Safe selfies …

A GUIDE comparing photography and selfie-stick regulations at some of the world's most popular tourist attractions has been compiled by Airport Parking and Hotels (APH). 

The research – available in the Know Before You Go section of the APH website at www.aph.com/selfie-safety – photography rules at 55 of the world's most popular tourist destinations including the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal and New York’s Times Square.

Of the 55 locations, photography is permitted at 52, including the Rome’s Colosseum La Sagrada Familia in Spain, and the Forbidden City in Beijing. All forms of photography are banned inside three tourist hotspots: the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, Rome, Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca, and Westminster Abbey in London.

Thirty-seven explicitly list specific regulations for photography, including Universal Studios®, which bans photography while on some of the rides. Flash photography is prohibited in certain areas at six of the tourist attractions researched, including the collection rooms at the Musée Du Louvre in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Selfie-stick enthusiasts should note that of the 55 tourist attractions researched, 13 ban selfie-sticks entirely, including all Disney World® theme parks, the Palace of Versailles, France, and the Colosseum in Rome.

To keep safe, travellers are asked to keep in mind hazards while taking photographs or selfies. This includes slippery or rocky surfaces and significant heights at 11 of the tourist attractions researched, particularly the worn steps at the Acropolis in Athens, the rocky environment at Petra in Jordan, and the steep steps at the Pyramid of Chichen Itza in Yucatan Peninsula. Travellers should be aware that there are no safety barriers in some sections of the Grand Canyon in Arizona and that there are many steps at the Taj Mahal in India, some of which are unsteady underfoot.

To avoid insulting locals and fellow visitors, travellers are reminded to be mindful of where and when they choose to snap selfies. At 10 of the tourist attractions researched, including the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., the Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo, and The National September 11 Memorial in New York City, selfies might be considered insensitive and inappropriate.

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Picture Credit: Time Square via photopin.com