Today we are going to look at some important travel safety tips. In today’s world, a growing concern is travel safety and what can we do to still travel, have a wonderful time, and reduce our travel safety concerns.
Before we travel: When planning your travel, research what areas are safe to travel to. The U.S. Government provides reports showing the different levels of travel safety in all areas of the world. You can view the Gov threat levels for each country in the world at this link There are 4 threat levels, 1 being the lowest and 4 being the highest.
Remember, take news reports with a grain of salt, as we all know bad news sells better than good news so most travel news tends to be exaggerated. An example is, there may be isolated instances going on in a area of a country that is not close to the area you are looking to go to but, a lot of new stories tend to paint problems with a broad brush indicating the the whole country has problems.
Seek the advice of a professional. As far as our agency is concerned, we get regular updates on travel issues that we pass on to our clients. An example, right now there are some issues in Jamaica but the issues tend to be in Kingston which is not close to the tourist areas of Jamaica.
Use this research to help you decide where you would like to travel.
During travel: One of the biggest tips we can provide is when traveling, use common sense. So many instances we hear about could have been prevented if the travelers just used common sense.
As in any destination we live in or travel to, there are areas we need to stay away from. Most crime will happen in these areas. Chicago is a prime example, people talk about the crime rate in Chicago but the majority of that crime occurs in areas that tourists don’t visit. It is the same thing for most of the tourist areas in the world.
When in the airport, keep you luggage with you at all times until you check your bag. When you pick your bag up at your destination also keep it with you at all times. Not just for theft purposes but it has been known that people will put items in unattended bags to be transported to your final destination.
Be aware of your surroundings at all times. You don’t need to be paranoid but just be aware of what is going on around you.
When flying, be aware of TSA regulations, it can save you time and grief.
At the resort one of the biggest areas we see problems is people tend to totally change their eating and drinking habits. We have spoken with a number of doctors who say one of the most prevalent reasons people get sick is they change their eating habits. If they go to a tropical region some clients tend to go crazy over the fruit and local cuisine that their systems are not used to. Try to keep your same eating and drinking habits that you would have at home and it will cause less stomach problems.
When traveling limit the amount of valuables like excessive jewelry, a lot of cash, or an over abundance of electronics that you bring with you. When going off the resort do not wear a lot of expensive jewelry or carry a lot of cash. When you leave your room, if only for a few minutes, place your valuables in the safe provided in the room.
Again the two biggest tips are. Always be aware of your surroundings and don’t forget to pack your common sense when traveling.
Also we always recommend purchasing trip insurance. It will not only protect you before you travel if you have to cancel for an unforeseen reason, but, it will protect you medically if, God forbid, something happens on your vacation.
What a lot of people don’t realize is that most medical insurance plans, that people have, will not protect you when you are outside of the country.