As the Wild Coast of South Africa is the place where we lost our precious son Bavo Verheyden (2011, Lusikisiki)  by drowning, we have committed ourselves to support initiatives which put the touristic sector, including governments and municipalities along the Wild Coast, under pressure to take the necessary measures to reduce coastal drowning of tourists. This is nothing more than in accordance with the Ethical Code for Tourism, which South Africa endorsed in 2002 and committed to implement. Therefore for Safe Coastal Tourism it is absolutely important that duty of information is enacted. Tourist safety and security, as mentioned in the Code, also involves managing physical or environmental risks (natural, climatological, epidemiological). "Physical and environmental risks manifest if the travellers are unaware of the natural characteristics of the destination and their effects, in particular of its flora and fauna, ... Physical and environmental risks are also largely personal risks, due to the traveller's ignorance or passive approach to potential risks". (Source: Tourist Safety and Security: Practical Measures for Destinations, published in 1996 by WTO).

Meanwhile a settlement has been reached which Ntafufu Eco Lodge (before named Khululeka Resort) confirming there is a legal duty of information. The settlement has been made a court order by the High Court of South Africa, Western Division, Cape Town in September 2019.

But not only in South Africa information and warnings should be provided by touristic sector. Everywhere in the world touristic stakeholders have the responsibility to provide honest, complete and correct information about health, safety and prevention of accident in the environment of touristic destinations which they advertise.

Under the item 'press' we collect press articles related to drowning along the Wild Coast, drowning of Belgian citizens in the world, the implementation of the Code of Ethics for Tourism in Flanders and in South Africa and in other countries, legislation addressing the problem of drowning of tourists, initiatives which raise (open) water safety awareness, ....