Another British holidaymaker has met a tragic end abroad. This time, a blaze at a resort in the Dominican Republic has claimed a life, and the predictable chorus of outrage has begun. But before we demand compensation, before we blame the hotel chain, let us pause.
Let us ask the uncomfortable question: why do we persist in treating foreign holidays as risk-free excursions? The Dominican Republic is not Milton Keynes. It is a developing nation with lax regulations, corrupt inspectors, and a tourism industry built on cheap labour and cheaper safety standards.
This is not new. This is not surprising. It is the logical outcome of a globalised travel industry that prioritises profit over people.
The Victorians understood that travel was an adventure, a confrontation with the unknown; they packed their own medicines and accepted the risks. Today, we expect sanitised safety. We expect the standards of Surrey in Santo Domingo.
And when reality intrudes, when a faulty electrical system or a lack of fire escapes kills, we feign shock. We should instead look in the mirror. Our demand for cheap holidays fuels this system.
Our refusal to pay a fair price for safety leaves corners cut. This death is a tragedy, but it is also a predictable consequence of intellectual decadence, of our wilful ignorance about how the world actually works. The resort should answer for its failures, yes.
But so should we, for our collective naivety. The Fall of Rome was hastened by citizens who demanded bread and circuses without question. Today, we demand all-inclusive buffets and air conditioning, and we ask no questions about the scaffolding that holds it all up.
Until we change that, more tourists will die. It is not a matter of if, but when.
