Holidays in hell could cost French

Holidays in hell could cost French

French tourists going to risky foreign destinations could be asked to
pay if their government has to come to the rescue.

A draft law proposed by the foreign minister would oblige travellers
to reimburse air fare and other costs incurred to rescue them from war
zones, hostage-takings and other hostile situations.
Officials say the aim is to promote responsibility among travellers at
a time of rampant piracy and kidnappings across the globe.

But critics believe the measure would not prevent hot-headed
travellers from getting into trouble in dangerous corners of the world
and say the government must protect its citizens.

The Foreign Ministry said the measure will not affect cases like that
of Clotilde Reiss, a 24-year-old French teacher on trial in Iran freed
on Sunday on bail of about £180,000 paid by the French government.
The ministry says the law, presented by Foreign Minister Bernard
Kouchner last month, would apply only to leisure-seeking tourists and
their travel agencies, but not to diplomats, reporters, aid workers
and others engaged in professional activity abroad.

As one example of the costs involved, a Foreign Ministry official said
the government paid £620,000 to fly home 500 tourists stranded in
Thailand amid civil unrest in late 2008.

According to a preliminary draft of the law, the decision to fine a
traveller would be taken by a French court and only on rare occasions.
The tourist would cover all or part of the costs incurred by the
government, such as travel fees, rescue operations and any other
measures taken to protect their well-being, depending on the case.

It is still unclear whether it could apply to situations like that of
the two French pleasure boats seized by Somali pirates in the Indian
Ocean over the past year whose hostages were freed by French Navy
commandos.
In one of those cases, the French government repeatedly warned the
boat's French captain, travelling with his family and friends, not to
travel in the area. The commando raid to free them in April prompted a
shootout in which the French captain and two pirates were killed.

http://www.teletext.co.uk/news/world...st+French.aspx
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I think this ruling would be overwhermingly supported by the French
taxpayers who are totally fed up to pay for brainless cretins that
deliberately visit the most dangerous areas on earth, then squeal like
pigs to be freed by our government.
It looks a lot like these so-called US "tourists" that visited
northern Iraq and "inadvertently" went into Iran!
But IMO, there is little relation with the blockade of the
international airports by the yellow Nazis of the PAD in 2008.
Till then, nobody could have foreseen the lawless power of the
xenophobic junta's minions, in a country that was still called 'The
Land of Smiles'.

Mort

In article , Magnus says...
I think this ruling would be overwhermingly supported by the French
taxpayers who are totally fed up to pay for brainless cretins that
deliberately visit the most dangerous areas on earth, then squeal like
pigs to be freed by our government.
It looks a lot like these so-called US "tourists" that visited
northern Iraq and "inadvertently" went into Iran!

I think that there is such a rule in place also in Germany.
--

Alfred Molon
http://www.molon.de - Photos of Asia, Africa and Europe

"Magnus" wrote in message
...
Holidays in hell could cost French

French tourists going to risky foreign destinations could be asked to
pay if their government has to come to the rescue.

A draft law proposed by the foreign minister would oblige travellers
to reimburse air fare and other costs incurred to rescue them from war
zones, hostage-takings and other hostile situations.

you mean that they don't already do this.

I would have thought that paying for such things was commonplace, especially
in France.

The law in France is that you have to pay the costs when you are rescued
from a mountain, and if they bring you down dead they send the bill to your
family (and take steps to make sure that it is paid).

tim