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KEY POINTS

Health Risks Awareness
Your health is your most important asset – be sure to understand the array of travel risks from pre-existing conditions to potential illnesses and injuries.
Safety Measures Abroad
Employ commonsense strategies like staying informed about local risks to significantly enhance your safety.
Travel Insurance
Proactively secure travel insurance to ensure you always have access to the healthcare you require, your non-refundable trip costs are covered, and to benefit from 24/7 multilingual travel and medical services.

Are you dreaming of your next adventure?

Before you pack your bags and hit the road, you need to appreciate the potential risks that come with traveling. From health concerns to cultural misunderstandings, you can quickly find yourself in a precarious situation.

Fear not!

You can travel with confidence and peace of mind by understanding these risks and implementing smart strategies to mitigate them. Let’s dive into 10 common risks you may face and discover how to stay safe and savvy while exploring the globe.

① Health Risks

You can experience any number of health risks while travelling.

Pre-existing health conditions can pose serious health risks before you even commence your journey. Once enroute, you may face any number of illnesses ranging from infectious disease to respiratory infections, heatstroke, or worse.

You must also be vigilant against the risk of serious injury from accidents, which occur more frequently than you might anticipate. This adds an additional layer of health concerns that you must address while exploring unfamiliar destinations.

Your first step to protecting yourself should be to research all available government issued health advisories and vaccination requirements before arriving at your destination.

Once you arrive, implement all the hygiene lessons you learned during the pandemic. Keep up the frequent handwashing and avoid consuming questionable food and water. We always recommend you pack a first aid kit and keep it handy throughout your travels.

Along with your first aid kit, you should have a list of all pertinent healthcare facilities and your emergency contact numbers.

② Safety Concerns

While traveling through foreign countries, it's essential to remain vigilant. Your safety is paramount, and you must protect yourself against risks such as theft, assault, kidnapping, or worse.

You can reduce your risk by taking a commonsense approach like using locks or theft-resistant bags to secure your possessions, leave valuable items at home or use them discreetly, and keep your cash in a secure location.

Remain extra vigilant while navigating crowded tourist areas. Strangers may be more than willing to provide unsolicited assistance with directions, accommodation, restaurants, shopping, currency exchange, and transportation.

Be sure to research the safe communities ahead of time and only book highly recommended accommodations. You should also stay in touch with loved ones while travelling and leave them a copy of your itinerary and any changes that occur along the way.

③ Natural Disasters

Natural disasters are becoming more frequent in the news. From hurricanes to wildfires, earthquakes to flooding, and tornadoes, these events can disrupt plans and create dire situations. However, there are proactive measures you can take to safeguard yourself.

Begin by staying informed about government-issued warnings related to potential hazards. These alerts, along with evacuation instructions, are crucial for your safety. Additionally, familiarize yourself with evacuation routes and emergency shelters, documenting them for quick reference during emergencies.

If your destination risk level is high, consider travelling with an emergency kit. Having access to all the essentials like water, non-perishable food, a radio, flashlights, and a tent can prove essential when things take a turn for the worse.

Finally, establishing a communication plan with family or friends for emergencies can provide peace of mind and swift assistance if needed. Having someone outside of chaos can be invaluable when trying to make decisions and navigate logistics.

④ Transportation

We’ve all seen news headlines of an airline suddenly ceasing operations and stranding thousands of passengers around the world. It’s a nightmare scenario that can happen to anyone.

Whether you travel by plane, train, cruise ship, or bus you are at risk of delays, missed connections, mechanical failures, cancellations, accidents, overbookings, and more.

You can never eliminate the risks, but you certainly can mitigate them. We recommend:

Book with reputable transportation providers
Minimize delays by arriving early at transportation hubs
Follow all instructions provided by transportation staff
Pack important documents and medications in your carry-on luggage
Develop contingency routes in case of disruptions

⑤ Cultural Misunderstandings

Traveling can sometimes lead to cultural misunderstandings. It may result in anything from momentary awkwardness to anger and a potential physical altercation.

Do not let foreign customs trip you up. Part of travelling is the cultural immersion of it all. Take the time to research the major local customs and traditions before you go.

It can also be handy to pick up a few basic phrases in the local language to help you get by. And when you're there, pay attention to how the locals act and do your best to blend in.

When in doubt, do not be afraid to ask for help from locals, your tour guide, or hotel concierge. They usually appreciate the effort and will give you great insights to your cultural surroundings.

⑥ Financial Scams

When you're traveling, you must be constantly on guard against financial scams —they're everywhere, targeting tourists left and right.

Fake tickets and tours, ATM skimming, street scams, hotel scams, dodgy currency exchanges, you name it. But don’t stress, there are ways you can stay a step ahead.

