Tourists asking for trouble.

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		Tourists asking for trouble
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Thrill-seeking Australians are flying into war zones and areas of natural 
disasters as part of a new trend of adventure travel.

The ghoulish adventurers have visited parts of war-ravaged 
Middle-Eastern, Asian and European countries to experience what has 
become known as terror tourism.

Alarmed Foreign Affairs officials and travel operators yesterday advised 
holidaymakers against visiting such places.

More than 250 holidaymakers visited hot spots including Iran, 
Bosnia-Herzegovina, BURMA, Cambodia and Lebanon last year.

Australian consulates have been forced to bail out the risk-takers 
despite treavel bulletins advising them either to stay out or exercise 
extreme caution when travelling in the countries.

Insurance companies have received requests from travellers wanting to 
visit the world's hot spots but they refuse to cover them.

"We do get inquires from people wishing to visit these countries but 
whether they go and take their chance is really in their court," a Ready 
Plan Travel Insurance spokesman said.

The Australian Federation of Travel Agents said the medical costs and 
insurance problems were huge and urged people not to take risks.

"In many of these countries you find their medical services have broken 
down and ou do get epidemics," its president, Byron Roberts, said.

"There is a ghoulish minority out there who are attracted by danger."

Last year, consulate officials helped 14,350 citizens with general 
welfare problems overseas. A further 650 required hospital treatment and 
600 needed financial help.

A travel guide for terror tourists, The World's Most Dangerous Places, 
offers advice on who and what to avoid once there.

"We can't tell where people should or shouldn't go," a Foreign Affairs 
spokesman said.

"Australian are very adventurous."

"Whenever there is a crisis in the world, Australians have this uncanny 
knack of turning up."

[Herald Sun, March 24, 1997].

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