Dai Bin | Building a new pattern of safety work in the era of mass tourism

On September 6, the Tourism Security Sub-Forum of the 2024 Global Public Security Cooperation Forum (Lianyungang) was held in Sanya, Hainan Province. Dean Dai Bin of our institute was invited to deliver a video speech entitled "Building a New Pattern of Security Work in the Era of Mass Tourism". The full text is as follows: Traditional tourism security focuses on the personal and property safety of tourists, especially group tourists, during travel, sightseeing, accommodation, and dining at the destination. Diplomatic, immigration, customs, and consular protection departments regularly issue tourism and travel tips for relevant countries and regions, including but not limited to security risks caused by war, terrorism, natural disasters, and public health incidents. In order to maximize the protection of tourists, some countries have also established tourist police and explored cross-border cooperation. Tourism security in the new era faces many challenges. First, the continuous growth of domestic and inbound and outbound tourism has created huge floating population pressure on destinations during the peak tourist season. Public security agencies with permanent population size and local leisure traffic configuration are often overloaded, and police personnel and technical conditions are difficult to effectively respond to new requirements for tourism security. Second, more and more self-guided tourists are entering the daily life space of the destination, rather than the relatively closed tourist space such as traditional tourist attractions, resorts, foreign-related hotels, designated stores and tourist buses, which are prone to induce consumption, forced transactions, false propaganda and other social security and food, transportation, market supervision and other security risks, and even smuggling, fraud, gambling, pornography, drug abuse and other criminal crimes. Third, the widespread application of artificial intelligence and big data technologies, such as ubiquitous face recognition and tourist identity information collection, will greatly increase the risk of tourists' personal and property safety once leaked and used by criminals. To cope with the above challenges, close cooperation between the public security and tourism departments is needed, joint efforts from all parties are needed, and extensive participation from the whole society is needed. A new concept of tourism safety should be established: "No safety, no tourism". Safety education should be increased for tourists, tourism operators, community residents and destination managers to minimize tourism safety risks from the source. The public should pay attention to tourism safety tips issued by government departments and public institutions in a timely manner, and avoid traveling to countries and regions with security risks. Life is more important than landscape. Tourists should not visit unopened "wild scenic spots", should not join tour groups organized by unqualified personnel, and should not buy food, medicine and health products without safety certification. Tourism resource development institutions, tourism operators and service personnel should strengthen legal education and should not provide tourists with products and services that are prohibited by law and below mandatory national standards. It is necessary to build a new pattern of tourism safety work that is "based on self-service tourists, with group tourists as the focus, with the public security, market supervision and tourism departments working together, with extensive social participation and tourists generally benefiting". The vast majority of tourists often complete their travel activities by self-service, self-driving and free travel. The public security department needs to strengthen the supervision of special transportation vehicles such as RVs, self-driving cars, cruise ships, tourist trains and their berths, power equipment in theme parks and amusement parks, experience projects such as low-altitude flight, parachuting, diving, bungee jumping, shared cars, short-term rental apartments, urban and rural homestays and other non-standard products, as well as research, adventure, off-road clubs, music festivals, concerts and tourism festivals. Focus on studying the potential security risks brought by "ticket scalping", "tied sales" and "passport swiping" in popular cultural and museum venues, theme parks and resorts, give full play to the role of grassroots law enforcement and administrative departments, and promptly launch special governance mechanisms to prevent problems before they occur. We must explore new models of cross-border tourism police cooperation. China and European countries such as Italy, Serbia and Croatia have had precedents of sending police to patrol tourist cities together, which has effectively enhanced the sense of security and satisfaction of outbound tourists. We can also establish working mechanisms such as mutual notification of holiday and tourist peak season forecast data, special training on tourism laws, and joint research on typical cases. Provide tourists with a tourism safety environment that is no less than the sense of gain of local residents, and build a new space for a better life shared by residents and tourists, safe and orderly. Tourism is a rigid demand for a better life. It is our common responsibility to create a safe travel and a peaceful life environment. I wish you who protect the safety of tourists can also travel freely and happily on this beautiful land and on this blue planet.

