Struck by Decline

I recently traveled in Colombia and Peru and was struck by the devastating effects of declining tourism. I witnessed the despair of street vendors, the pleading of beggars, the virtually empty hotels and restaurants and the stoic resignation of shopkeepers. Foreign reporters, in their quest for sensational stories, have unscrupulously been making mountains of molehills by reporting epidemic cholera, guerrilla warfare and streets packed with hoodlums and thieves. This is highly irresponsible and terribly damaging to the tourist industry, upon which a large portion of the population depends.

I walked the cobblestones in Cartagena, Cuzco and Arequipa, and the avenues of Bogota and Lima during all hours of day and night, alone and with a friend. I did not feel threatened anyplace. In fact, I felt I wasn’t even noticed in the crowd. A bit of determination and goal-oriented behavior will not make one the target of ill will. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip.

PETER WEISBROD

Laguna Beach