U.S., Dec. 10 -- The last thing people tend to think about when heading out the door on holiday is safety. That is understandable. Rather than thinking about all the possible risks that lie ahead, they are imagining the thrills and exciting opportunities their holidays hold in store. Perhaps we need to have a more serious discussion about tourism safety.

Years of studies consistently show that tourism safety is a genuine and serious concern - even if people aren't thinking about it. For example, a 2017 study out of Bowling Green State University estimated that as many as 50% of all travellers either fall ill or are injured while on their trips.

The study went further to document more than 3,000 tourist fatalities reported between 2013 a...