Friday, August 29, 2008

Travelography #124: Crime and Mayhem Against, and By, Tourist

Use the players on this page, or click the title above to listen to this podcast.

Stories discussed in this podcast are from the Travelography Twitter Blog for the week of 25 August 2008. This podcast is also available at Blubrry.com and Travelgeography.info.

More than 1.5 million international visitors have come to Macau in the first six months of this year, a 46.5 % jump over the same period last year. This does not include the 8.8 million Mainland residents who visited in the same period, according to the Macau Government Tourist Office. The German Foreign Ministry advised its citizens not to resist if they fell victim to any crime in Mexico, because that might threaten their lives. Criminal acts in Mexico have surged considerably recently and "unfortunately," police forces are involved in the violence, said the German government. The Italian government was considering ordering more troops on to the streets Tuesday after two brutal attacks on tourists within three days during an already tough crackdown against crime, according to a newspaper report. "They scream, they sing, they fall down, they take their clothes off, they cross-dress, they vomit," ... "It's only the British people - not the Germans or the French." His anger echoed the frustration felt by the residents of many Mediterranean resorts, who have watched helplessly while their town centres are invaded by hordes of carousing British teenagers. It would be 650 feet high - even taller than the wheel that overlooks London's River Thames. "We hope to attract a great number of customers who will be able to see the whole city and enjoy the restaurants and pools on the ground below,"...
An Indian hacker broke into the IT system of Best Western Hotel Group and stole personal details of everyone who has stayed there in the past 12 months. The details, which included home addresses, phone numbers, place of employment and credit card details, were sold on through an underground network controlled by the Russian Mafia. We have found no evidence to support the sensational claims ultimately made by the reporter and newspaper. Most importantly, whereas the reporter asserted the recent compromise of data for past guests from as far back as 2007, Best Western purges all online reservations promptly upon guest departure.