Nobody wins when a tourist gets arrested in a foreign place for doing something they didn’t even know was illegal.
Of course, ignorance of the law is no excuse anywhere, but some places have a reputation for making things excessively difficult for people — often naive young people — who break the law.
So, it’s good to see that one popular destination is doing something about it.
As this item in The National newspaper reports, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates now has tourism court that, the authorities say, will deal swiftly with the misdemeanors of travellers.
As writer Peter Hellyer notes, in the past some people have spent weeks or months in jail only to be acquitted or receive a small fine. He also points out that this can generate negative publicity for the UAE in the home country of the person who has been charged.
Hopefully, the situation is a win-win.
