So far Germany has been spared major terror incidents, but my friend who I will rendezvous with in Berlin took the precaution of changing his flights to Istanbul so as to avoid Istanbul after the attack on Ataturk Airport last week. He later spoke of feeling torn by the decision, disappointed that he had succumbed to the fear of violence despite his love of Turkey.

I told him I thought it was a wise decision under the circumstances, and clearly many others feel the same: according to some estimates holiday bookings to Turkey are down by around about 40 per cent this European summer.

For many, it seems a spate of terrorism incidents amplified by mass viral media have changed the experience of travel by introducing a diabolical note of anxiety. It seems much of the world has the travel jitters right now – and many are electing to remain in the safety of their homes.

All statistics tell us the chances of getting caught up in a terrorist act are small, but that doesn't stop the anxiety that now accompanies such journeys – especially to countries that have recently been struck by terror. No one in their right mind would deliberately put themselves or those they care about into harm's way. 

Yet aside from staying home, how should we respond to the fear of  indiscriminate terror?

Our best defence is our shared belief in humanity and freedom. The words of Roosevelt seem to hold true today as they did when he uttered them in the 1930s: "The only thing we have to fear us is fear itself."

James Norman