Terrorism strikes again and it is another serious blow for India and it’s tourist industry, but it should not lead us to take India off the list of countries we visit just yet.
Undoubtedly the risk from terrorism is something we must take seriously when planning independent travel and we should implement strategies to reduce the risk from terrorism.
However it should also be noted that the threat from terrorism in the UK is itself not insignificant and it is the very randomness of strikes that makes it very difficult to eliminate the threat completely, in any part of the world.
If you visit the FCO’s travel advice by country website, you’ll find that without fail even the ‘safest’ countries carry a veiled warning that terrorism can strike anywhere and at any time. Undoubtedly there are countries / regions of higher risk and there are a number of places worth avoiding for now.
Your behaviour in-country can certainly help to reduce the risks, not announcing your nationality with flags on your pack or union jack t-shirts is a start, in countries like India ‘western’ targets have been favoured for the international impact they generate.
Many journalists going to high risk countries have taken to finding small local guest houses to stay in rather than staying in heavily fortified international hotels which present a ‘challenge’ to terrorists and where if they succeed they send a very strong message about their potential ‘reach’; a local guest house being destroyed does not generate the same press coverage, which is ultimately the aim of most ‘modern terrorists’.
Planning to avoid areas of terrorist activity should certainly be at the heart of destination choices for the independent traveller, but often it is a region which is best avoided rather than an entire country; this is certainly the case for India.
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Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 14th February 2010
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