Book with reputable tour operators, hotels, and transportation providers
Read online reviews from multiple websites
Use banks or reputable apps for currency exchange – avoid exchanging currency in tourist hubs, hotels, and airports
Be suspicious of unsolicited offers from strangers
Review your credit card statements and immediately follow up on any unexpected charges

Remember,

If it sounds too good to be true – it probably is

〰️

If it sounds too good to be true – it probably is 〰️

⑦ Political Unrest

Even the most stable countries are prone to flare ups of political unrest. It can severely disrupt your plans and potentially jeopardize your safety.

Luckily, we live in the digital age. Take advantage of it from the minute you start planning your trip. Check out your government’s travel advisories and warnings. Once enroute, stay informed about your destination’s local news.

We recommend avoiding political rallies and protests unless you are passionate about the cause and have thoroughly assessed the risk. These gatherings can lead to violence, theft, vandalism, transportation disruptions, and even worse. If you cannot avoid a gathering, be sure to have contingency plans to make sure you can quickly get out of there when tensions rise.

You should also consider registering with your embassy or consulate. They can contact you in case of emergencies and provide assistance, if required.

⑧ Environmental Hazards

While travelling you can face any number of environmental challenges – manmade or occurring natural. You can take some simple precautions to reduce your risk and stress.

Weather is the most common challenge. Always check the current and extended forecasts. This will allow you to pack extra layers or gear up for rain or snow. Choosing the right clothes for the climate and terrain can be critical for a safe and comfortable adventure.

Your travels may take you to heavily polluted areas. Try to minimize your time in such areas and take appropriate precautions like monitoring the air quality, wear an N95 mask, stay indoors, and maintain hydration and a nutritional diet.

You should also become familiar with the local wildlife risks. The risks can range from raccoons to coyotes, bears, poisonous snakes, and more. Ask the locals about the wildlife and the safest routes and times of travel.

If you are going off the beaten path, consider packing emergency supplies like food, water, and shelter. You should always be prepared for the unexpected.

⑨ Cybersecurity Threats

You may be surprised to learn that your cybersecurity threats don't stay confined to your workplace or home when you travel abroad. In fact, your risks may actually increase.

Your cybersecurity risk of identity theft and being hacked increases every time you jump onto another public Wi-Fi network. Try these steps to mitigate your risks:

Use secure Wi-Fi networks
Consider using a virtual private network
Stay at reputable hotels
Avoid logging into sensitive accounts
Do not share personal information while using public computers or networks
Set-up multi-factor authentication on all your accounts prior to travelling
Utilize strong and unique passwords for all accounts
Install antivirus software and keep it updated

These integrated steps can reduce your risk dramatically while travelling abroad.

⑩ Logistical Challenges

Every trip has its own unique logistical challenges. They may include flight delays, missed connections, lost baggage, lost hotel reservations, and language barriers.

A lot of these hurdles are out of your hands and could seriously mess up your plans. Instead of just reacting and letting stress take over, you've got the power to be proactive, minimize your stress, and keep your trip running smoothly.

Your first step, plan early and book well in advance. This allows you to secure your desired carrier, accommodations, and activities. No one wants to be scrambling at the last minute to patch together a plan that feels like a series of compromises instead of a dream vacation.

Next, put together a summary itinerary that includes all your important contact details for transport, accommodation, and emergency contact information.

You should also consider researching the local transportation systems, location of hospitals, access to other medical services and facilities. These steps will allow you to hit the ground running when you arrive.

There are too many other potential obstacles to list. The key to a memorable trip is to roll with the punches and make the best of it. Sometimes the most unexpected change of plans can lead to a lifetime of amazing memories.

You can minimize many of these logistical challenges and the others noted above by securing travel insurance when you book your trip. Let’s take a look at this option.

⑪ Bonus - Travel Insurance

Travel insurance can mitigate many of the risks highlighted above including medical mishaps and travel logistics.

Most importantly, travel insurance ensures that you can access the necessary medical services you require. Regardless of whether you have a pre-existing condition or are journeying to a remote locale, you can feel confident that your health needs are covered.

You can also obtain coverage for unexpected logistical challenges like cancelled trips, natural disasters, missed connections, travel delays, delayed or lost baggage, and replacement of personal items.

Some policies provide specialty coverage like cancel for any reason, cancel for work, cancel for interruption, and pandemic coverages. You can also obtain coverage for adventure travel and extreme sports.

Many providers provide 24/7 multilingual services including medical, travel, concierge, and identity theft. These services can be invaluable as you try to navigate a crisis in a foreign country.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There are many travel risks to consider when venturing beyond your state or provincial borders. We are confident you can mitigate many of these risks by taking the proactive steps highlighted. For those risks beyond your control, we invite you to read our Travel Insurance Guide as a first step towards reducing your risks.

Safe travels!

Travel Insurance Guide

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