Destination: Uncategorized

Enlarge photo

Enlarge photo

Today I was notified by the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) that my latest book, Travel as a Political Act, won their Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism award for the best travel book of 2010.

While I’m not a member of the SATW, I have huge respect for this organization and am honored that they appreciate the spirit of TAPA. There were 1,161 entries in 27 categories, and of all the travel books out there, I’m thrilled that Travel as a Political Act was singled out for this recognition.

Looking back, I realize that I gave my Travel as a Political Act talk as a keynote address to the SATW convention six or eight years ago, and the enthusiastic reception it received stoked my interest in actually writing the book. And now, with this award, it is gratifying to get this further encouragement from SATW to explore and report on ways travel makes us all better citizens of our planet and how we can celebrate rather than fear diversity.

In the spirit of this book’s message, I will donate the award money to Bread for the World (the same nonprofit organization that receives all of my royalties for TAPA). I value Bread for the World for its tireless lobbying on behalf of poor and hungry people around the world.

The award announcement was made today in Leipzig, Germany, at the 26th annual Society of American Travel Writers conference. The award, which is like the Pulitzer Prize for travel journalism, is open to all North American journalists and judged by top US schools of journalism. Our Iran TV documentary and related materials on the radio, web, and in print won last year for multimedia travel journalism. For both awards, I want to acknowledge that I have a team of talented and dedicated people on my staff helping me.

Lots of friends in the field of travel journalism were honored in different categories. For a review of today’s awards in each field, click here.

While some think it’s inappropriate for a travel journalist to speak out on matters political, I’ll take this award as an affirmation from my peers. I believe that challenging our readers to learn from their travels and to be better citizens of our planet is precisely what travel writers do.

(It would be inconsiderate for me not to mention that TAPA just happens to be on sale on our website this month for $5 rather than $17. This is related to a campaign we waged to encourage Californians to consider Europe’s drug policies. This is a giveaway deal and it’s open to all.)

My recent post has caused some to say I’m America-bashing and making light of a risk because I want to protect my business. Like Obama keeps saying “I’m a Christian,” I keep saying, “I love America, I’d live nowhere else, and I’m committed to helping my country be the best it can.”

I am in the tourism business. And, of course, overreacting to the fear of terrorism (or anything) is something I will be inclined to speak out against. Life is full of risks. By living life fully and with a healthy abandon, you take more risks. I do. I’d have it no other way. I’ve had a bad shoulder for four months from climbing a silly rock wall at REI. Do I regret it? Sure. Do I want to change and live my life in a completely risk-averse way? No way.

The obvious way to help those thinking about European travel not overreact to sensational and fear-mongering news reports is to give a traveler’s perspective ‘ and try to put things in terms people who don’t get out much can relate to.

We live in the US with the risks that entails. So I compare safety in Europe to safety here at home. Like anyone, I use statistics to serve the point I’m making. I throw around numbers about gunshot deaths in the US, not because I’m anti-gun, but because I want people to see the risk of violence in Europe in a fair perspective. I get my numbers from standard sources like anyone else. I’ve long said 13,000 people are killed annually by firearms. Last month, when I was trying to put 9/11 in statistical perspective, I asked a staff researcher to get me that and other figures. He gave me 30,000 gun deaths annually with a reliable source so I used that figure. People have questioned this number (as if 13,000 deaths would make less of a point). So here is the background:

The US government Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in 2007 there were just over 31,000 firearm deaths in USA: roughly 17,000 from suicide, 13,600 from murder, 600 accidental, 400 from legal intervention (“you come into my house and I’ll shoot you”). Other sources come up with similar numbers. Of course, the NRA emphasizes lesser figures.

In any case, those driven by staying as safe as they possibly can be should know that, when it comes to being murdered, Europe ‘ in the worst times of terrorism ‘ is much safer statistically than the US. Like the Mariners finishing in last place and Obama’s a US-born Christian…it’s a simple fact.

Domestic safety alert: 500 Americans will be killed by guns this week in the USA. For safety, we advise taking loved ones to a safer continent such as Europe. (This is true. Five hundred Americans were killed by guns last week in the USA. An average of 500 Americans were killed every week in the last year. Officials are perplexed why no one seems to care in the USA. Perhaps being killed by a Muslim with a gun is more painful or evil.) And furthermore, 200 Americans will be killed by drunk drivers in the USA next week (12,000 died in alcohol-related accidents in the USA last year…a typical year).

The US government has stepped up the drone attacks inside Pakistan in the last month, killing many good and bad people. Our intelligence community has intercepted chatter that terrorists are planning to unleash some kind of retaliation against “soft targets” in Europe. So, the USA has issued a “Travel Alert,” warning citizens to be “vigilant” in Europe. A “Travel Warning,” which is much more serious, is not under consideration. The alert says little beyond the world is a dangerous place. And I knew that already. It advises people to stay away from unattended packages and to scram if they see violence…always common sense, even without a government alert.

When asked, the government officials who issued the warning stressed, “We are not saying to defer travel plans to Europe. Absolutely not.”

Here at Europe Through the Back Door, this is our busiest season for tours. We have thousands of travelers in Europe this fall. My son is there in Barcelona as I type. I’d be there tomorrow if I didn’t have work to do here in the statistically much more dangerous USA.

Of course in my office we are paying close attention to the news and don’t want to belittle the threat. But, as always, we urge our travelers to keep things in perspective. Each year 12 million Americans travel to Europe and 12 million return home safely. I can’t remember the last time an American tourist in Europe was hurt by a terrorist. On the other hand, every year another 30,000 die in the USA ‘ victims of gun violence (this is eight times the per-capita gun-caused deaths in Europe).

Assuming you believe in statistics ‘ regardless of what the news headlines say ‘ we have one strong piece of advice that could very well save lives: If you care about your loved ones, you’ll take them to Europe as soon as possible. It’s just much safer over there.

If there was a terrorist attack in Europe tomorrow and Americans died, I’d say exactly the same thing. I refuse to let fear and fear-mongering media mess up my perspective. And, as a patriotic American citizen, I know the best thing I can do to keep my country strong and safe is to travel a lot, engage in the world, and return home with the good news: Life is good, and fear is for people who don’t get out much.