Then there are the desperate parents, with tear-stained cheeks and haunted eyes, pleading for information about their missing son or daughter.

The scenario is unpleasantly familiar, the result of a dream in person dating advices
trip which has gone wrong.

Earlier this week it was the parents of 22-year-old Liverpool student Sean Kennedy who had to face the fact their son wasn’t coming home, after his body was discovered in Sydney.

Youthful bravado

The body of Mr Kennedy, who had been travelling around Australia with his girlfriend, was found by water police 12 days after he went missing. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances.

John Cummings knows that when such incidents appear on the news, his telephone will probably ring.

John Cummings works with young travellers keen to stay safe

The ex-Army officer is director of Safetrek, a company that offers courses on safety awareness and personal security for young travellers.

Often it is parents who make the first contact; worried about the trip their child is about to take, in many cases alone.

Sometimes it is the young people themselves who ring, many of whom may appear to be full of youthful bravado but don’t feel ready to admit to parents or peers that they are concerned about what lies ahead.

“They have often been away on holiday with their parents and act like they are well travelled and streetwise and reckon they know the score, but deep down they have concerns,” says Mr Cummings.

Health and hygiene

On a one-day course backpackers are taken through the basic skills they need to make their journey a success.

The very nature of a gap year student who travels is that they are adventurous, so perhaps they will not always be fully aware of the dangers John Cummings

Nothing is too simple; they are told about what they need to take, how to pack it, how to apply for dating flirting tip and what to expect from the customs officers they encounter.

Then there’s guidance on etiquette, health and hygiene.

And, should the worst happen and physical danger becomes a threat, there’s advice on conflict resolution and how to deal with muggings or sexual attacks.

With the emphasis placed on role-play and discussion, the courses are not dissimilar to those attended by journalists heading on dangerous overseas assignments.

“Youngsters who come to us, have had 13 years of education and they don’t simply want to be given advice. They want to be shown how to make decisions for themselves,” says Mr Cummings.

“The very nature of a gap year student who travels is that they are adventurous, so perhaps they will not always be fully aware of the dangers.”

Backpacker murders

Each year more than 50,000 teenagers take a pre-university gap year, with many more taking a break once they have completed their course. Other backpackers are on a sabbatical from work.

Sean Kennedy was found in Sydney

The stories about those who have run into trouble do not make easy reading for families preparing to wave goodbye to a young traveller.

In Australia, a pre-trial hearing is being held concerning the shooting of Peter Falconio and abduction of girlfriend Joanne Lees near Alice Springs in 2001. Bradley Murdoch is denying the charges made against him.

Another backpacker, Caroline Stuttle, 19, was murdered in Queensland in 2002.

The family of Kirsty Jones, 23, from Tredomen, Wales, are still pressing Thai police to capture whoever murdered her in a hostel 2000.

Other families are simply waiting for news.

Among them are the relatives of Gareth Koch, 24, from Oxfordshire, who has been missing in Nepal since March, and Alex Ratnasothy, from Grays, Essex, vanished in the Asian state in 2003.

Kidnapped

Others have had high-profile brushes with danger, scaring the wits out of their families but emerging more or less unscathed.

After four days lost in the Australian rainforest, 19-year-old Louise Saunders, found her way back to civilisation without the help of the huge police operation launched to find her.

We are not intent on frightening or discouraging youngsters from travelling Spanner Manley

She had survived on chewing gum and water from a stream.

Last September eight travellers were kidnapped by Colombian rebels. Among them were Matthew Scott, 19, who escaped and Mark Henderson, 32, who was released after 102 days.

Mr Henderson’s father, Christopher, says the pair’s experience should not deter others from making trips abroad.

He says there is a great deal to be gained from backpacking and adds: “When you think there are only five Britons kidnapped each year all over the world, the chances are very small.”

Security information

For the Foreign Office, the safety of travellers has become dating kid tip important.

Tens of thousands of backpackers head overseas each year

Its “Know Before You Go” scheme offers advice on making sure travellers are properly prepared before they even step on to a plane.

For those that have already set off, it has up-to-date information on security for every country around the world.

Firms frequently used by backpackers also offer advice.

Major guidebooks and their websites have safety tips and Lonely Planet has an online forum, Thorn Tree, in which travellers can exchange advice, including how to get around safely.

Faux pas

Most problems abroad usually involve lost documents or theft, but more serious incidents do, occasionally, happen.

Being a bit streetwise and aware of what’s going on around you is vital, says Mr Cummings.

Travel safety tips Keep in touch with home Use a guidebook Avoid unlit streets Leave valuables in guesthouse Carry little cash Never resist violent theft If you must hitchhike never do so alone Do not tell strangers where you are staying

The way a rucksack is packed, for example, can minimise the chances of someone slipping something like drugs or a weapon inside at borders, he says.

