Friday, October 2, 2009

THE EFFECT OF ILLICIT DRUGS ON GROWTH OF TOURISM



Twenty six year old Natasha Ashley, eight months and half pregnant, is talking with a female friend on the sidewalk in a section of New York City called Little Italy in the United States. Suddenly a car jumps the curb, hitting both women and pinning Ashley’s left leg against a light post, severely crushing it from knee down. The friend’s leg is also broken. The police found the driver in a drugged stupor in his car, still clutching a hypodermic needle in his hand. He had overdosed while driving. Driving a car under the influence of marijuana or LSD can be every bit dangerous. Drug users make the streets unsafe for all of us including our tourists; imagine Natasha Ashley to be a tourist in our land. That ugly incidence would cast a question mark on our hospitality and our tourism potentials. It could scare away all of her friends who may be intending to visit our land.

A 17-year-old crack addict goes on a robbing spree to support his drug habit. By the time he is apprehended eight days later, he has killed five people and wounded six others. “All of the victims were innocent working people,” noted the chief of detectives.

The above are but a few of the many drug-related incidents that could scare away potential tourists from our country, thus denying us our fair share of the income that could be generated via tourism.

How safe would you feel on the highway knowing that a certain percentage of the other road users have taken a drug that impairs their judgement or reflexes? How safe would a tourist feel on such highways? Would a tourist venture out again to such countries after a near death experience? Also drug users are also 3 or 4 times more likely to be involved in accidents at work. Would you be calm when boarding a bus, plane, or train while recognising that those responsible for your safety may be under the influence of drugs? Would a tourist be calm in such unfortunate life threatening circumstances? Would he readily recommend our tourism destinations to family and friends back home?

To be concluded.

No comments:

Post a Comment