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Are We Needlessly Exposing Tourists to Danger?
After decades of work in the travel industry, death no longer surprises me.
There is no shock over honeymooners falling off a cliff at the Grand Canyon pursuing the perfect selfie. I cannot muster anger for the driver pulling a boat who makes an impulsive left from the right lane. It is Labor Day at Lake Mead, after all, and his kids are in the back.
Families believe “vacation" means ceasing all work, including efforts to insure their own safety. To millions of visitors, a boat trip is an attraction, it is as safe as taking a voyage on the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland.
Officials realize this misconception exists, but little effort is made to change the traveling public’s mind. It is a delicate balance between warning of potential danger and discouraging visitation. Tourism is the economic lifeblood of a region.
The hundreds of glossy brochures and slick photographic guides may pay lip service to “staying safe." Few talk about the inherent dangers of the National Parks and the number of people who die.
When deaths are published, the public relations machinery swings into gear blaming the…
