I feel very sorry for all those businesses who will be spending the next few days worrying about whether they will have any American tourists as customers after the US State Department issued a travel advisory today, warning Americans to steer clear of places which attract crowds if they are on a visit to Europe. There is no specific terror warning, but the effect will be clear. Americans will cancel trips to Europe for fear of what might happen. We've seen it before. You might think they would be made of sterner stuff, and indeed, many are. Those who live in big cities may not be put off, but Mr & Mrs Average from Main Street, Iowa. probably will be.
The fact is that Mr & Mrs Average stand more chance of being killed in a road accident on Main Street, Iowa than they do in any future terrorist outrage in Britain, France, or Germany. All this travel advisory should mean is that we should all maintain extra vigilance.
I don't see Brits being deterred from travelling to France or Germany. And nor should they be. A few weeks ago, Patrick Mercer reckoned that there was a clear terror threat to this year's Tory Party Conference. I doubt whether a single Conservative Party representative decided to stay away. We're made of sterner stuff.
So come on Mr & Mrs Average American. Show some bottle. Don't give in to the terrorists, because every one of you who cancels your trip is doing a little bit of Osama bin Laden's work for him.
8 comments:
You speak too soon Mrs Dale, the FCO has issued a similar warning for us Brits.
"A few weeks ago, Patrick Mercer reckoned that there was a clear terror threat to this year's Tory Party Conference."
He probably meant Liam Fox
The government needs to cover its rear end, which is why these warnings are issued. American tourists cancel trips not solely or even chiefly out of fear but out of a distaste for hassle.
Travelling is bother enough without an excess of delays and hassle due to increased security measures. That may sound like even less justification than fear but nobody goes on vacation to sit in a train station all day while police respond to suspicious events that turn out to be nothing. Get enough of that at home as is. I've cancelled trips for this reason.
Hmm Americans and Balls.....I shall make no further comment..
The warning has since been "refined" to France and Germany. Mr and Mrs Average from Main Street in Iowa probably wouldn't countenance going to France (ever since 9/11 and the "cheese eating surrender monkeys" spat) and the last time a Mr Average was in Germany it was driving a Sherman tank over the bridge at Remagen.
I'm not mocking your post in any way, but having lived in the rural midwest (Indiana in my case) I think you mis-estimate the character of midwesterners. There's no lack of backbone there, but there isn't much desire to travel to Europe on holiday, or even out of historical curiosity to see countries their ancestors left in the 19th century. They tend to take their foreign policy views direct, and without much questioning, from Washington, while their domestic political views are far more polarised along party lines. As Washington has now clarified a general threat down to France and Germany, I don't expect the tourist numbers to decline markedly in the UK.
The only terror inflicted on the Yanks will be at Celtic Manor.
Presumably they are warning Americans already in Europe to avoid going back to the States as they too are likely terrorist targets.
I'm trying to book a flight from SFO to LHR for next week. Judging by the prices there is no shortage of Americans flying to London. Either that or there are lots of Brits trying abandon the sinking ship like myself.
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