Risks have been around since the beginning of time. Once, the biggest risks were diseases and wild animals. Today, the risks are war and natural disasters. This paper puts an emphasis on the risks that tourism imposes on society and that society imposes on tourism in the 21st century. The concrete risks are preceded by an introduction to tourism activity in general, as well as by an insight into the current state of our society. The general risks of today are mentioned to demonstrate the times in which we are living, as well as the means of their control, management and minimization. Globalization and modernization lie in the core of every risk. These 21st century phenomena have penetrated into all layers of developed societies, including tourism. By traveling in this century, a man exposes himself to various risks he must be aware of. Criminality, culture, finance, politics, natural disasters and modern diseases are the spheres from which risks to the 21st century tourist system arise.