THE head of the Foreign Affairs Department has warned that Australian tourists should not expect the government automatically to bail them out of trouble spots such as the north African countries swept by revolutions this year.

Dennis Richardson, the secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the government ''has a responsibility to help individuals where they are caught up in circumstances beyond their control'', but that principle could be taken only so far.

"It's important for us to get across the message that as individuals, we do have responsibility for our own actions and our own decisions" ... Dennis Richardson, secretary to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Credit:Karleen Minney

''In a crisis, people and the media understandably look at what different countries are doing. So you almost get yourself into a competitive space, where if Country A is doing more than you, then you have to ask yourself whether you shouldn't be doing the same thing,'' Mr Richardson told a Lowy Institute lecture in Canberra.

''I think we should be prepared to draw the line in certain areas. I think it's important for us to get across the message that as individuals, we do have responsibility for our own actions and our own decisions.''