Endangered Tourist Hotspots

Title – Wish you were here? Well, we’re not allowing you in
Source – Metro
Date – 22nd September 2006

The world is shrinking, getting to remote and beautiful locations is getting easier and easier, but these areas are starting to suffer as a result and many will disappear or be damaged beyond recognition. Unless their protection is stepped up and the industrialised nations of the world take note and start to realise that not only are these beautiful and unique environments threatened by climate change, but our own countries are as well, the situation is likely to deteriorate to the point where the road back may be all but impossible.

Reports of half of London being under water in the future due to rising water levels are not uncommon, consider then that the Maldives will disappear completely if the same scenario is used in that area of the world and we can all start to easily understand that this is one of the worlds most pertinent and urgent issues.

But there are other elements that are having a devastating effect as well. The advent of low cost airlines has made the whole airline industry reconsider its business strategy. Airfares are cheaper then ever and the world is accessible to many people especially in the heavily polluting developed world. I recently purchased a return ticket to Bangkok from London on one of the worlds most respected airlines for £250 including taxes. These are the same prices we used to have to pay for a return trip from London to Brussels. Not only does this mean that the pollution from airlines has risen dramatically, it also means that fragile areas of the world are experiencing dramatic increases in visitor numbers.

According to this article Goa in India and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia receive 2 million visitors a year, the tiny island of the Taj Coral Reef in The Maldives sees an incredible half a million visitors a year and this is an island you can walk round in less then 30 minutes.

We all have a responsibility to act conscientiously when we travel. International travel is here to stay and airlines are not going away, they are one of man’s incredible inventions and the advantage they give us should not be underestimated. But the harm they create can also not be ignored and as individuals we can put back some of what we take away when we fly. Until governments wake up and apply 'green taxes' to air fares (provided those taxes are actually used to reduce pollutants in other areas and encourage the development of more environmentally friendly energy sources) we all have to consider ways we can reduce the impact we have on the environments we live in and visit.
We are dedicated to providing information as part of our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops, not only to allow individuals to travel more safely and to be better prepared for their adventures, but also how they can have a positive impact on the areas they visit, both while they are there and when they return home. We believe that although the very aircraft that people use to travel are one of the key factors in climate change and other related environmental impacts, there are ways your experience can ultimately be a positive one for you, your hosts and the environment.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Africa leading gap year choice

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Title – Africa leading gap-year choice
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 14th August 2006

Although an African country topped the tables of the top 10 gap year destinations, Africa as a whole has many no-go areas and special care should be taken in many African countries, while some should be avoided altogether unless on organised tours where experienced guides help ensure your safety.

South Africa as the most popular destination is generally a safe destination, although even in South Africa there are many areas that should be avoided and many that require serious planning. High profile “gapers” like Prince Harry, have certainly helped elevate the profile of taking a Gap Year and Africa.

But who comes top is not important; more interesting is on the list as a whole Africa, Europe, North and South America and Asia all feature. In fact the only continent that is missing is Australasia (and Antarctica, but although it is possible to travel there as well, opportunities are limited), yet Australia and New Zealand remain very popular destinations for independent travel. The global perspective that we all have these days’, means that experiences vary widely from one traveller to the next and the new frontier is being pushed all the time.
Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops will help anyone preparing to travel or take part in a gap year to do so with more confidence and more safely. We also help individuals and groups with travel planning by covering Travel Health, Travel Equipment and Destination Information such as Cultural Awareness. Our courses help you make the most of your experiences wherever they take you.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Homeopathic practices 'risk lives'

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Title – Homeopathic practices ‘risk lives’
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 13th July 2006

Malaria is a killer, it kills more up to 1 million people every year and in Africa alone a child dies every 30 seconds from Malaria related illness. There can be no doubt that each and every person living in a Malaria endemic area would choose proven and tested medication over any other form of protection. Those of us living in the 'developed' world have the privilege of access to Prophylactic medications and no matter what your beliefs; they are proven to be the safest option in protecting yourself from this harmful and a potentially fatal disease.

Making sure that you have the correct medication is a vital part of any trip preparation; a visit to your GP will confirm what the latest advice is on your chosen destination and prescribe the most relevant medication for you. The market is flooded by alternatives and some have a little merit in deterring mosquitoes, but none are proven and you simply shouldn’t play Russian Roulette with your health, certainly not with a weapon as fully loaded as Malaria’s smoking gun.
During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop we examine the relevant diseases that blight the world and protection you can take, before you go and seek professional medical advice from your GP or Travel Clinic. Being well informed about the risks at your destinations provides you with, not just the protection awarded to you by medication prescribed by your GP or Travel clinic, but also the equally important ways of preventing infection in the first place. Both sets of advice are needed to reduce the risk from infection of the many virulent diseases that face the intrepid traveller and tourist alike.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Healing Touch?

