Are tourists sometimes safer because they look lost?
Predictability and visibility influence behavior.
Standing out can sometimes attract attention, but it can also increase visibility and social accountability.
Many travelers assume blending in is always safer. Yet visible visitors often attract observation from everyone around them, not only from potential threats.
The paradox is that being noticeable can occasionally create informal protection. When many eyes follow the same person, unusual events become harder to ignore. Visibility is not the opposite of safety; under certain conditions it becomes part of it.
