Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
demarcated for tourism purposes (Keefe & Wheat, 1998). After the collapse
of the Soviet Union in 1991 locals were banned from staying in tourist resorts
in Cuba. The ban lasted until 2008; however, many locals cannot afford to
stay in these resorts (
New York Times
, 2008). Thus, attempts to develop tour-
ism in certain parts of the world do not only restrict the rights of some local
people to settlement and movement, but they also alter or destroy the liveli-
hoods (daily life or survival activities) of people in such areas. The actions
state officials and tourism developers take, which include forced evictions,
restrictions of peoples' rights to movement and settlement and destruction of
property, clearly violate the human rights principles of Articles 13 and 17 of
the UNUDHR (1948), and Article 12 of the ICCPR (1966).
Tourists: Security checks at the ports of entry and exit
Further, travelling across the world shortly after the dawn of the millen-
nium has become more of a challenge for both tourists and non-tourists.
Airplanes, trains, ships and cars have become key targets for terrorist attacks.
The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 (9/11) in the United States; 7 July
2005 (7/7) in the United Kingdom; 24 January 2011 (1/24) in Russia; 15 April
2013 in Boston, USA, and several others in other parts of the world, claimed
many lives (not excluding failed ones such as the 2009 Christmas Day
attempted attack on a Northwest Airline). These events have created a gen-
eral sense of insecurity among state officials and travellers. One of the effects
is the establishment of a new global security regime, especially at airports
and seaports, where all travellers undergo rigorous security checks before
arrivals and departures. Some of the security checks include making travel-
lers have full body scans, remove footwear, belts and other clothing to enable
airport officials to check for explosives, liquids and other substances that
may pose a threat to the safety of travellers. Other techniques include screen-
ing personal data to check against security wanted lists before issuing visas
or granting permission to board flights and vessels.
Similarly, various restrictions have been imposed on travellers after the
events of 9/11. Some of the restrictions include items that travellers may not
carry while on board a flight. For example, travellers are not permitted aero-
sols, gels and liquids over a certain amount (with medications as exceptions)
in their carry-on baggage.
Some of these security checks pose delays and discomfort to travellers,
especially in relation to visas. On many occasions, visa applicants from some
developing countries and other nations that have had a link in some manner
to terrorism, sometimes referred to as 'terrorist nations', who want to travel
to developed nations for tourism have been denied travelling visas or undergo
overly long security checks. These situations frustrate many and some give
up their travelling ambitions. The practice of deliberately denying people
travelling visas or restricting their movement within and across national
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