Europe: Is it safe to travel to?

To start off this piece about the safety of Europe I would like to mention my heartfelt condolences to families and friends of the victims of the Manchester Centre bombings.

To the 22 (as of time of writing) victims, who had their lives, innocence and opportunity, mercilessly stripped from them, your passing will not be in vain and you will not be forgotten by your country, nor the world.

To the 59 (as of time of writing) injured, I wish you a speedy and healthy recovery as the world stands to support you. For all the family members and friends of those a victim of last night’s attack, I can never understand the pain you are going through but take solace in the fact that the support of the world is behind you.

The attack in Manchester was an attack on children, teenagers, and young adults. Targeting societies’ most vulnerable and innocent. It goes without saying that the perpetrator wanted nothing more than to hurt society in order to make us afraid; afraid of each other and afraid of the unknown. We must stand strong and we must stand together, undivided, and without bias.

Terror Attacks

It is in the shockwave of the Manchester attack that the question of if Europe is safe to travel to is asked. Attacks in London, Paris, Stockholm, and now Manchester so far this year could understandably leave someone thinking about travelling to Europe to think again.

Terror attacks, designed to strike fear into the hearts of the survivors and take the life of the victims is a crime most vile. They have no place in a civilised society and they benefit no one.

When it comes to travelling to a new country, whether alone, as a couple, group of friends, or a family, how safe you believe you will be in a particular country has a definitive impact on whether you book your flights there or spin the globe again to look for a new holiday destination.

Information provided by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office helps paint a picture of the current safety status of Europe in 2016. Source: Express.

The state of Europe

The map above provides the stark reality of Europe. While it is months old it is still extremely relevant. Being from Ireland, it surprised me to see that we fall under an Amber Alert of terrorism activity,

However I feel like it is also understandable why I think that. Ireland is my country, one that I am so familiar with and the idea that a terrorist attack could take place here seems impossible, but this simply isn’t the case anymore.

The reality of not just Europe but of the world is that we are all at risk. Every day we take risk by stepping out of our front door, walking down the stairs, even turning on the oven to cook our dinner we are taking risks but now we are at risk from terror.

I believe that the recognised level of risk that we take into account every day of our lives must be acknowledged to look at the positive of travelling to these countries which have suffered at the hand of terrorism.

Safety

No one can ever guarantee your safety in any country. I spent four months living in New York, I walked past the same place people have been previously murdered; a dumpster bomb along my route to work went off while I happened to be in work just a couple blocks away. These are incidents that can call into question your safety in a particular place.

We mustn’t forget of the people of Europe, the sights, smells, things to do, and history to witness.

The success of these terror attacks is not based on the amount of lives they take but the impact they have on society’s psychological well-being. As a people we must stand together in unity and celebrate our diverse nature but we also mustn’t shy away from exploring our world.

From one traveller to any others reading; we, and the world, lose, when we allow those filled with hatred to separate us. I’ve been to Manchester and Paris, both exquisite cities full of amazing people. If anything, cities affected by terrorism ever prove to us it’s that: the evil that may lurk beneath is over shadowed by the overwhelming good in those who offered help and solidarity following the terror attacks.

When I think of Manchester, I think of a city with world-famous football teams, the birthplace of the computer, the suffragette movement; a place of stunning libraries and stunning Rolls Royce cars and it is important we remember a city for what it should be known for.

Balance

Ultimately, the decision on whether Europe is safe to travel to or not will be made by the person sitting in front of their computer about to book their flight; and they will deem what is risky and what isn’t.

If this is – or will be – you, then I implore you to think about the people who came out as a force of power, unity, and empowerment following attacks on their home city.

Acknowledge them, just as much as you would acknowledge any atrocity which has taken place in their back yard and ask yourself if one act of hatred is going to prevent you from visiting a place where countless acts of love, selflessness, humanity, and care, succeeded it.

To read about another city coping with a terrorist attack that changed the world, go here.