Title – Healing Touch
Source – Straits Times
Date – 25th June 2006

No expensive skin lotions endorsed by Hollywood stars here, this is the extreme of cultural difference to be found while you travel round the world, the haling touch of a terrapin is something we will not find in Boots here in the UK. Embracing the cultural differences between your own country and that of the one you are visiting will allow you better appreciate and enjoy your new surroundings, but some local traditions you may want to avoid by slipping a bottle of moisturising cream into your backpack before you leave.

We run Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops for anyone thinking of setting off to tour the world or a small part of it. These courses cover all aspects of travel safety as well as Cultural Awareness training to allow individuals attending to get a sound basis and understanding of each new country they visit and the benefits of embracing these cultural encounters. This not only enables you to appreciate the country you are visiting but also allows you to show respect to the people living in these countries.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Bag with a bang

Title – Bag with a bang
Source – Straits Times
Date – 25th June 2006

Although this incident in Thailand is fortunately not replicated in the UK very often, the UK remains on high alert from terrorist attacks and there is always the danger of revenge attacks or civil unrest to contend with.

We also have to be aware that countries which on the surface seem like they are perfectly safe to visit can have an under-reported more dangerous side. For a simple one destination trip this doesn’t pose too many problems as the destination can be researched, however when on a longer trip involving overland routes, you may find yourself transported through the heartland of the conflict. Such can be the case in southern Thailand, a country that still attracts 750,000 British Tourists every year, but which in the south has been struggling with civil unrest for some two years and with over 1200 casualties reported (August 2006 figures).

Beyond The Blue run Gap Year & Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop to provide individuals with the information they require to travel safely throughout the world.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Should tourists go to Burma?

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Title – Should tourists go to Burma?
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 19th June 2006

Burma is undoubtedly run by one of the most oppressive, brutal and corrupt governments that is in existence today. It is a country where people are regularly forced into hard labour and where the government actively partakes in attacking its own people with their own army. The list of reported atrocities varies depending who is reporting it, but there is no doubt that the ongoing detention of the democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi (who has been detained for over ten years) is only the most high profile of all the atrocities being carried out in the country.

The opinion on whether tourists should go to visit Burma is one that continues to be played out within pressure groups and the media. Lonely Planet has been openly chastised for printing a guide book to the country, yet even some Burmese pressure groups argue the case for visiting. The arguments in their crudest form revolve around the subject of what the Burmese people themselves want and they too are split into two camps. The first say that outside contact is a good thing as it makes the Burmese people feel less isolated and puts cash into the hands of he locals, empowering local people has long been the starting point for internal revolution. Others say that no matter how hard you try, you can’t help but provide the government of Burma with the much needed foreign exchange required to allow it to continue to oppress its own people.

I believe that individuals should be allowed the freedom to choose where they visit, that after all, is the very principle that the Burmese government is refusing to its own citizens. For this reason I do believe that Lonely Planet has the right to print a guide book and feel that the book reflects a balanced view of the country and problems it faces.

However I have decided to recommend people do not visit Burma and actually to warn against visits for a number of different reasons. There can be no doubt that the people of Burma live in fear and live under a heavy cloud of oppression and feel isolated from the world. But in Burma there is one sentiment shared by the overwhelming majority of the population, which is that the rightful leader of Burma is Aung San Suu Kyi. She has called for tourists to boycott Burma, as the representative of the country, I believe individuals should respect her wishes and stay away until such time as the military regime running the country falls, as it inevitably will, to reveal a county of real beauty and charm.
Beyond The Blue still believes that individuals have to make their own minds up on such matters but will not provide information such as Country Profiles, on Burma at this time and until the situation in that country has been resolved. We will also when asked, advise individuals not to visit the country, but will not judge people who do decide to visit, but just ask them to consider the facts before they leave. More information regarding the situation in Burma can be found at www.burmacampaign.org.uk.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Kiss warning to Malaysia tourists

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Title – Kiss warning to Malaysia tourists
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 5th April 2006

Laws change and attitudes change with them, but it is not always the case, as it is mainly in the UK, that society becomes more liberal, here is an excellent example of how western attitudes are polarised from many other parts of the world. A country such a Malaysia is not considered to be extremist, yet to make kissing in public a criminal activity seems extreme to people living in the west.
We provide cultural awareness advice as part of our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop. We examine your chosen destinations and the differences you have to embrace when visiting any country in the world. We focus on the benefits of understanding the culture of the country you are visiting to help you better enjoy your trip and to allow you to behave in a manner that will show respect to your hosts. This in turn will allow you to be safer when travelling as respect shown is very often returned.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.