Tag: Travel And Security
World Travel Watch: Volcanoes in Ecuador and Guatemala, Violence in Rome and More
by Larry Habegger | 06.09.10 | 12:29 PM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
World Travel Watch: Havoc in Central America, Volcano Fears in Iceland and More
by Larry Habegger | 06.02.10 | 12:55 PM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
Vulture Tourism and the Allure of ‘Pre-Disastered Destinations’
by Eric Weiner | 05.27.10 | 10:06 AM ET
When disaster strikes a country, is it time to visit?
World Travel Watch: Violence in Jamaica, World Cup Preparations in South Africa and More
by Larry Habegger | 05.26.10 | 11:50 AM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
World Travel Watch: Floods in Central Europe, Ongoing Violence in Bangkok and More
by Larry Habegger | 05.19.10 | 10:22 AM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
World Travel Watch: New Warnings for Mexico, Golf in Cuba and More
by Larry Habegger | 05.12.10 | 10:50 AM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
‘If You See Something, Say Something’?
by Eva Holland | 05.05.10 | 1:13 PM ET
In the wake of this weekend’s attempted car bombing, Slate’s Noreen Malone heads to Times Square in search of “suspicious activity.” The result is an unusual sort of ode to one of the world’s most famous public spaces. Here’s a taste:
I asked Ghazi what sort of “unusual” behavior might grab his attention. “Someone panicky or paranoid,” he said. “You make a logical assumption that he’s off his meds.” And how often does he see that? “Oh! Every day.”
World Travel Watch: Travel Insurance Now Required in Cuba, Maoists Shut Down Kathmandu and More
by Larry Habegger | 05.05.10 | 11:14 AM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
World Travel Watch: Strikes in Greece, Ongoing Protests in Thailand and More
by Larry Habegger | 04.28.10 | 10:38 AM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
World Travel Watch: Drug Violence in Acapulco, iPad Ban in Israel and More
by Larry Habegger | 04.21.10 | 12:40 PM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
What Does a Travel Warning Look Like in Tijuana?
by Jim Benning | 04.20.10 | 1:19 PM ET
Something like this, snapped with my camera phone over the weekend.
I went there for lunch and took a stroll down Revolution Avenue, the main tourist thoroughfare lined with bars and curio shops. A few years ago, the street would have been hopping with gringos out for an afternoon of margarita drinking, taco downing and sombrero buying. Not these days, and especially after the latest travel warning issued earlier this month.
A number of shops and restaurants were closed. The sidewalks, at least on some blocks, were nearly empty.
I’ve been going down to Tijuana for years. The drug-related violence has been taking a toll on the tourism business for a long time. But this was, by far, the emptiest I’d ever seen Revolution Avenue. Strangest of all, I didn’t see another gringo on the street during my visit. I was less than a mile from the U.S. border but in some ways felt as though I could have been in central Mexico.
One shopkeeper told me he sees more European visitors than American these days. (Now that I think about it, I saw more German travelers than American when I visited the southern Mexican state of Chiapas several years ago.)
Revolution Avenue wasn’t entirely empty. There were people out having drinks and lunch in bars and restaurants, and some of them appeared to be having a good time. They just weren’t white Americans.
This street designed to appeal to gringos is now, it appears, catering almost exclusively to Mexicans.
Ash From Iceland Volcano Forces Cancellation of Thousands of Flights
by Jim Benning | 04.15.10 | 11:51 AM ET
Oh Iceland. Now look at what you’ve done.
Amazingly, the closing of air space across parts of northwestern Europe due to widespread ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland is, according to the New York Times, “among the most sweeping ever ordered in peacetime.”
World Travel Watch: Chaos in Kyrgyzstan, Protests in Thailand and More
by Larry Habegger | 04.14.10 | 12:14 PM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
Protests and Parties in Bangkok
by Eva Holland | 04.12.10 | 1:56 PM ET
The State Department has issued a warning for travelers to Thailand following this weekend’s violent clashes between protesters and police in Bangkok, which resulted in 21 deaths. From the latest alert:
U.S. citizens are reminded that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. U.S. citizens are urged to avoid the areas that may be targeted for demonstrations and to exercise caution in their movements around Bangkok.
Despite the warning, though, World Hum contributor Newley Purnell reports that it’s business as usual for tourists on Bangkok’s Khao San Road, where water fights have replaced the earlier unrest.
The water fights are “badass,” says Sayed Jiwa, a 20 year old from Calgary, Canada, when asked about the festivities. He added that the protests were no joking matter, however… It was scary, says Jiwa, but “the vibe is all good” now.
World Travel Watch: Crime in Bali, Burj Dubai and Machu Picchu Re-Open, and More
by Larry Habegger | 04.07.10 | 3:03 PM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
New Air Travel Security Protocols on the Way
by Eva Holland | 04.02.10 | 1:05 PM ET
The Department of Homeland Security is set to announce a new intelligence-based threat assessment system to replace the mandatory secondary screenings that were brought in for certain nationalities after the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a Northwest flight over Detroit. From the New York Times:
The intelligence-based security system is devised to raise flags about travelers whose names do not appear on no-fly watch lists, but whose travel patterns or personal traits create suspicions. The system is intended to pick up fragments of information—family name, nationality, age or even partial passport number—and match them against intelligence reports to sound alarm bells before a passenger boards a plane.
President Obama signed off on the new protocols yesterday.
World Travel Watch: Airplane Safety in Peru, Metro Bombings in Moscow and More
by Larry Habegger | 03.31.10 | 10:50 AM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
Bill Maher on Mexico: ‘Closed Until Further Notice’
by Jim Benning | 03.25.10 | 4:43 PM ET
Bill Maher’s “new rule” about Mexico cracked me up—even if I don’t believe travelers should avoid all of Mexico.
Helper Monkeys: TSA Has em Covered
by Eva Holland | 03.25.10 | 3:30 PM ET
Boing Boing has unearthed a set of TSA guidelines for the screening of service monkeys. See the comments for your fix of monkey-touching and poop-flinging jokes.
World Travel Watch: No Alcohol in Brunei, Air Strikes in Europe and More
by Larry Habegger | 03.24.10 | 11:10 AM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news