Fostering a New Architecture of Safety in the Era of Mass TourismSanya, September 6, 2024

Tourism safety traditionally refers to the personal and property safety of tourists, especially of group tourists when travelling, sightseeing, accommodating or dinning at destinations. Foreign affairs, immigration, customs and consular protection departments regularly issue tips for travelling in relevant countries and regions, guarding against those risks arising from wars, riots, natural disasters and public health events. To protect the safety of tourists, some countries have also designated tourism policemen and actively seek cross-border cooperation.Challenges to tourism safety in the new era. Firstly, the growing number of domestic, inbound and outbound tourists brings huge population burden on the destination at peak seasons. Public security agencies established by permanent population size and local leisure traffic flow often work overloaded, with their officers and technologies insufficient to fulfill new tourism safety requirements. Secondly, more and more independent tourists are entering the living space of the destination, other than those closed tourism spaces like scenic spots, resorts, foreign related hotels, designated stores and sightseeing buses. This can easily lead to safety risks specific to social security, food, transportation, and market supervision such as induced consumption, compelled transaction and false communication among others, and even crimes such as smuggling, fraud, gambling, pornography and drug abuse. Thirdly, artificial intelligence and big data technologies are widely used for face recognition and tourist identity acquisition, but once such information is leaked and misused by criminals, tourists will be exposed to greater personal and property risks.To address those challenges, public security and tourism departments need to work closely with each other, and the participation of the whole society is more important.Upholding the new concept of tourism safety, i.e. “without safety, there would be no tourism”. It is necessary to raise safety awareness of tourists, tourism operators, community residents and destination administrators, so as to minimize safety risks from source. The public need to pay close attention to the travel safety tips issued by governments and public institutions, and do not go to the countries and regions with safety risks. Life is more important than sightseeing. Tourists should not go to the “wild scenic spot” inaccessible, or take part in the group travel without certification, or purchase uncertified food, drugs and healthcare products. Tourism resource developers, tourism operators and service personnel should strengthen education on laws and disciplines, and should not provide tourists with products and services that are legally prohibited and not up to mandatory national standards.Fostering a new architecture of tourism safety featuring “collaboration among public security, market supervision and tourism departments, mass participation, and benefits for tourists, with independent tourists as the basis and group tourists as the focus”. A majority of tourists either travel on their own or are self-drive. Public security department should strengthen supervision on special-type transportation tools like recreational vehicles, self-drive vehicles, cruise ships and tourist trains and its moorings; power utilities in theme parks or amusement parks; experiential projects, such as low-altitude flying, parachute jumping, scuba diving and bungee jumping; non-standard products, such as car-sharing, short-term apartments, and urban and countryside lodgings; as well as study tours, adventure and cross-country clubs; and music festivals, concerts and tourism festivals. It is also critical to investigate the potential safety risks caused by scalper tickets, tie-in sale, and validating existence in popular cultural museums, theme parks and resorts, give full play to law enforcement and administration departments at the grass-root level, and promptly initiate dedicated governance mechanisms for early prevention.Pursuing a new model of cooperation in police affairs for cross-border tourism. China, Italy, Serbia, Croatia and other European countries once took the lead to send policemen to the tourism cities of one another for joint patrol, effectively raising outbound tourists’ sense of security and satisfaction. The working mechanisms such as mutual notification of forecast data in holidays and peak seasons, tourism law trainings, and typical case study can also be established. We should provide an equally safe environment on par with local residents’ experience for benefiting from tourism, and build a safe and orderly space for residents and tourists to bask in. Travel is a rigid demand of quality life seekers, and it is our common responsibility to cultivate a living environment for safe travel and beautiful life. Wish all of you, tourist guardians, can also travel freely and happily on this beautiful land and this blue planet.