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Dubious Destination of the Week Inaugural

Look in the next few weeks for lots of new features here at Jaunted. We'll introduce them as they are, uh, introduced.

Our first new weekly feature is the Dubious Destination of the Week. Each week, we'll choose a destination featured in a travel glossy or weekend section recently that smacks of questionable judgment on the part of their editors. It's similar to the Philadelphia effect; it could be that it's the new hotness, but more likely is that it makes for good copy, regardless of how enjoyable it is as a tourist destination at the moment. As always, send your nominations to tips@jaunted.com.

Our inaugural choice is from the New York Times Travel section (we pick because we love) this week. Seriously, guys, Bogotá, Colombia? We'd be more trusting, but this little nugget from the article necessitated a spit take:

"Extortion-related kidnappings are becoming rarer across the nation, with the government reporting a 51 percent drop: 369 in 2005, down from 747 in 2004".

If kidnappings are now under 400 a year, it must be safe! We'd venture that being held hostage by masked gunmen is likely to replace dirty weekends in Ibiza any minute now.

[Image via dando pinos/Flickr]

Related Stories:
·   Bogotá Is Not Just For The Brave Anymore [New York Times]