World Tourism Day is a day to celebrate travel, tourism, exploration and experiences. Anyone able to travel to other parts of the world and experience different cultures is very fortunate and we want to celebrate that at Prisoners Abroad.

Due to the popularity of travel and holidays for people in the UK and all over the world, many countries are now becoming reliant on tourism; hotels, hostels, restaurants and attractions depend on people from overseas visiting different countries to experience what they have to offer and injecting money into the country; supporting businesses and ventures.

Hopefully you’ll now be attuned to Prisoners Abroad’s Travel Aware campaign in partnership with the FCO, which helps raise awareness of the potential dangers of getting in trouble overseas. We’ve seen the difficulties that people are faced with when they act outside of the law in another country – a law they might not be familiar with as a British citizen - which can sometimes result in a lengthy prison sentence a long way from home.

This September, our country of the month is Turkey, a very popular tourist destination due to its warm seas, sandy beaches and hot weather. The laws in Turkey do differ from laws we are used to in the UK. The consequences of burning, defacing or taking down a flag in Turkey could land you with a hefty prison sentence of up to four years.

We are currently supporting 22 people in Turkey. Prison conditions are worse in Turkey than they are in the UK with overcrowding being a common problem as well as unsanitary conditions; running water is often not available all day, difficulties accessing a doctor and dental referrals often taking weeks.

Prisoners Abroad provides welfare support to British people imprisoned overseas, offering grants for clean water, food and vitamins to help people maintain their physical well-being whilst in detention.

We strongly advise people to check laws in other countries before visiting them. The FCO offers comprehensive guidance for each country; you can see advice for Turkey here. Travelling is wonderful, but the dangers are there so make sure you avoid them!

Look at our previous countries of the month.