"If it's dangerous, the government should be warning tourists..."

Who is responsible for the safety of tourists -- the government or the tourists themselves?

Many people are asking this question following the death of 15 year-old Scarlett Keeling at a tourist resort in Goa, India. For those of you not familiar with the case, here's a brief overview of what happened:

• A British family is on vacation at a resort in Goa. The mother leaves daughter with a 25-year old male tour guide while she goes to tour another location.
  
• Keeling is last seen leaving a beach bar early in the morning, allegedly drunk.
• The unfortunate teen is found dead.
• Authorities claim her death was an accidental drowning.
• The teen's mother, Fiona MacKeown, claims her daughter was raped and murdered and is calling for further investigation.

A quick google search of "rape" and "India" revealed numerous stories throughout January and February of tourists who were sexually assaulted-- including stories published in local papers such as the Hindustan Times. Keeling became the latest victim in a growing trend of violence against women.

It's a horrific situation to be sure. However, as the investigation continues so too does the finger pointing, according to an article in the Times Online.

On one side is chief minister of Goa, Digambar Kamat, claiming that foreign women need to take more responsibility for their safety -- such as not walking around alone after midnight when there is no police patrol on the beach or dressing inappropriately. “Foreign tourists have to be careful,” he says in the Time article. “They can’t just do these things and then blame the government for the consequences.

On the other side MacKeown is claiming that the government (of Goa) should be warning tourists about safety concerns. “If they are saying it’s dangerous for British people, then it’s the government’s responsibility to warn people,” she is quoted as saying. “There should be signs up, but there aren’t. Instead, it’s advertised as a hippy paradise, so you don’t feel it’s dangerous when you walk around.”

Also weighing in on the issue are numerous readers (from both Britain and India) on the Times Online site. Many posts criticize the mother for leaving her under-aged daughter behind in the care of a stranger, or allowing her daughter to be wandering around drunk if the first place. Others describe dangerous circumstances and male predators in Goa, as well as a lack of cultural awareness and modesty on the part of women travellers. One post even points to the carelessness (or arrogance) of travellers in taking their safety for granted when they are abroad.

Who is right? Perhaps everyone is, or no one is. The issue of "why wasn't I warned?" versus "the information is out there, why didn't you look?" seems to creep up every time a tourist is a victim of an accident, illness, crime, sexual assault or other incident. There's no easy answer, but the questions highlight the need for better safety and security awareness.

My condolences to Keeling's family. I hope her attackers are caught.

The World's Top Art Museums -- Quality or popularity?

Wondering where the most popular art museums are in the world? TripAdvisor has just compiled its top ten list:

1. Musee du Louvre, Paris, France
2. Vatican Museums, Vatican City, Rome, Italy
3. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York
4. J. Paul Getty Center, Los Angeles, California
5. Musee d'Orsay, Paris, France
6. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
7. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
8. Tate Modern, London, England
9. Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain
10. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

How were the competitors chosen? According to the press release, the list was prepared based on traffic to museum web pages on tripadvisor.com. Michele Perry, director of communications for TripAdvisor, claims "This top 10 is a check list to see the very finest artwork in the world."

The list is a good starting point for people looking for a short-list of museums where they can find famous works of art, such as Van Gogh's Starry Night or Da Vinci's Mona Lisa. I confess I could happily spend days in any of these museums. They've become tourist destinations for a reason, after all.

But do they house the "very finest artwork in the world"? Not necessarily.

The nature of any top ten list is that there are always good contenders which don't make the cut. For example, I noticed that all of these museums are in a "Western" country (with four in the U.S. alone), so I wonder what other major galleries and museums from other parts of the world aren't on the list. I'm also curious about the smaller museums and local galleries that don't get the publicity and the popularity, but have the potential to teach me more about local culture and history. Do I want to go to a popular tourist attraction, or a "hidden gem"? (Or both?)

We can't define what is "good art" or any more than we can tell people where and how they should travel. It's a matter of personal preference on both counts. I hope more information and articles will become available on the "hidden gems" in the art world. Take them or leave them, it's nice to have choice.

In the meantime, the official websites of the aforementioned top ten are worth a look. Some even include a virtue tour.

Weekly Must-Read Feb. 29

Who said it could be the end of February already? The fact that we get an extra day this year isn't much of a consolation.

As I say good-bye to this stormy month, here's my list of "recommended reading" for the week:

Something new to try: 5 Steps to Solid Travel: How to Beat Airport Security Every Time on Vagabondish. I'm a fan of bar soap, but I've never tried solid shampoo, moisturizers or any of the other "solid" products writer Nora Dunn discusses. It's worth a look.

Environmentally-friendly advice all of us can afford to follow: 20 Cheap and Simple Ways to Travel Greener, also on Vagabondish.

Incidentally, if you want to make climate change worse, check out Forbes' Eight Reasons You Need To Fly Private. One can't help but wonder why budget travelers should have to care more about the environment than corporate travelers and luxury clientèle.

