Young travellers research local police, race and LGBTQ+ attitudes of a country before going there
Trippin, 50% of people would avoid travelling to countries where the police force has a bad reputation.The study also found that 65% of people who identify as marginalised would research the local community’s attitude towards them before visiting.Almost 40% of LGBTQ+ people research their threat of safety before travelling, and 67% of people would research the county’s police reputation before reporting a serious crime whilst travelling.‘As a Black female traveller, the act of exploring the world comes with its own idiosyncrasies and challenges,’ says Rachel Allison, 31, from Hertfordshire. ‘From anti-Black racism, to safety concerns in foreign countries, the decision to collect stamps on your passport is a battle of different situations.’Rachel says racism, overt or covert, can happen anywhere. ‘In Barcelona, I travelled with a mixed group when I experienced blatant racism,’ she says. ‘A city lauded for its art, beaches and culture, it was an absolute mission to get a taxi when in a group that included three Black men.
All the empty taxis we flagged would just pass us by. The only way we got around was by applying the central London clubbing trick of separating the group to seem less “ethnic”.’Thanks to the global nature of racism and anti-Blackness, Black people report experiencing discrimination, hostility, even violence, all over the world.
And the vulnerability that comes with travelling – the unfamiliar settings, different languages, isolation from your support systems – can exacerbate the impact of racial discrimination.Racism while travelling can feel even more terrifying and unsettling than the racism you face at home.
