What about Jamaica in particular? I asked Diana Willis, media manager for the Jamaica Tourist Board, if she had any special tips for people visiting her island.

"I advise people to exercise caution just as they would at home," she said. "Crime against tourists is really very low in Jamaica, but you shouldn't leave your wallet or camera untended on the beach, and you shouldn't wander into remote areas after dark -- just as you wouldn't at home. Just be sensible."

Visitors should also look into Jamaica's Meet the People program, Willis added, which brings together visitors and residents with shared interests, such as stamp collectors or orchid aficionados. This program presents an exemplary opportunity for travelers to meet locals through a channel that is organized and supervised -- perfect for people who are uncomfortable with impromptu encounters.

Then I spoke with veteran guidebook writer Christopher P. Baker, author of half a dozen travel guidebooks, including Lonely Planet's guide to Jamaica and the "Passport Illustrated Guide to Jamaica." I asked Baker what issues and lessons he thinks Kirschhoch's case raises for travelers.

"Well, Jamaica as a destination certainly poses several challenges," he said. "Muggings, murders, rapes and other serious crimes are daily events, and though not normally aimed at tourists, the history book on this score is unnerving. Drug use and drug trading proliferate, scamming tourists is a rite of passage for many younger, uneducated Jamaican males and a deep-rooted anger and resentment toward whites and a schizophrenic volatility are ubiquitous elements of the national psyche. Alas, Negril -- the hip in spot where Claudia disappeared -- attracts many unsavory characters bent on parting tourists from their dollars."

I asked him if he considers Jamaica a safe destination at this point, and if there are any particular guidelines travelers there should keep in mind.

"In general, Jamaica is safe and the majority of visitors have no problems," he said. "The Jamaican Tourist Board has made great strides in recent years to end hustling (harassment by itinerants) in the popular beach resorts. But once you stray from the beaten tourist path, it is easy to run into trouble. Women alone in Jamaica should be especially cautious and should never venture alone at night.

"Here are a few other guidelines I would pass along:

"Drugs (mostly ganja -- marijuana) are pervasive throughout the society, and it can be a temptation to experience Jamaica at its 'roots.' I strongly advise against joining any Jamaican males in ganja smoking, especially in a nefarious setting. Also, many Jamaican females prostitute themselves in resort areas and, besides the obvious health risk, they often work in cahoots with ruffians.

"In addition, many Jamaicans get angry at being photographed and may demand money if they see you photographing them. It's wise, as well as courteous, to honor local feelings.

"Jamaican males are extremely quick to get angry, and machismo is so deep-rooted that physical violence -- sometimes extreme -- is often an imperative. Avoid getting into an argument, and get away from other people's arguments or volatile crowds as quickly as possible.

"If visitors want to go to local nightspots, etc., I very strongly recommend that they go as a couple or as a group, or accompanied by a trusted local."

Of course, every destination is different. Jamaica is not Japan, and neither of them is Jordan. Every place poses its own risks and rewards.

I have felt intimidated and I have felt exhilarated in Jamaica. I have felt besieged by touts and hawkers and befriended by farmers and fishermen. Temptations -- dope and sex -- have been proffered plentifully, as have innocent, heart-opening invitations to visit local homes and join local celebrations.

Would I forgo a visit to Jamaica right now, at least until Kirschhoch's case is resolved? No. I would just apply my own basic rules of the road, which echo those of my colleagues:

Before you leave, get as much information about the destination you're visiting as possible. Buy guidebooks, scour the Web, peruse travel magazines, contact official sources such as tourism boards and unofficial sources such as Web site message areas -- Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree, for example. Check the U.S. State Department's consular warnings about the world, keeping in mind that these almost always err on the side of caution, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's health updates and advisories as well. Most important, find out about the risky areas and activities in the place you're planning to visit.

Be sure someone back home knows your itinerary. If you change it, be sure to let him or her know.

If you are traveling in high-risk areas, keep the local American Embassy or consulate informed of your whereabouts. Don't wander off alone into areas you don't know.

If you befriend locals, exercise the same common-sense restraints you do at home -- don't abandon your sense of caution just because you're on vacation. But don't lock yourself away from the locals in fear, either.

Travel is always a complicated equation of risk and growth -- that's a major part of its allure. You can go to Jamaica and spend a hedonistic week hidden behind high fences and security guards if that's what you want, but for me one of the greatest joys of travel anywhere is meeting the local people and getting to know the culture. And if I were to change my travel ways because of Claudia Kirschhoch's disappearance, then the forces of evil in the world -- the forces of fear and ignorance and division that Kirschhoch and travelers like her everywhere are always fighting against -- would gain a small but significant victory.

So here are the two hopes Kirschhoch's anguishing case inspires in me:

The first is a fervent prayer that she is somehow found safe and sound.

And the second is that her disappearance will indeed affect tourism to Jamaica and around the world -- not by keeping us home but by making all of us more mindful guests when we are on the road.

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