The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: August sixteenth, assessing the fear factor.

Anyone who follows the news might get the idea that foreign travel has become particularly dangerous. Recently, the U.S. State Department issued a worldwide caution expressing "on- going concern for the security of Americans overseas." Regional racial and sectarian strife simmers in a dozen places, and the potential for international terrorism has never seemed higher.

Yet, the State Department's own statistics suggest a more benign worldview. Last year, it logged only 200 attacks against "U.S. Interests" worldwide. Most were directed at oil pipelines and other business concerns. Over half occurred in Columbia. Of the 19 who died in these attacks, all but two were on the USS Cole. Considering the 32 million Americans that went abroad last year, that works out to a death rate of .06 per 100,000 travelers. New York City's murder rate is 132 times higher. According to a London- based consulting group, large cities with insignificant or low security risks include Baghdad, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Damascus, Hanoi and New Delhi.

Several truths. The number of travelers attacked overseas is infinitesimal. Highly protective, often dated and sometimes motivated by geopolitical consideration, U.S. government warnings can be more restrictive than those of other countries or private analysts. Violent events isolated in one part of a country or region often overshadow peace elsewhere. While foreign travel calls for research and caution, there are few places you really can't go, and some destinations deemed dangerous are actually both charming and relative bargains.

This issue of the magazine, National Geographic Traveler, a supporter of our program, reports on the fear factor. You can register for a free sample copy on our home page.

FMI Offical government websites:

U.S. State Department - www.travel.state.gov.

Britain: www.fco.gov.uk/travel.

Canada http://voyage.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/.

Australia: www.dfat.gov.au/consular/advice

Back to August 2003 Main

Look through the list of fascinating places and off-beat features we’ve covered. Search text versions of past episodes and articles in our archives.