A good-advice-from-someone-who's-done-it story: 4 Lessons Learned From The Camino del Santiago Pilgrimage on Brave New Traveler. I've been a little fascinated with the Camino de Santiago myself since I saw a show of paintings from an artist who had made the pilgrimage.

Need a passport photo? How to take a great picture and how to get it cheap: Wisebread's Passport Pictures for Under a Dollar and Go Girlfriend Travel's Looking Like Your Passport Isn't a Good Thing.

Last minute addition: 7 Steps for Creating an In-Town Vacation on Matador's The Traveler's Notebook. Support the local economy. Save Money. And if you think about it, a vacation in your hometown has less environmental impact. What's not to love?

Suggestions? Feedback? Leave a comment!

How to make any hotel environmentally-friendly

Would you pay more to stay in a hotel that was environmentally-friendly? According to a survey conducted by the Canadian Hotels Association, "62 per cent of business travellers and 50 per cent of leisure travellers would pay $20 more to stay at an environmentally friendly hotel" (if everything else about the room was the same). In other words, travellers will pay more for rooms with low-flow toilets and shower heads, recycling bins and energy efficient lighting.

Interesting, but the survey seems at odd with one I saw while researching an article on green travel for road trips. The results -- travellers actually use MORE energy and water while they are on vacation because these resources are viewed as being "free".

I'm left wondering: Who is responsible for saving energy and water - the hotel or the guest? As a former inn housekeeper (two summers during university), I can't help but weigh in on the issue.

What can hotels do?

• Encourage guests to re-use clean towels and let staff know if they do not require new sheets or other amenities everyday.
  
• Use energy-efficient light bulbs.
• Use energy-efficient appliances.
• Improve insulation to keep rooms cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
• Install low-flow toilets and faucets.
• Provide recycling bins.
• Provide dishes (mugs, glasses and silverware) in rooms.
• Use environmentally-friendly building materials.
• Use environmentally-friendly cleaning products.
  

Many hotels, such as the inn where I worked, were implementing these measures to save costs long before "green travel" because the latest trend.

But that's only half the battle...

What can guests do?

• Skip long showers and don't make the jacuzzi bath a daily event. Even low-flow shower heads won't make a difference if people take longer showers than normal.
  
• Turn everything off when you leave. I can't tell you how many rooms I've entered where lights are left on and the air conditioning is blasting hours after a guest has gone out for the day or checked out.
  
• Let hotel staff know if you don't require new sheets or towels everyday.
• Use up the amenities. If you don't bring along your own toiletries, open new bars of soap and new bottles only when the previous ones are empty. Take open bottles and soap home with you (they're great for camping and short trips).
• Use the recycling bins provided.
  
• Eat out rather than ordering take-out.
  
• Don't litter.

In the meantime, energy costs are rising and along with it the costs of transportation and accommodation. It puzzles me that travellers have to pay more because of increasing energy costs but they are willing to pay more for energy efficient accommodations.

It seems to me that if hotels make an effort to reduce energy and resources, and travellers do their part to consume less, then costs shouldn't go up and everybody wins.

Perhaps in an ideal world, but not in this one.

In the meantime, check out Green travel tips for the road (the article I wrote last year). I also recommend the Go Green Travel Green blog for more tips and trends. Blog co-editors Kimberly Lang and Elizabeth Sanberg's recent article on Vagabondish, 20 Cheap and Simple Ways to Travel Greener, provides great advice on how we can all be a little greener, regardless of our budget.

As usual, comments are welcome (and invited!).

Drink spiking on the rise

I still remember the "how-to-avoid-date-rape-drugs" lecture from my university frosh week orientation. It went something like this: Buy your own drinks. Never let your drinks out of your sight (or never put them down). Drink with people you trust. If you don't feel "right" (e.g. intoxicated after only one or two drinks), get help ASAP.

It's a standard lecture for first year college and university students, but I wonder if people should have the same lecture before they travel abroad. In the past week, I've read about drink spiking in the news as well as in government travel advice. This crime is on the rise in many countries including Australia, the UK and Indonesia. I already know it's an issue in many Asian and Eastern European countries (it's in the travel advice). Contrary to what you might think, both men and women are at risk because the intent is often robbery or assault.

Chances are drink spiking is an issue in the country where you live, and you're already used to taking some precautions. But are you more at risk when you travel? Yes, for two reasons:

1) Criminals specifically target tourists. Tourists are perceived as being wealthy, and chances are they are carrying cash and travel documents with them.

2) Tourists don't always practice the same level of security as they do at home. They trust fellow travellers and friendly locals, even though both are total strangers. In many places you should be more vigilant, not less.

Where can you find out if drink spiking is a problem? Government travel advice will often include a note about it in the "Crime" or "Safety and Security" sections. It's not hard to find information any government or social service group's websites. If you're looking for a fresh perspective, try Tim Patterson's "Tripping Out On The Road: Drugs, Alcohol And Travel" on Brave New Traveler. The article takes a realistic and non-preachy approach to the issue that emphasizes safety while enjoying yourself.

In the meantime, remember what your frosh leader told you. It's good advice.