February 3rd, 2010
Egypt: Intelligence Forces Thwart Terrorist Attacks
By Larry Habegger |
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Egyptian intelligence forces reportedly foiled several terrorist attacks when they arrested some two dozen members of a jihadist cell in November. The group planned to attack the annual Jewish pilgrimage to the tomb of 19th century Rabbi Yaakov Abhatzeira in Nekraha in the Nile Delta as well as U.S. ships in the Suez Canal and banks in Cairo and Alexandria. The arrests marked the fourth terrorist cell broken up in the past year, but reportedly the first “armed jihadist” organization apprehended since the 1990s.
February 3rd, 2010
India: Goa to Create Tourist Security Force in Wake of Sexual Assaults
By Larry Habegger | Add a Comment »
Goa’s state government is creating a special tourist security force made up of ex-servicemen to protect tourists following a series of attacks on foreign women. The most recent incident was the alleged rape of a nine-year-old Russian girl on Jan. 26. The 60-odd guards will be stationed on popular beaches that are currently patrolled by state police and will act as wardens working in conjunction with the police when necessary. Some 500,000 foreign tourists visit Goa each year, most without incident, but the high-profile crimes have convinced authorities that Goa has a problem that must be solved.
February 3rd, 2010
Peru: Machu Picchu May Be Closed for Months, Government Promotes Other Attractions
By Larry Habegger | Add a Comment »
The evacuation of stranded tourists and others from Machu Picchu is over, but the famous Inca site will remain inaccessible for weeks and possibly months as work goes on to clean up the landslides and rebuild the railway link to Cuzco. A 60-day state of emergency remains in effect in the provinces of Cuzco and Apurimac, including Cuzco City, Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes, the town at the foot of the Inca citadel. Meanwhile, the national tourism agency is launching a “Meet Peru Now” publicity campaign touting the country’s other attractions, hoping to keep tourists coming. Machu Picchu is Peru’s primary tourist attraction, drawing half a million visitors annually.
February 3rd, 2010
St. Lucia: Officials to Increase Safety for Tourists, Engage Marginalized Communities
By Larry Habegger | Add a Comment »
Tourism officials vowed to increase safety for tourists following a decision by Norwegian Cruise Lines to remove the island from its itineraries in the 2011-2012 season. The company dropped St. Lucia because of three attacks on cruise passengers in 2009. Tourism officials will work with police to reduce crime, including launching a public awareness campaign to emphasize the importance of tourism to the island’s economy, and plan to take the message especially to marginalized communities to find ways to help them participate in tourism development.
February 3rd, 2010
Taiwan: Falling Rock Kills Tourist in Taroko National Park
By Larry Habegger | Add a Comment »
Taroko National Park, one of Taiwan’s top destinations for foreign tourists, closed one end of the Tunnel of Nine Turns at Taroko Gorge Jan. 29 after a Chinese tourist was struck and killed by a falling rock. Park administrators have known that falling rocks in the area are a serious danger, to the point that they provide visitors with free hard hats, remove unstable rocks from the cliff, post warning signs, even insure visitors while in the park. The solution now is to close the area until other measures can be considered.
January 27th, 2010
Antigua: American Woman Murdered in 4th Major Incident in Two Years
By Larry Habegger | Add a Comment »
The tragic murder of an American woman on a shore excursion at Pigeon Point Beach Jan. 19 was the fourth major incident in the last two years involving tourists visiting the island. In 2008 a honeymooning British couple was murdered in their hotel room; in 2009 an Australian yachtsman was killed when walking with his girlfriend and daughter; last September six Carnival Cruise passengers brawled with police and were arrested. In the recent incident, the victim allegedly left an afternoon beach barbecue and walked off alone on a secluded path where she was killed. All of these incidents are a reminder that safety cannot be assumed, and precautions should always be taken, especially if in unfamiliar territory.
January 27th, 2010
Canada: Special Expedited Courts to Serve Olympics Tourists
By Larry Habegger | Add a Comment »
British Columbia authorities have put in place an Olympics expedited court to handle prosecution of minor crimes that occur during the Olympic Games. The temporary court system’s purpose is to resolve all minor crimes within two weeks in the hope that international visitors will not have to remain in Canada longer than they had planned or return to Canada for trials. Crimes such as simple assault, drunk driving, petty theft and credit card fraud will be handled by the expedited court system. Officials were able to establish the system because they suspended most criminal trials in greater Vancouver for the two weeks of the Olympics to free up police who might otherwise have to appear in court, thus allowing the courts to handle minor crimes involving visitors during the Olympics.
January 27th, 2010
Colombia: Drug Violence Rocks Cartagena, Gang Robs Hostel Guests
By Larry Habegger | Add a Comment »
Cartagena, Colombia’s primary tourist city on the Caribbean Sea, largely escaped the years of violence from drug gangs in cities such as Medellin and Cali, but its luck may be running out. A series of assassinations in the first weeks of this year have authorities worried that drug gangs from elsewhere are now fighting over turf in what until recently has been a tranquil city. National officials sent 270 additional police officers to patrol the streets but that did not prevent an early morning assault by seven hooded and armed men on a hostel where they rounded up the 21 foreign guests, locked them in a room and stole all of their valuables. Police arrested three suspects and believe the crime was aided by the hostel staff. Authorities then closed the hostel, saying it did not have permits to operate.
January 27th, 2010
Peru: Evacuations Underway for 2000 Tourists Stranded Near Machu Picchu by Floods, Landslides
By Larry Habegger | Add a Comment »
Three days of heavy rain over the weekend caused floods and landslides that buried the only rail link between Cuzco and Machu Picchu, stranding some 2000 tourists at Aguas Calientes, the rail terminus at the base of the mountain below the famous Inca citadel. As the rain diminished, helicopters brought in tents and food and began evacuating stranded tourists, but the roads and railway were expected to be closed for several days. Landslides also hit the Inca Trail, killing an Argentine hiker and a Peruvian guide. Authorities closed the trail and declared a state of emergency in Machu Picchu and surrounding areas. Floods washed out the Pisac bridge and the Huallabamba bridge was under water. Travel to the region, including Cuzco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas, should be deferred until the weather settles.
January 27th, 2010
Philippines: Travel Alert for Mindanao, Sulu Archipelago
By Larry Habegger | Add a Comment »
The U.S. State Department issued a travel alert Jan. 20 warning of the risks of travel to the central and western portions of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, in particular the provinces of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat, and the city of Cotabato. These three areas are covered by a state of emergency that includes police checkpoints and a significant military presence, where travel may be restricted. Tensions are high, especially in Maguindanao following the Nov. 23 massacre of 57 people in a political feud. A murder trial is now underway in Manila.
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