How do current affairs affect your travel plans?

[mrs.dr.ron]

We have got 5 days in St Petersburg later this year !

 

[Happy Trails]

I'm wary of going to Perth; fifteen dead on the roads last long weekend.
Short of travelling to Syria or such, you could hardly get killed by a terrorist even if you wanted to.

 

[JohnK]

I'm wary of going to Perth; fifteen dead on the roads last long weekend.

And you live in a place where 500+ are killed on the roads every weekend?

 

[Happy Trails]

And you live in a place where 500+ are killed on the roads every weekend?

Yeah, the Perth line was intended to be kind of ironic.

 

[RooFlyer]

I still plan on travelling to Turkey later this year, but, as they say, "exercising a high degree of personal security awareness."

 

[amaroo]

Visited Turkey last May, Paris this year - didn't even think about pulling out.

Going to Peru in May ... if we were in baby making mode - I wouldn't go!

Terrorists- meh

Unknown virus - no way

 

[AnnaB]

Current events doesn't really bother me when I do travel plans.

Sure, I wouldn't go about making a booking to war torn countries in any hurry and, as a woman, there are certain places in the world that I preferably avoid travelling to due to restrictions imposed, both cultural and legal.

But all and all, I usually go where I planned to go...

 

[juddles]

I don't think it is real to make travel decisions based on the possibility of "suicide bombers" - they are so rare even in places like the Middle East that the chance of one blowing you up is less than of getting struck by lightning.

I signed up for the Aussie Government smarttraveller warnings for a dozen countries I visit - but it is mainly for general interest - never have I changed plans due to events. Having said that, I mainly work in Colombia, which has all manner of perils, but my belief is that local knowledge and awareness is far more important than media stories and foreign perception.

 

[juddles]

I still plan on travelling to Turkey later this year, but, as they say, "exercising a high degree of personal security awareness."

I was unaware that Turkey had significant vineyards???

 

[RooFlyer]

I was unaware that Turkey had significant vineyards???

Ah, my other great interest is old/ ancient civilisations. Often the two go happily together.

 

[bismarck]

I'll be heading to Turkey in about a month. Obviously recent events give pause, but statistically the likelihood of something terrible happening is quite low. Having said that, current turmoil seems politically motivated and focused on the government (rather than western tourists) so expect it will be contained to Ankara. We are not going there, both as a precaution and because there are other places we'd rather see.

 

[juddles]

Ah, my other great interest is old/ ancient civilisations. Often the two go happily together.

Am actually disappointed - thought you would weave some sort of geological work excuse in........

 

[SuzieQ68]

I note what's happening in the world, read up on Smart Traveller if there are any warnings about the destination, and then make a decision.

To be honest though, tend to work on the theory that if it's meant to be, then it's meant to be. I'll be more vigilant and try to limit my time in the highly populated areas that are potential targets, but I truly love to travel and don't want what's happening in the world to affect how I live my life. It's sad that we even have to think like this, but I don't plan on leaving this earth with any regrets. If it's my time, it's my time and I'll die knowing I've lived it the best I can.

 

[drron]

I was unaware that Turkey had significant vineyards???

They do indeed.We had a Turkish sommelier on one of our Silverseas cruises.He educated me on Turkish wines-I did like the buzbag he produced one night.This wine is produced near Mt.Ararat-considered by some to be the birthplace of wine.
Rooflyer I suggest you think of extending your Turkish sojourn.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_wine

 

[turtlemichael]

Basically we do not change our plans because of current problems.
We have been to Fiji within a week of 3 coups.Was actually a great time to visit.First time we had the room under Colonel Rabuka.Had a couple of chats.Third time I helped one of PM Qaraise's bodyguards at the Sheraton's buffet so he came over and had a chat and thanking me for helping out.
Arrived in BKK the day after one of the coups in the 90s.Interesting with the tanks in the streets.
Was in the USA <1 month after 9/11.As a show of support drove over every one of SFO's major bridges when a high alert for an attack-had Hummer escorts at each one.

But if there are places where the situation has been bad for some time we will not go-eg Syria and surrounds now-that would include Turkey.

I know you love cruising as I do. Many, but not all lines have dropped or reduced stops in Turkish ports and i understand that there has been a substantial drop in demand for those Eastern Med itineraries.

 

[Bindibuys]

Will be in Turkey October this year. No plans to change our itinerary.

 

[drron]

I know you love cruising as I do. Many, but not all lines have dropped or reduced stops in Turkish ports and i understand that there has been a substantial drop in demand for those Eastern Med itineraries.

Though I have seen the Black Sea cruises being advertised again.
Cruise lines do overreact as do our USA friends.We were booked on a Tokyo-Anchorage cruise which was scheduled to leave 6 weeks after the tsunami hit.Silverseas gave you the option of a full refund or instead start out of Incheon.We went with Incheon with the other 92 paying guests left on a ship that could carry 396 pax.
We were also back in Tokyo a little under 3 months from the tsunami.Many questioned our wisdom but the background radiation in Tokyo then was already less than that in Melbourne.It's just that there were very few tourists.We were continually thanked for coming to Japan at that time.

 

[Awesom Andy]

Most news don't affect my plans. Terrorism or extremists are nothing new, they've been around a very long time. If something happens somewhere, it doesn't suddenly make it less safe - most of the factors were already in place, and it's just so happens that the resulting piece falls on that date.

As for diseases and the like, the media always seems to blow things out of their proportions. Having a dozen people died from something isn't the end of the world. If you look at how many people a normal strain of influenza would kill, you wouldn't worry too much about whatever new is coming. Besides, whichever new virus would always have a high rate of people dying, since everyone else who didn't get too sick and recovered would most likely have just taken some pills, taken some rest, and gotten back to their daily lives without knowing or reporting that they've caught that new bug. In effect, everything that makes it to the stats are cases that are very serious, and you would miss everything else that doesn't meet that benchmark.

 

[Cossie]

I note what's happening in the world, read up on Smart Traveller if there are any warnings about the destination, and then make a decision.

To be honest though, tend to work on the theory that if it's meant to be, then it's meant to be. I'll be more vigilant and try to limit my time in the highly populated areas that are potential targets, but I truly love to travel and don't want what's happening in the world to affect how I live my life. It's sad that we even have to think like this, but I don't plan on leaving this earth with any regrets. If it's my time, it's my time and I'll die knowing I've lived it the best I can.

Sums me up as well, if it's meant to be, it will happen. However imo the chances of being caught up in a terrorist attack must be less than being in a plane crash, or perhaps being caught in a tsunami or a car/bus/train accident somewhere, perhaps even a simple mugging that turns nasty.
The sister of a friend died in Sri Lanka recently of a twisted bowel. Lot's of ways to die, wrong place, wrong time.
I'm always surprised at the number of tourists that die in Australia each year and the various ways that it happens, that hasn't stopped others coming.
You can't avoid all risk, you just have to show some common sense and be careful and hope it isn't your turn.

 

[Awesom Andy]

However imo the chances of being caught up in a terrorist attack must be less than being in a plane crash, or perhaps being caught in a tsunami or a car/bus/train accident somewhere, perhaps even a simple mugging that turns nasty.

Research suggests that we're more likely to be killed by lightning than by a terrorist attack.