How do current affairs affect your travel plans?

[Cruiser Elite]

Did anybody see 7 News tonight and the story re Tracey Wickham - WOW - such an unfortunate spiral down.

Speaking of News - how does the average AFFer view recent events in Turkey? Would you be deterred from visiting?

 

[love_the_life]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Did anybody see 7 News tonight and the story re Tracey Wickham - WOW - such an unfortunate spiral down.

Speaking of News - how does the average AFFer view recent events in Turkey? Would you be deterred from visiting?

We looked at a cruise out of Istanbul in July this year but decided that it was a bit dicey and anyway it all became too hard. Glad in a way we decided just to stick to Japan/HKK and will throw in a short local jaunt during the year hopefully.

 

[JessicaTam]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Did anybody see 7 News tonight and the story re Tracey Wickham - WOW - such an unfortunate spiral down.

Speaking of News - how does the average AFFer view recent events in Turkey? Would you be deterred from visiting?

Not that I am planning to visit Ankara anytime soon, but I might reconsider if I was.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I have some German friends in Beijing who were headed to Istanbul next week and I would miss them whilst I am in BJ - they cancelled their trip this morn citing safety concerns.

 

[romney]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Heading to Turkey in 24 days. It hasn't changed my travel plans. Smart Traveller has not changed the rating for Turkey. I feel that anywhere is at risk now (look at London, Paris, Bali - all places we wouldn't bat an eyelid at going!), and we just have to be more conscious of what is going on around us and hope our number isn't up!. Not heading to Ankara though, and kind of glad about that - even if just to put my mother's mind at peace.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

We went to Turkey in 2012, I am glad I went then, because I certainly wouldn't be going there now or any time in the future. Once was enough for me.

 

[kpc]

Speaking of News - how does the average AFFer view recent events in Turkey? Would you be deterred from visiting?

Fortunately I have been to Turkey including Istanbul and Ankara before. ..spent 2 weeks there in 2006. With a land border with Syria, Iraq etc I don't have any desire to rush back to Turkey which is a shame as it is a beautiful country esp.away from the big cities. Australians will always go to Turkey because of Gallipoli though!

 

[drron]

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.

 

[Pushka]

We were in Sri Lanka in 1985 when the country was deep in civil turmoil. Sometimes the reasons for travel outweigh the risks.

 

[JohnK]

I will be/have been avoiding any travel to countries that have been affected by suicide bombers.

 

[Pushka]

I will be/have been avoiding any travel to countries that have been affected by suicide bombers.

They are the biggest risk. If someone wants to take out people and are prepared to die in the process then there is little that can be done.

 

[JohnK]

They are the biggest risk. If someone wants to take out people and are prepared to die in the process then there is little that can be done.

So true. I don't want to push my luck.

 

[GarrettM]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Heading to Turkey in 24 days. It hasn't changed my travel plans. Smart Traveller has not changed the rating for Turkey. I feel that anywhere is at risk now (look at London, Paris, Bali - all places we wouldn't bat an eyelid at going!), and we just have to be more conscious of what is going on around us and hope our number isn't up!. Not heading to Ankara though, and kind of glad about that - even if just to put my mother's mind at peace.

Being conscious of surroundings is always a good idea, but I imagine a car packed with explosives isn't likely to stand out in traffic until it's too late. People who are willing to blow themselves up for something will never settle for any form of logic or compromise. Nutters.

 

[ellen10]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Its sad that we have to stop and think about going anywhere these days
I travelled a lot when I was younger and never had these thoughts.
My children have the travel bug and I do worry for them.

Having said that I will be back in Paris next year, my favour city.

 

[dmitri]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

I was in Paris for a week in February and it felt as safe as ever. We did skip our stop in Brussels in February due to an "imminent" terrorism attack, luckily it never eventuated so Brussels and Brugge will be on the next trip.

 

[ellen10]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Love Brugge!!

 

[GarrettM]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Love Brugge!!

I'd be much more inclined to return to Bruges than Brussels. Smaller, easier, more character, and with a Potato Chip Museum!

 

[DaveB]

Interesting whether the world is in fact more dangerous today than any other time the past 40 or so years.

Wonder what the chance is of being taken out by a suicide bomber as opposed to travelling to New York in the 80/90's. Never thought to avoid the UK during the IRA terror campaign.

We took a Greek island cruise in the mid 80's about 12 months after the Achille Lauro hijacking and still laugh at the 'upgraded security' provided by the greek cruise line. For our mainland stop at Kusadasi, every passenger received a disk to hand back on reboarding with no screens or baggage search.

My sisters favourite saying is you'd have to be unlucky....

 

[penegal]

Didn't see the doco, but have read about it - a very sad story

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FWIW, I really wanted to go to Syria as I've become interested in their history / culture / etc after my friend married a Syrian girl, but I probably wouldn't go in the current climate... It may have to be Berlin, Helsinki and Saint Petersburg instead this year. Mind you the latter may also scare some people off.

 

[dmitri]

St Petersburg is a great city, was there in late 2013.