Darker Sides of Tourism

It can get tricky when going to foreign countries and trying to take note of what’s socially acceptable and legal. We got to experience this vicariously through LockedUp Abroad and Brokedown Palace. Taking note of the norms and laws of other countries isn’t something a lot of travels take into consideration when preparing for a trip. Aside from North Korea and Russia, I would go out on a limb and say only a small portion of the population of tourists know anything about etiquette and laws of the countries they’re traveling to. With that being said, there should be more, readily available resources for those venturing off to a foreign country.

Until recently, I was unaware that the State Department of the United States Government published a small guide on what should be taken note of when traveling to foreign countries. They compiled a list for almost every country of passport rules, things to be cautious of, and import and export regulations. As someone who has traveled to many different foreign countries over the course of my young adult years, I didn’t know this existed. This should be something to consider.

One way to ensure travelers are aware of the proper things to do and not to do in foreign countries is to provide them with information before they fly or stay at their destination. Airlines should be required to send an information packet to international travelers with important information about their destination. This can be done automatically via email upon receiving the flight order confirmation. It could include a list of laws, banned medication, proper etiquette, and a list of embassies to contact on arrival to alert them of your stay. This way, should you get into trouble, they will already be conscious of your arrival and intended stay duration.

If you get into any legal trouble that doesn’t align with the laws of your native country, I believe that the embassies should have the ability to contact attorneys and lawyers on your behalf. It seems as if a lot of foreign embassies don’t really have the ability to do much for you once you arrive in a foreign country, and that should change. They should be able to provide their citizens with proper assistance should they need it. Maybe this is a topic to be discussed with the united nations.
Trip to Geiranger, Norway '12

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