The French equivalent of the travel and tourism collective has undoubtedly been in for some trying times of late and although they may not be too thrilled about the idea of any reference to a destination like Paris having safety implications, the reality is that anyone with a desire to visit Paris right now has to exercise some safety precautions. While the iconic destination has generally been associated with a model tourist destination, particularly with regards to safety, recent developments linked with terrorist activity and a growing population of marginalised and disenfranchised people have certainly altered the safety paradigm ordinarily synonymous with the city of love.
It’s perhaps more than just a selection of ominous threats, with some recent events playing out as a physical manifestation of the new safety issues surrounding what remains one of the best holiday destinations to visit in the world.
All of that said, there’s a lot worse which could still never deter the spirit of true traveller. Wanderlust seems to be stronger than just about any other force in what lovers of the road see as a big, beautiful world just waiting to be explored, discovered and rediscovered. So if you justifiably won’t let anything deter you from your trip to Paris, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t disregard what are very real safety concerns.
There are some precautionary measures you can put in place in order to ensure you do indeed enjoy a safe trip while in Paris, starting with some common vigilance.
Acquaint yourself with the various cultures thriving in what is a very diverse city. Just educating yourself about the cultural and religious differences will go a long way, as well as educating yourself about what all of these differences mean in the context of a city undergoing some rather trying times. It would be totally foolish to behave in a hostile manner to someone whom you might otherwise suspect to be terrorist, based solely on a perception of what a typical terrorist “looks like” as is portrayed through the media. Don’t fall into the trap of coming across as being ignorant, which will attracted some unwanted attention of a different kind.
That said, we have to face facts and address what is perhaps the biggest threat, which is the possibility of a terrorist attack. Some proactive steps to take in an attempt to minimise the risk of falling victim to such an unfortunate possibility include keep your travelling group small, perhaps making use of a taxi shuttle service such as T2 Transfer as an alternative to something like the metro subway, an otherwise prime target for a mass attack, which is what terrorists seem to be targeting.
Petty theft also seems to be on the rise, which could very easily escalate into something more serious, so for as long as such threats linger over a city which still has so much to offer travellers, treating it as a typical travel destination will go a long way in ensuring your safety. So no flashing around large amounts of money and other valuables and just be considerate of others, whether it’s locals, fellow tourists or law enforcement officials who undoubtedly have a lot on their hands right now.
