I am going to Guatemala.
While I’ve visted Central America several times, I was dismayed when I recently read this on the country’s Consular Information Sheet: “Violent criminal activity has been a problem in all parts of Guatemala for years, including murder, rape, and armed assaults against foreigners. (Gulp!) The police force is inexperienced and under-funded, and the judicial system is weak, overworked, and inefficient. (Oh, crap!) Well-armed criminals know that there is little chance they will be caught and punished.” (Hmm, sounds like D.C….OK, New Orleans)
It also doesn’t help that I have a dear friend who is worried about my safety on this trip. Let’s just say he knows more about the intrinsic danger of the place than I. (I’ll have to kill you if I tell you.) And then there’s my friend from Peru who said she was utterly shocked by the level of violence in Guatemala - albeit experienced only from television news reports she admitted - when she visited her brother who lives in Guatemala City. But, hey, I’m stubborn and I’m going. Besides, I’ll be accompanying my Aunt and Uncle who are expats living in Honduras.
One of my funniest memories of my last trip to Honduras was on the first day of our trip. We were on our way to the Bay Islands, but had to stay over outside La Ceiba for one night at a small eco-lodge on the river. After a rousing game of “asshole” (a card game for those of you who didn’t practically live in frats in college), one of our hosts, named Darwin, convinced my intoxicated 24-year-old brother to jump off a cliff. Literally. In the dark. Drunk. I found it poignant that a guy named after the evolutionary biologist who poularized the theory of “survival of the fittest” talked my brother into such a ludicrous act. He survived. And I got to thinking about all those risks we’re willing to take on when we travel outside our comfort zone.
So, always the business woman, I got to thinking about the business potential of helping people manage the potential dangers of traveling to developing areas. Now I’m not talking about the monolithic defense industry, although I’ve dabbled in that area. And I’m not talking about the politics of fear and the industries that’s spawned, from prison construction to the irrational post-9/11 run on duct tape and plastic sheeting. That is a subject for many, many other posts. I’m talking about services to help everyday people manage the risk of travel to unfamiliar places.
Travel insurance is one of those businesses. I myself buy it everytime I leave the States. A good policy will cover in-country health care as well as medical evacuation and kidnap and ransom. (U.S. health plans DO NOT cover health costs abroad.) Many travel aggregators are now offering travel insurance every time you book a trip abroad. I suggest buying it, mostly for the medical benefits.
The business of danger, however, is not limited to insurance. Recently I was directed to this excellent website: www.comebackalive.com. The brainchild of self-described “professional adverturer” and author of The World’s Most Dangerous Places, Robert Young Pelton, this site is meant mainly to hawk books and speaking engagements, and guess what else? Travel insurance. But it also offers a wealth of free information, including online communites and travel recommendations. My favorite is a danger rating map, which rates countries from “A Vacation with Grandma” to “Could Be Your Last Trip.” Much to my relief, Guatemala is rated the same as the entire U.S. (that is the second most safe). Go figure!
I’ll be keeping an eye on this sector. Afterall there will always be dangerous places in the world as well as adventurous people who want to conquer them.
2 Comments
February 15, 2007 at 7:33 am
Amy, this is very interesting and timely. In all seriousness, a colleague of mine was kidnapped while doing business in Brazil. It is the reality for those of us who are internationally focused and conduct business in emerging markets, as well as those markets which are more volatile due to poverty or political turmoil. Stay safe and keep me updated on any new interesting business angles you may explore…
August 1, 2007 at 10:32 pm
What is most fascinating is how much media portrayal affects people’s impressions and assumptions. And of course it’s all relative to what you your own perspective and norms are. A young Dutch school teacher keeps telling me about the VERY dangerous Philippines she last visited. She saw a scary guy with a big gun. Hmm, I remember those being everywhere after 9-11. The Philippines is rated the same as Guatemala and the U.S. And the same as Thailand where she was living at the time.
Know who you are selling too.