World Travel Watch: Machu Picchu Closed, Security Boosted in Goa and More*

World Travel Watch: Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news

02.03.10 | 10:30 AM ET

World Travel Watch is a weekly report designed to help you make informed judgments about travel. Conditions can change overnight, so always make your own inquiries before you leave home. The U.S. State Department and embassies or consulates are good places to start.

Egypt: Intelligence Forces Thwart Terrorist Attacks

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.

India: Goa to Create Tourist Security Force in Wake of Sexual Assaults

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 9-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.

Peru: Machu Picchu May Be Closed for Months, Government Promotes Other Attractions

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.

St. Lucia: Officials to Increase Safety for Tourists, Engage Marginalized Communities

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.

* Correction: NCL expects to announce its 2011-12 itineraries soon, and to date, there have been no premature terminations of any cruise schedules to St. Lucia.

Taiwan: Falling Rock Kills Tourist in Taroko National Park

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.