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Out of Site Advice
Err Travel · February 18, 2002

In the past I've noted that, of the Internet travel agencies that Gomez Advisors rated to be in the top ten, few provided any security information. And those that did, didn't offer much.

That was two years ago. Time to take another look.

In light of the September 11th terrorist hijackings, I expected to see greater availability of security information from those agencies. I also figured that there would be changes in the list of agencies garnering top ratings from Gomez.

This time 'round, I looked for security information about Jamaica - one of the most dangerous destinations in the Caribbean. As in the past, I assigned a score of 0 to 10 for each agency. A score of "0" meaning that no security information or links to security information were found on the site, and a score of "10" meaning that the site offers a complete suite of information about, and/or links to relevant and current travel security information. A site recived a score of "1" if there was something - anything - about security. At least it may give the visitor pause to consider security issues.

The results:

Though Gomez has changed its rating criteria, and it now assigns eleven sites its top rating, I was surprised to find six of the previously top-rated agencies were still in the top tier.

Agent: Asiatravelmart.com (new)

Score: 1

Security content: The "Traveler Toolkit" page on this site is simply a linked newswire feed. On the other hand, "Safety Measures During Traveling" found under "Travel Tips" on the Jamaica destination page offers some general travel advice. Perhaps too general. For instance, "burning a candle if you are caught in a snowstorm can provide enough heat to keep you alive!" In Jamaica?

Agent: ebookers.com (new)

Score: 1

Security content: One page called "Travellers' checklist" contained a few general tips.

Agent: Etravnet.com (new)

Score: 0

Security content: Zip.

Agent: Expedia

Score: 2

Security content: Things haven't changed in two years. As I reported then: "Three clicks to the U.S. State Department's Travel Warnings & Consular Information Sheets. (Note: I was only able to find this link on the site map page.) Also some very wimpy advice provided by Fodors."

Agent: Lowestfare.com

Score: 2

Security content: In the past couple of years, this site has gone from having no security information available to a direct link to the U.S. State Department's travel warnings on its home page and on many subsequent pages. There is also a page of specific listing for "Warnings or Dangers" on the Jamaica destinations page. Disappointingly, the information there is an accumulation of reader's comments which are scattered, sketchy, and of questionable authority.

Agent: OneTravel.com

Score: 1

Security content: A couple of (well hidden) clicks can get you to the U.S. State Department's travel warnings.

Agent: travelbyus.com (new)

Score: 5

Security content: The destination page for Jamaica has a security link that provided a straightforward, and pithy warning: "Kingston is the focal point of security concerns for travelers. Crime in the capital has increased recently, and petty crime can quickly escalate to violence, especially when victims resist. Visitors are advised to avoid walking after dark, and to avoid public transportation, where crowded conditions facilitate pickpocketing and purse-snatching."

Agent: Travelocity

Score: 5

Security content: A little. Travelocity still uses content from Columbus World Travel Guide and has added Frommer's and Lonely Planet as well. Of the three destination mini-guides, Frommer's is the most forthcoming with security related info. Specifically: "Jamaica can be a tranquil and intriguing island, but there's no denying that it's plagued by crime and drugs. There is also palpable racial tension here. But many visitors are unaffected; they're escorted from the airport to their hotel grounds and venture out only on expensive organized tours. These vacationers are largely sheltered from the more unpredictable and sometimes dangerous side of island life."

Agent: Travelscape.com

Score: 2

Security content: Hey! This is the same site as Expedia. Agent: Trip.com

Score: 1

Security content: Destination information, supplied by Rough Guides, contains a few sentences pertaining to crime. (By comparison, there are paragraphs devoted to the rules of cricket.) There is no information in the way of crime prevention.

Agent: Uniglobe.com

Score: 1 (barely)

Security content: A click on the "Resources" link on the home page delivered me a copy of the U.S. State Department warnings page. But then clicking on "J" lead me to what looked like a site map for The Bureau of Consular Affairs. Backing up then scrolling down the list to "Jamaica" did get me to the Consular Information Sheet.

What didn't surprised me by these results were the low scores that some sites earned. In all fairness (though that's never been a maxim for this column) the companies operating these Web sites are in the business of booking travel, not dishing out information that might distract from that focus.

What did surprise me was that so many of the sites offered so little in the way of safety and security. I would have thought that in the highly competitive market of online travel, where brand loyalty is all but non-existent, that these guys would be looking for unique ways differentiate themselves from their considerable competition and to add value to their sites.

Guess I thought wrong.

Dr. Terry Riley is a psychologist and travel security authority. He is author of the popular book Travel Can Be Murder. Visit his site at http://www.appliedpsychology.com or e-mail him at terry@ticked.com.