How to stay safe while traveling
Start by using common-sense precautions.
No one ever said travel was easy. But 2017, which featured terrorism, natural disasters and tumultuous politics, has added a new sense of uneasiness.
It’s no surprise 2018 already is shaping up to be the Year of Fear in travel, particularly for anyone with a passport. But it doesn’t have to be. You can take the right precautions and make smart plans that’ll keep you safe on the road, no matter where you go.
First, a word or two about what you
can’t control. Weather and natural disasters are totally random, of course. There’s no way to adequately prepare or predict another catastrophe such as a Category 5 hurricane when you’re making vacation plans. Nor can you schedule a trip around a political event, such as the travel ban that created temporary chaos at U.S. airports.
You have to know which places are safe, which ones are risky — and which ones to avoid.
“Research potential travel destinations in depth,” advises security consultant Mike O’Rourke, a retired Green Beret. “Digging beneath the surface will reveal these answers.”
By “digging” he means casting a wide net for information, including foreign media that cover the world in depth. The BBC’s UK website (bbc.com/news) or Agence France Presse (afp.com) often carry news not widely reported in the U.S. Also, the Canadian, British and Australian governments’ equivalents of our State Department issue detailed reports on foreign safety that may be accessible and useful.
The “avoid” countries are obvious. If there’s a travel ban in effect or a country is in the news for all the wrong reasons, you might want to steer clear of it. O’Rourke advises his clients to stay away from Egypt, parts of Mexico, Turkey and Venezuela.
Second, don’t leave home without a support team. Now, more than ever, you need someone back home who can have your back. That could be a security con- sultant such as O’Rourke, or a qualified travel agent, or even a travel insurance policy.
But Rob Stiles, a search-engine specialist who has been traveling around the world with his wife, Kari, since 2012, recommends even more: a travel security membership such as MedJet or International SOS that can cover medical evacuation, security services and kidnapping protection, which often acts as a supplement to a traditional travel insurance policy.
If you’re going to explore iffy places in 2018, experts say you should stay with the group.
“Tourists should avoid traveling alone or in small groups where they may stand out and the threat of kidnapping is high,” says John Iannarelli, a recently retired FBI special agent.
One more thing: Relax. Even with all the perils, you can still have a safe trip if you take a few common-sense precautions and get the most up-to-date information about your destination.