That Faraway Trip Is Safer Than You Think
Why Read This
What Makes This Article Worth Your Time
Summary
What This Article Is About
Travel writer Henry Wismayer challenges the widespread perception that foreign travel is inherently dangerous, arguing that our risk assessment of exotic destinations is fundamentally flawed. Drawing on US State Department statistics from 2006-2015, he reveals that Americans abroad face far greater danger from road accidents, suicide, and drowning than from terrorism, yet media coverage and government travel advisories disproportionately amplify fears of the latter.
Through comparisons of attacks in Mumbai and Kashmir, Wismayer exposes how cultural prejudice and exoticism distort our perception of danger—remote, unfamiliar places remain stigmatized for decades while familiar cities quickly recover from tragedy. He argues that this gap between perception and reality not only deprives travelers of rewarding experiences but devastates tourism-dependent economies, as seen in Tunisia after the Sousse massacre, where an entire industry collapsed despite statistically negligible risk.
Key Points
Main Takeaways
Statistics Trump Sensationalism
Road accidents kill 29% of Americans abroad, while terrorism accounts for just 2%, yet our fears are inversely proportional to actual risk.
Fear Isn’t Rational
Risk perception varies wildly based on cultural factors, media coverage, and familiarity rather than objective statistical probability of harm.
Exoticism Amplifies Anxiety
Unfamiliar, remote destinations are stigmatized indefinitely after incidents, while familiar cities like Paris recover quickly from equivalent tragedies.
Media Creates Distortion
Selective reporting and sensational headlines create one-dimensional portraits of foreign places, obscuring positive context and statistical reality.
Economic Devastation Follows Fear
Tourism comprises 10% of global GDP and 250 million jobs; irrational fear following isolated incidents decimates entire economies.
Travel Remains Vital
In an age of global instability and rising prejudice, cross-cultural exploration is more important than ever for dismantling stereotypes.
Master Reading Comprehension
Practice with 365 curated articles and 2,400+ questions across 9 RC types.
Article Analysis
Breaking Down the Elements
Main Idea
The Gap Between Perception and Reality
The central thesis argues that travelers systematically misjudge risk when venturing to exotic destinations, influenced more by media sensationalism, cultural prejudice, and cognitive biases than by actual statistical probability of harm. This distortion has profound consequences for both individual travel decisions and tourism-dependent economies worldwide.
Purpose
To Persuade and Educate
Wismayer writes to challenge readers’ preconceptions about travel safety while advocating for more rational, statistically-informed decision-making. He aims to dismantle culturally-rooted prejudices that stigmatize exotic destinations and to demonstrate that cross-cultural exploration, far from being reckless, is both statistically safe and culturally essential.
Structure
Narrative → Statistical → Comparative → Persuasive
Wismayer opens with a vivid anecdote from the Amazon to establish credibility and engage readers emotionally. He then pivots to hard data from US State Department statistics, systematically dismantling common misconceptions. Through comparative analysis of Mumbai versus Kashmir, he exposes cultural biases before concluding with a persuasive call to embrace travel despite global instability.
Tone
Analytical, Personal & Persuasive
The tone balances rigorous statistical analysis with personal anecdotes, creating both intellectual authority and emotional resonance. Wismayer maintains measured rationality when presenting data while occasionally adopting a wry, slightly provocative voice to challenge readers’ assumptions, ultimately building toward an earnest, advocacy-oriented conclusion.
Key Terms
Vocabulary from the Article
Click each card to reveal the definition
Build your vocabulary systematically
Each article in our course includes 8-12 vocabulary words with contextual usage.
Tough Words
Challenging Vocabulary
Tap each card to flip and see the definition
Relating to or characterized by percussion; involving a sharp striking action that creates sound or impact.
“The forest transformed on the ‘B’ of the ‘Bang!’. One moment, all was languid, inert, drenched in tropical ennui. The next: thick with tension, hyper-alert, as if the percussive explosion had sucked every hum and thrum from the jungle.”
Directed or moving backward; reverting to an earlier and typically worse or less developed state or condition.
“It’s just that those things haven’t always happened where they were supposed to—in the retrograde states and the pariah regions, the places where my government travel advice warned me not to go.”
Killed or destroyed by burning; offered as a sacrifice, especially by fire.
“…an Ethiopian cafe in Kampala, immolated by an Al-Shabaab explosion in 2010; a balcony restaurant in Marrakech, bombed in 2011; the streets of Paris that became scenes of carnage in 2015.”
