Let's Talk Travel Safety

Let’s Talk Travel Safety

 

I feel that this is a topic that is not discussed nearly enough. We not only need to worry about safety every day at home, but when you visit a place you have not been to it is even more important to be aware. I don’t want to scare anyone off from seeing the world, but you need to be prepared in case something happens or to avoid any issues.

  Here a some of my top safety tips to make your Vacation amazing.

 

1.    Call a Travel Agent. You are probably thinking, I am only saying this because I want you to book with me, but honestly, it’s much bigger than that.  We are professionals that train to know the best places to visit and can tell you what to avoid whether it’s countries, cities or resorts, based on current trends, personal travel and education. Yes, I want your business but what’s more important to me is your safety and having the best vacation.

2.    Get Travel Insurance.  You may have thought travel insurance was only useful if you can’t travel or you become sick, but that isn’t the case. When you purchase a travel insurance policy it should obtain a clause for Baggage Loss or Damage, this will include theft. It should also include a 24-Hour Assistant by phone number that you can call, and they can assist you with resolving matters such as losing your passport, credit cards, and more.

3.    Don’t be flashy with your money and/or jewelry and lock up your valuables. The number one thing you should do when checking into your hotel room or cruise cabin is change the code on the safe and put all your valuables inside including your passport.  Ladies I know you want to look your best when traveling but do not bring your expensive jewelry, this is the time to break out your costume jewelry.  How awful would you feel to lose or have your wedding or engagement ring stolen, don’t let that happen, leave it at home.  It is fine to have some extra cash in your pocket for tipping and purchases, but I suggest bringing smaller bills and only carry a small amount at a time, don’t let others see how much you have it only makes you more of a target for crime.

4.    Email your full itinerary to your family, make sure that they received it and check in with the periodically to make sure they know you are doing well and are safe.  That way if they don’t hear from you for a few days, they can alert local authorities and the embassy.

5.    Do not travel alone.  Now I am not saying you need to have large group of people you at all times, especially when traveling with your spouse, but at least travel in pairs. Have you heard the saying, Power in Numbers? While that saying was not invented for travel, but it is something to remember. The more people you have around you the more eyes will be on your property. I know a lot of single ladies that like to travel, and you shouldn’t feel like you can’t travel, just be more aware and invest an item that can make your hotel room and yourself less of a target. You can purchase items that do not allow your room door to be opened, carry mace, keep your head up and alert when walking (put down your phone) you should be seeing the sights anyway and before you travel take a personal defense class so you can defend yourself in any situation.

6.    Write down all your emergency contacts and prescriptions down and keep in your wallet or a secret spot.  When in a stressful situation or if you lose your daily prescriptions, it is better to have it all written down for reference versus trying to remember because inevitably you will forget something.

7.    Something you may not want to hear, don’t drink too much.  I know you are on vacation and want to enjoy yourself but being drunk and out of control in a foreign country or destination only puts you at a higher risk for something to happen.  Be extra aware of how many drinks you have had, drink more water to stay hydrated. Do not leave your drink on a table or at a bar to go dance or use the restroom, this is a prime time for something to be slipped into your drink. 

8.    Trust your natural instincts.  If something doesn’t feel right in your gut it might not be and this is the time to pay more attention to what is happening around you.

9.    Check the U.S. State Department’s Website for current threats or alerts.  You can search for every country in the world and check the status for US Travelers.  Keep in mind the State Department’s main concern is US citizens and they can be overly cautious about things that can happen but is often much different that wat may happen.  But the more research you do about the places you visit and specific areas the more aware you are of what things to avoid or be more aware of.  https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country.html

10.Lastly, register with the embassy. The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program from the U.S State Department was specifically designed to alert the local embassy that you are arriving and keep you updated on the latest safety information. https://step.state.gov/step/

This is just a small list of items that you should do to keep yourself and family safer while you travel, and I hope it doesn’t deter you from taking your vacations or traveling abroad. 

Keep in mind that the media likes to take a simple story and run wild with it, typically they are only reporting the bad things that are happening to a very small percentage of travelers versus the millions that are visiting and traveling every day.  Just take each story with a grain of salt and if you have questions or concerns contact your travel agent. We are aware of the best resorts to go to and the ones to avoid.  We travel frequently and take thousands of hours of classes to learn the ins and outs of destinations and know the places you should not visit.

Overall travel now is safer than it has been in many years, so get out there and see the world.