News articles in Safety & Security

Advise Your Clients to take Precautions to Avoid Becoming a Tourist Target.

(Dive Travel Business News - April 16, 2013) -- The recent robbery of tourists at gunpoint in St. Lucia is a reminder to Travel Sellers about potential crime targeting tourists at the destinations they send their clients. Police arrested one of four suspects being sought for the armed robbery of sightseers from a cruise ship on April 12, St. Lucia authorities said Monday.

Masked men armed with homemade weapons held up 55 passengers and two crew members from Celebrity Cruise line's Eclipse vessel as they toured a botanical garden, taking money, jewelry, cameras and cellphones. The gunmen escaped through the botanical garden's borders of foliage.

No one was hurt, but tourism minister Lorne Theophilus said the robbery of cruise passengers on a shore excursion in Soufriere was an "unfortunate and a horrible scenario". read more »

New Thai Minister of Tourism puts Tourism Safety First

(Dive Travel Business News - April 10, 2013) -- Under the direction of the new Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports, Dive Travelers to Thailand will be better protected as visitor safety and security will be a primary focus of Tourism policy.

"Thailand will be a safer place under my watch," said career politician and former provincial governor Mr. Somsak Pureesrisak, who has been appointed Minister of Tourism and Sports, effective April 9. He replaces the late Mr. Chumpol Silpa-archa, who passed away last January 2013.

The policy emphasis was welcomed by TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni. "Safety and security for visitors is becoming an over-arching area of importance all through the global travel & tourism industry. We constantly get questions about this matter at international trade shows, and are very pleased that the minister has taken up this issue as a matter of priority." read more »

U.S. State Department Issues New Travel Warning on Kenya

(Dive Travel Business News - Tuesday January 15, 2012) --The U.S. Department of State is warning U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Kenya. The department said it is concerned about continuing and recently heightened threats from terrorism and the high rate of violent crime in some areas. The levels of risk vary throughout the country. The new warning replaces the Travel Warning of July 3, 2012.

The U.S. government continues to receive information about potential terrorist threats aimed at U.S., Western, and Kenyan interests in Kenya. Terrorist acts can include suicide operations, bombings, kidnappings, attacks on civil aviation, and attacks on maritime vessels in or near Kenyan ports. Although the pursuit of those responsible for previous terrorist activities continues, many of those involved remain at large and still operate in the region. read more »

Dreamliners Grounded Worldwide after another Battery Fire in Boeing's new 787's.

Dreamliner Groundings after another Battery Fire in Boeing's new 787's.

(Dive Travel Business News - January 16, 2012) -- Regulators and airlines today grounded nearly all of the world’s 787 Dreamliner fleet until a fire risk linked to the plane’s batteries is fixed, deepening a crisis for Chicago-based Boeing Co.. With its new plane ordered to stay on the ground, Boeing confronts a full-fledged crisis as it struggles to regain the confidence of passengers and the airline customers who stood by the 787 Dreamliner during years of cost overruns and delivery delays. read more »

Embassies Urge Phuket: Protect Our Citizens

(Dive Travel Business News - January 14, 2012) -- The British, Canadian and Dutch ambassadors to Thailand have arrived in Phuket to outline their concerns about the "scams and cheats" continuing to plague Phuket's tourism industry.

Although the mission was shrouded in diplomatic-speak, the ambassadors were there to alert local leaders that they are very concerned for the safety of their citizens in Phuket.

The Phuket Gazette reported that British ambassador Mark Kent introduced Phuket governor Maitri Inthusut to the website Phukettuktuks.com, which "lists incident after incident of tourists in Phuket being cheated, scammed and even violently attacked by tuk-tuk and taxi drivers".

"The police are doing their best, but there is a serious shortage of officers in Phuket," said the governor.

In June an Australian travel agent was fatally stabbed in a bungled street robbery in Phuket, while a British tourist was shot dead in a Thai bar popular with backpackers in nearby Koh Phangan on January 1.

Source: Travelmole.com read more »

Southern Philippines Struggling in Aftermath of Typhoon Bopha

(Dive Travel Business News - December 6, 2012) -- At least 325 people have been confirmed dead and nearly 400 still missing after a typhoon hit the southern Philippines. Typhoon Bopha caused havoc in eight provinces but eastern Mindanao was the worst hit. Typhoon Bopha, the strongest storm to hit the country this year, packed winds of 160 mph - equivalent to a category 5 hurricane - when it struck Mindanao on December 2, 2012.

The head of the national disaster agency said 332 people were killed and 379 are missing after Bopha triggered landslides and floods along the coast and in farming and mining towns inland in the southern Mindanao region. Nearly 200,000 people remain in shelters in more than a dozen provinces in the southern Philippines, as officials appeal for food, water and clothing.

Many of the victims were killed when flash floods hit emergency shelters. Roads and bridges have been destroyed and many parts of the country have been left without electricity. The death toll could rise further, with local government officials reporting higher numbers of missing and dead. read more »

DAN Launches Annual Travel Insurance Progam.

(Dive Travel Business News - November 9, 2012) -- Known for the security and protection that its membership and insurance provide the diving community, Divers Alert Network Divers (DAN) has launched a new Annual Travel Insurance program. With yearly premiums starting at one flat fee, travelers are covered for all trips more than 100 miles away from home taken over a 12-month period for trips to a maximum of 90 days.

Understanding that active dive travelers can range from teenagers to grandparents, often carry extra luggage with a higher price tag, and take longer and more extensive trips, the new DAN Annual Travel Insurance is not based on age, trip cost or duration. read more »

Costa Rica Experiences "Deep" Earthquake.

(Dive Travel Business News - September 5, 2012) -- Costa Rica experienced what experts are calling a "deep" earthquake on Wednesday September 5. The quake registered at 7.6 on the Richter scale. San Jose suffered some initial power outage and coastal towns near the quake epicenter were evacuated but power was restored in the city on Wednesday night and evacuated locals have since been allowed to return to their homes.

Prior to the quake, a tsunami warning (since canceled) was issued and there were fears that widespread death and destruction would ensue. But the quake's deep location (25 miles underground and 87 miles west of the capital, San Jose) resulted in few structural damages, no tsunami and only one reported death (by heart attack).

Costa Rica is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire is a 25,000 mile (40,000 km) horseshoe shaped area in the Pacific where 90% of the world's earthquakes occur and where to 75% of the world's active and dormant volcanoes. read more »

Java, Bali Indonesia Shaken by Strong Earthquake

(Dive Travel Business News - September 4, 2012) -- A strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake shook parts of Java Island nad Indonesia’s popular resort island of Bali early today, but there were no initial reports of damage or injuries. No tsunami warning was issued.

The quake's epicentre was at a shallow depth of eight kilometres, the US Geological Survey said. USGS indicates that the quake struck one hundred fifty miles south of Sidorukun, Indonesia. It was centered one hundred sixty-four miles south of Muncar. It was also reportedly one hundred sixty-five miles south of Srono and Gambiran Satu. Mapping reveals that the quake was southwest of Bali and Barat. The quake was southeast of Semarang and Suakarta.

(Dive Travel Business News - September 3, 2012) -- Bali hotels have again been forced to step up their security and be on high terror alert for the second time this year, after attacks on police in Solo (Surakarta) in central Java early last week. Bali is on high alert to assure the world that the island is safe. The step up in security comes just six weeks before the 10th anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombings considered to be the deadliest act of terrorism in the history of Indonesia.

Head of the Bali tourism office, Kade Subhiksu, has warned managers of all types of accommodation, including star-rated and non-starred hotels, villas, apartments, as well as homestays, to follow strict security measures. read more »