predictable patterns and stick to international chain hotels and restaurants. Even with the protection of security guards, these places are still relatively more dangerous than places frequented by small numbers of independent travelers. Travel within local economies has never been dangerous from terror perspective, and likely never will be.

“So my single best piece of advice for safe travel is to take that travel into your own hands. Research your destination before you go. Don’t just find the best beaches and shopping markets, but read about the culture, customs and religion of your destination. Learn a few phrases of the local language. Travel where the locals travel, shop where the locals shop, and eat where the locals eat. Avoid the “cliché” destinations of mass tourism, and find your own adventures in unexpected places. Travel slow, and be open to your host culture. Be polite, and dress conservatively. Listen to what your local hosts say, and don’t monopolize the conversation. Ask them about their beliefs and habits and dreams. Try not to dwell on politics and religion — at least initially. Instead, ask your hosts about their children and their hobbies and their daily lives. Not only will this humanize you to your hosts and prove safer than clumping together with your fellow countrymen on some chained in beach, slathered in cocoa oil — but it will also make your travels far more rewarding and culturally valuable.”

For more perspective, here’s how I address the issue in Vagabonding:

“The short answer to concerns about overseas dangers is that traveling around the world is statistically no more dangerous than traveling across your hometown. Indeed, as with home, most dangers and annoyances on the road revolve around sickness, theft and accidents — not political violence or terrorism.

“Should political violence or terrorism capture headlines, however, the secret to avoiding it is not to cancel your travel plans, but to simply keep yourself informed. Just because the evening news shows unrest in a southern Lebanon refugee camp, for instance, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dangerous to visit Beirut or Galilee (or, for that matter, other parts of southern Lebanon). On the same token, the evening news might habitually ignore the political situation in West Africa, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe to visit Sierra Leone or Liberia. Obviously, then, planning and monitoring your destinations will require that you look past the evening news. Online resources such as U.S. State Department Travel Warnings and World Travel Watch make good starting points for assessing the current safety situation in any given part of the world.

“Even if you accidentally find yourself in a dangerous area as you travel, the key to keeping safe is to know and talk to the locals (who can tell you where specific dangers lurk), patronize mom-and-pop businesses (which are never targeted in political attacks), avoid a loud or flashy appearance (this includes dogmatic debates of religion and politics), and travel outside of predictable tourist patterns (which are easier to target by troublemakers). In short, the engaged and humble attitude of vagabonding will naturally lend to a safer journey. Should the security situation seem especially tense in a region, go a step further and avoid hangouts that cater exclusively to foreigners (expat bars, Hard Rock Cafes, etc.), stay away from public demonstrations and crowds (this includes small bands of drunks and rabble-rousers), and don’t share your travel plans or lodging arrangements with strangers.

“On a final note, keep in mind that most people in the world will see you not as a political entity or an appendage of the “Great Satan”, but as a guest to their country. Even if they vehemently disagree with your country’s policies and practices, they will invariably honor your individuality and regard you with hospitality and respect. You’d never guess this by watching the evening news, of course, but travel allows you to experience the nuances of the world in a way that that mass media never will.”