How much should governments be held responsible if tourists ignore travel warnings?
Two Swiss have been freed after being captured by Taliban while holidaying in remote Pakistan. The Swiss government has denied reports a ransom was paid for their freedom.
With kidnappings of tourists becoming increasingly common everywhere from the Philippines to Mali, should travellers be rethinking their holiday destinations or is it just a question of being street-smart? And should governments be responsible for tourists’ welfare even if they ignore official warnings?
Recent Swiss abductions
July 2011:
Two Swiss tourists are captured by the Taliban while travelling in a remote region of Pakistan. They are released in March 2012.
December 2010:
A 50-year-old businessman is abducted in Cuernavaca in Mexico. Although a ransom of SFr10,000 is paid by his family, he has not reappeared.
June 2010:
A 71-year-old businessman, who had been abducted in the south of the Philippines, is freed by soldiers.
April 2010:
Eight Red Cross workers, including one Swiss, are released after being held for a week in the Congo.
January 2010:
Police in Colombia free a 32-year-old Swiss woman who had been held for a fortnight.
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