Of or characterized by dualistic contrast or conflict between opposites, especially good and evil; reducing complex issues to simple black-and-white interpretations.
“These prejudices are underwritten by a sometimes misplaced faith in the reliability of government travel advice, and by media agencies hungry for shocking headlines and simple Manichean narratives.”
The act of promoting or making widely known; the public declaration or announcement of a law, decree, or idea.
“At a time when innate prejudices are being politicised more than at any point in decades, this promulgation of one-dimensional portraits of foreign places might seem trivial.”
Devoted to the pursuit of pleasure, especially relating to fine food and drink; characterized by refined sensory enjoyment.
“Memories of Parisian distress still linger, but they don’t obscure the city’s celebrated iconography: the epicurean delights, the Eiffel Tower, the shopping on the Champs Elysées.”
Reading Comprehension
Test Your Understanding
5 questions covering different RC question types
1According to the US State Department statistics cited in the article, terrorism is the leading cause of death for Americans traveling abroad.
2Why does Wismayer compare the international response to attacks in Mumbai (2008) and Kashmir (1995)?
3Which sentence best captures Wismayer’s main argument about the relationship between media coverage and travel fear?
4Based on the article, determine whether each statement is true or false:
The domestic homicide rate in the US is approximately 20 times higher than the rate of Americans killed abroad.
Wismayer argues that remote, rural destinations are statistically more dangerous than major cities based on crime data.
The 2014 Ebola epidemic significantly reduced tourism to African countries thousands of miles from the outbreak’s epicenter.
Select True or False for all three statements, then click “Check Answers”
5Based on Wismayer’s argument, what can be inferred about his view on the relationship between travel and global understanding?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Exoticism refers to how unfamiliar, culturally distant places are perceived as inherently more dangerous than familiar locations, regardless of actual statistical risk. Wismayer argues that the more “foreign” a destination appears—geographically remote, culturally distinct, less represented in Western media—the less rational our risk assessment becomes. Remote Kashmir remains stigmatized decades after a single incident, while cosmopolitan Mumbai’s warnings lifted within days despite a larger attack, illustrating how cultural familiarity, not objective danger, determines perceived safety.
The statistics reveal a stark disconnect between fear and reality. Over ten years (2006-2015), road accidents killed 2,387 Americans abroad (29%), while terrorism claimed only 168 (2%), with most deaths occurring in active war zones. Suicide and drowning each exceeded terrorism fatalities by more than six times. Yet public anxiety focuses overwhelmingly on terrorism rather than mundane dangers like traffic. This data demonstrates that travelers would be better served worrying about their rental car than potential terrorist attacks.
Wismayer argues that government advisories often reflect and perpetuate cultural prejudices rather than objective risk assessment. They apply inconsistent standards—lifting warnings quickly for familiar cities like Mumbai while maintaining decades-long warnings for remote regions like Kashmir despite no ongoing tourist targeting. The advisories fail to acknowledge that foreigners are often among the least likely to be targeted during civil unrest, and they don’t account for context like the million Indian Hindus who safely visit Kashmir annually.
Readlite provides curated articles with comprehensive analysis including summaries, key points, vocabulary building, and practice questions across 9 different RC question types. Our Ultimate Reading Course offers 365 articles with 2,400+ questions to systematically improve your reading comprehension skills.
This article is classified as Intermediate level. It features sophisticated vocabulary (percussive, Manichean, promulgation), abstract concepts about risk perception and cognitive bias, and a complex argumentative structure moving from personal narrative through statistical analysis to cultural critique. While accessible to educated readers, it requires active engagement to follow Wismayer’s layered argument connecting individual travel fears to broader patterns of media representation and cultural prejudice. The piece demands both literal comprehension and inferential thinking to grasp its full implications.
The consequences are massive. Tourism represents over $7 trillion (10% of global GDP) and employs 250 million people worldwide. When irrational fear devastates tourism—as in Tunisia after Sousse, or across sub-Saharan Africa during Ebola—entire economies collapse. Wismayer describes empty beaches, echoing hotel lobbies, and ceramics sellers abandoned by tourists due to statistically negligible risks. These economic impacts disproportionately harm developing nations least able to absorb such shocks, punishing entire populations for isolated incidents while wealthy western travelers stay home.
The Ultimate Reading Course covers 9 RC question types: Multiple Choice, True/False, Multi-Statement T/F, Text Highlight, Fill in the Blanks, Matching, Sequencing, Error Spotting, and Short Answer. This comprehensive coverage prepares you for any reading comprehension format you might encounter.