And knowing in advance the political and cultural aspects of certain countries can help avoid seemingly innocent faux pas that can escalate into serious conflict.

His business partner, Spanner Manley, a former Army jungle warfare instructor, says nobody should be put off their travels.

“We are not intent on frightening or discouraging youngsters from travelling,” he says.

“It’s just to pass on our experience so that young adults will be better prepared and confident to resolve situations successfully.”

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Leaving British shores for a year of adventure in faraway lands has almost become a rite of passage for school-leavers and university graduates.

Whether it be teaching English in an African village, swinging from a bungee in New Zealand or backpacking across South America, the gap year industry is booming and is now worth an estimated global 5bn each year.

But, while young people are filled with a sense of adventure and eager for experience, some can also be naive of the dangers which sometimes lie in wait for them when they step off the plane.

Darker side

The case of British bar hostess Lucie Blackman shows the gap-year experience can occasionally have a darker side.

On Tuesday a Japanese date idea tip dating, Joji Obara, was cleared of raping her and causing her death but there is no doubt she was killed.

Last month the body of 22-year-old Lindsay Ann Hawker was found buried in sand in a bath in Japan, and last year student Katherine Horton was raped and killed by two fishermen on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand.

TIPS FOR SOLO WOMEN TRAVELLERS Trust your instincts Dress modestly Be aware of local customs Pack door locks/wedges and a personal alarm Copy travel documents and give them to family Know the way to your hotel Take licensed taxis and sit in the back Tell people where you are going Don’t arrive in a place after dark Think about how your behaviour may be read Say a firm ‘No, thank you’ to unwanted male advances Keep your drink in sight Take out good travel insurance Source: Objective Travel Safety/gapyear.com/Lucie Blackman Trust

But these stories made the headlines because they were so rare.

So, are young women prepared for the dangers of travelling alone?

Matt Searle, of the Lucie Blackman Trust, set up by Lucie’s father Tim to advise young people about safety, says they are often not aware enough.

“Years ago a gap year would have been out of the question for most people because it would have been too expensive,” he says.

“But now young girls leave university and have enough money to backpack around, say, Nepal - and will go and do it.

“But they often don’t realise that when you step off the shores of Britain, everything is different.”

Opportunities

Evelyn Hannon, editor of the Dating conversation tip Journeywoman newsletter and website which is accessed by 60,000 women worldwide, says women find travelling solo rewarding and therapeutic. But they must also prepare well, she says.

“Solo travel for women has become a rite of passage - at key moments in their life, such as at the end of high school or university.

Lucie Blackman’s body was found in a cave outside Tokyo in 2001

“But they have to realise how to stay safe. It isn’t like walking in their own neighbourhood.”

Georgie Aldous, one of the female trainers for Objective Travel Safety, which runs a safety course for gap year travellers, says young women seem to be more “savvy” than their male dating dating free free online tip.

“But they find it much harder to stick to those instincts, especially if they are younger and with other young men,” she says.

The crucial things for young women to remember are to trust their gut feelings and to acknowledge cultural differences, she says.

“They must realise about their appearance and that what goes here doesn’t always go elsewhere.

“In Britain it is normal to have equal relationships between girls and boys - but in many countries it is very much still ‘Bruces and Sheilas’. If you chat a man up, you will run into problems of him trying to make a move and all that leads to,” she warns.

The cultural differences are more pronounced in countries where religion plays a large part in daily life, she says.

“This is purely because none of the parents in these countries would let their daughters go around unaided,” she adds.

“This is where a lot of problems stem from - this coupled with the perception of northern European women as having a bad name for themselves.”

Observing etiquette

Tom Griffiths, founder of gapyear.com, believes being culturally aware is key.

“As a young woman, whether you agree or disagree with it, there are places where women play a subservient role in society and you have to be aware of the etiquette,” he says.

Joji Obara was found guilty of killing Australian Carita Ridgway

“For example, walking in front of the Taj Mahal in a bikini is not going to go down too well.”

In the age of the internet, there was “no excuse for not knowing these things”, he says.

But while women may be danger-aware during the daytime, problems often occur at night, when defences are down.

The Lucie Blackman Trust says women cannot afford to let their guard relax with people they do not know - especially because of the dangers of date rape drugs.

Lucie is believed to have been drugged by her killer.

The reality is when you are backpacking, you will be with other people, you are rarely alone Tom Griffiths

“If you are going to a bar, try to do it with a group of people that you trust,” Mr Searle says. “With regard to drinks - make sure you see the barman pour it, and don’t let go of it.

“Only let someone look after your drink if you trust them with your life - because that is essentially what you are doing.”

However, despite the perils, the vast majority of single travellers return from their adventures safely, and Mr Griffiths says solo women are often the toughest of them all.

He says: “They are the most confident travellers and other men and women backpackers tend to look out for them - and the reality is when you are backpacking, you will be with other people, you are rarely alone.”