Get out of jail! Locked up and detained abroad – when tourists become prisoners

The number of foreigners getting arrested, detained or imprisoned each year is increasing. This can occur at instances throughout the journey from airport, to hotel to local tourist hotspots. The tourist can become both the victim of a crime or the instigator, with either one leading to detention. Arrest and imprisonment can occur out of a wilful criminal act or cultural insensitivity to local culture, norms and rules. Often the tourist is unprepared and can find themselves within a traumatic and incomprehensible experience compounded by several dimensions such as isolation, limited access, poor diet and unawareness of what is happening due to foreign languages, cultures and regulations. As an unwanted product, the travel and hospitality industry rarely informs travellers of possible imprisonment and the consequences of such; the marketing aim is to put the most positivist spin on the travel experience. Within this reluctance to inform travellers, the provision of information and assistance on traveller detention has been assigned chiefly to government agencies and related non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The article discusses expanding the industry's response. Recommendations of greater collaboration with government and being more responsible to their guests and customers by enhancing communication of the issue throughout the travel process are given.