作者 | 戴斌责编 | 刘鑫来源 | 中国旅游研究院（文化和旅游部数据中心）转载请注明作者、来源Tourism safety traditionally refers to the personal and property safety of tourists, especially of group tourists when travelling, sightseeing, accommodating or dinning at destinations. Foreign affairs, immigration, customs and consular protection departments regularly issue tips for travelling in relevant countries and regions, guarding against those risks arising from wars, riots, natural disasters and public health events. To protect the safety of tourists, some countries have also designated tourism policemen and actively seek cross-border cooperation.Challenges to tourism safety in the new era. Firstly, the growing number of domestic, inbound and outbound tourists brings huge population burden on the destination at peak seasons. Public security agencies established by permanent population size and local leisure traffic flow often work overloaded, with their officers and technologies insufficient to fulfill new tourism safety requirements. Secondly, more and more independent tourists are entering the living space of the destination, other than those closed tourism spaces like scenic spots, resorts, foreign related hotels, designated stores and sightseeing buses. This can easily lead to safety risks specific to social security, food, transportation, and market supervision such as induced consumption, compelled transaction and false communication among others, and even crimes such as smuggling, fraud, gambling, pornography and drug abuse. Thirdly, artificial intelligence and big data technologies are widely used for face recognition and tourist identity acquisition, but once such information is leaked and misused by criminals, tourists will be exposed to greater personal and property risks.To address those challenges, public security and tourism departments need to work closely with each other, and the participation of the whole society is more important.Upholding the new concept of tourism safety, i.e. “without safety, there would be no tourism”. It is necessary to raise safety awareness of tourists, tourism operators, community residents and destination administrators, so as to minimize safety risks from source. The public need to pay close attention to the travel safety tips issued by governments and public institutions, and do not go to the countries and regions with safety risks. Life is more important than sightseeing. Tourists should not go to the “wild scenic spot” inaccessible, or take part in the group travel without certification, or purchase uncertified food, drugs and healthcare products. Tourism resource developers, tourism operators and service personnel should strengthen education on laws and disciplines, and should not provide tourists with products and services that are legally prohibited and not up to mandatory national standards.Fostering a new architecture of tourism safety featuring “collaboration among public security, market supervision and tourism departments, mass participation, and benefits for tourists, with independent tourists as the basis and group tourists as the focus”. A majority of tourists either travel on their own or are self-drive. Public security department should strengthen supervision on special-type transportation tools like recreational vehicles, self-drive vehicles, cruise ships and tourist trains and its moorings; power utilities in theme parks or amusement parks; experiential projects, such as low-altitude flying, parachute jumping, scuba diving and bungee jumping; non-standard products, such as car-sharing, short-term apartments, and urban and countryside lodgings; as well as study tours, adventure and cross-country clubs; and music festivals, concerts and tourism festivals. It is also critical to investigate the potential safety risks caused by scalper tickets, tie-in sale, and validating existence in popular cultural museums, theme parks and resorts, give full play to law enforcement and administration departments at the grass-root level, and promptly initiate dedicated governance mechanisms for early prevention.Pursuing a new model of cooperation in police affairs for cross-border tourism. China, Italy, Serbia, Croatia and other European countries once took the lead to send policemen to the tourism cities of one another for joint patrol, effectively raising outbound tourists’ sense of security and satisfaction. The working mechanisms such as mutual notification of forecast data in holidays and peak seasons, tourism law trainings, and typical case study can also be established. We should provide an equally safe environment on par with local residents’ experience for benefiting from tourism, and build a safe and orderly space for residents and tourists to bask in. Travel is a rigid demand of quality life seekers, and it is our common responsibility to cultivate a living environment for safe travel and beautiful life. Wish all of you, tourist guardians, can also travel freely and happily on this beautiful land and this blue planet.作者 | 戴斌责编 | 刘鑫来源 | 中国旅游研究院（文化和旅游部数据中心）转载请注明作者、来源