I have been seeing some items of interest in the news recently, things that could affect travel and those of us who love to travel need to be aware of this stuff and the possible repercussions.

By now most of you are probably aware of the crushing tourism in parts of Europe and the issues arising from it. It has been in the news for a while now. Locals are fed up and fighting back, high prices, diminished experiences, crowded transit, tourist taxes, sort-term rental cancellations and the huge amounts of people. It is a real problem and it is understandable.

Another more recent thing I have been seeing more stories on lately is the rise of anti-immigrant protests spreading to more countries and the rise of not only the associated politics, but some other more recent things happening in Eastern Europe that could (should?) be cause for alarm, like Ukraine.

I do try to avoid politics in this blog and try my best not to espouse my personal views, and I have to say that in these times it is pretty damn difficult to do. But, I figure if you want politics you can find that BS on your own – you cannot miss it. You do not need to hear it from me.

However, you know that I do love to travel to Europe and I have many questions about how these things will affect European tourism for Americans. Will tourists be mistaken for the immigrants that people hate and be attacked more violently instead of with only squirt guns and banners? Will places – even cities – be closed to tourism for non-Europeans? Given what is happening here, will Americans be targeted for some type of repercussions for the actions of our government? (Unfortunately, it always seems that the actions of a few morons lump all the people in a country/ethnic/religion in a group together as a problem, and some countries are much more prone to do that than others.)

We cannot be afraid…only aware of our surroundings and vigilant for our safety. If you have concerns going somewhere then don’t go…it is pretty simple. We also have to be aware of political issues going on in countries and determine if it is somewhere you really feel safe going to.

Remember, though, you will never be 100% safe anywhere you go – even in your own country. I will not hang out in Kansas City because it is a dangerous place to wander around in, and as far back as I can remember it always has had a lot problems. Every day on the local news they talk about a new murder that has happened. I will go to certain stores to get a particular item to find what I want, but I don’t hang around and leave as soon as I can. As far as just walking around downtown like I do in London, Brussels, Dublin, Prague or any other major cities in Europe I have been to, that just ain’t happening in KC. I have said before that I felt safer walking around in the huge cities in Europe than most everywhere here in the States. That still holds true.

I absolutely love Seattle; it is one of my favorite cities I have been to in the world. It is a great city to walk around in with a lot to see, eat and do. I posted about my first time in Seattle in 2012; I was alone and I loved the experience – it was all so new to me and every minute of the excitement of being there was so cool. Even after being chased running down an alley to get away from a mentally-ill homeless meth addict with a crazed look in his eye it did not dissuade me from going back – it is one of the great cities in the world and this guy was not taking that away from me. I have been back many times since and cannot wait to go back. Maybe not everyone is able to let a situation like that go, but I cannot live my life afraid to see and do the things I want. You should not either.

Don’t be afraid or you will never leave your house; instead, be informed and be aware of your surroundings wherever you decide to go…be it near or far. Research the places you want to go and try to get the input from locals, not influencers or crowd-sourced websites. I know that I was able to find good, informative local guides and just locals in general for the cities I have researched before going to Europe. I remember one guy on YouTube in particular was living in Prague, and he had really good information about the city and things like scams when it comes to exchanging money since they are not on the Euro there.

I look at these political challenges as something I not only need to be aware of, but also it could be something that might determine where I might (or might not) go; basically, if I “need” to go to a particular place that I have wanted to see while I still can. It sounds grim, but it is the political reality of travel these days. I always keep up on events local or regional to where I will travel if I have a trip in the planning stages. I adapt or change if it is necessary.

Rick Steves talks about some of this in his book Travel as a Political Act. He also has an excellent video presentation of it on YouTube (it is probably also on his website with his other videos). This is not really a how-to book as much as a book about American/European cultures and their differences. If you want to travel to Europe he is the guru and I cannot say enough about the invaluable information he provides for first-timers or return visitors. Everyone I have traveled with to Europe for the first time I have given a copy of Europe Through the Back Door. If I go to some different, more challenging places with a first-timer I will recommend Travel as a Political Act to them so they might better understand a little more about where we would go and maybe why.

And, of course, there are the changing visa & entry requirements you need to be aware of. I think a good bet with the uncertainty is to invest in some travel insurance, especially if the entry requirements change after you buy your airline tickets. Be sure to make sure what that insurance covers and it fits your needs.

I hope these things can help you out with your travel plans and maybe helped you become aware of some things you did not know about.

See you next time.

Shawn