Most people who travel abroad are unaware of how vulnerable they are until things go wrong. Fortunately, most risks can be avoided altogether by taking some basic precautions and maintaining good situational awareness. Let’s take a look at some tips that help government workers to avoid trouble while abroad, because they can help us to stay safe and secure as well.
Keep a Low Profile
Most crimes against tourists are crimes of opportunity, and robberies and theft top the list. Unfortunately, many people invite trouble by sticking out like a sore thumb and drawing attention to themselves. They wear flashy jewelry, carry expensive phones in their hands while walking, get into shady taxis or blindly-trust locals who gain their confidence in order to exploit them. Consequently, the best way to minimize risk is to simply be aware of your surroundings and keep valuables out of sight while out in public. Try to blend in as much as possible so that criminals will be inclined to seek out a more-attractive target. It’s also important that you be vigilant when interacting with locals or making friends, and keep them at arm’s length until you feel like they can be trusted.
Avoid Stand-Alone ATM Machines
Another big risk to be aware of is ATM skimming, which occurs when machines are rigged to capture our debit or credit card and PIN numbers. Criminals can clone the cards to drain bank accounts or make purchases. The best way to minimize the chances of this happening to you is to only use ATM machines that are inside of banks because these are under constant surveillance, and it’s next to impossible to modify them. You can also protect your cards by using cash instead of plastic at shops and restaurants whenever possible as well. Nothing is more unsettling than finding out that you can’t get access to cash while overseas, and this simple precaution can go a long way with preventing that from happening altogether.
Do Research Beforehand
Government workers become familiar with the lay of the land of the country they will be visiting before they head out, and we can benefit from conducting similar research as well. Take some time to visit travel sites, forums and social media groups to get a sense of what kinds of problems other tourists have experienced. You can learn from their mistakes and avoid putting yourself in similar situations, and this can also dramatically reduce the chances of encountering problems on your trip.
Book Hotels and Transportation in Advance
While hotel and transportation services have improved in terms of safety in tourist-friendly areas over the past few years, there are still plenty of unscrupulous businesses and individuals who are just looking for an opportunity to rip you off. Make sure that you are staying at well-reviewed hotels that include room safes and have security on the premises. Make sure that you don’t jump into random taxis or take up offers of rides from individuals who you don’t know. You can be more-spontaneous after you arrive and get a good lay of the land, but try to have arrangements in place for the first few days that you’ll be in-country.
Know What to do in an Emergency
Research where hospitals are in relation to where you’ll be staying. Know how to call emergency services for help. Know where the embassy or consulate is and get their number as well. Keep people at home informed of your general itinerary, and let them know when you make changes. It’s also a good idea to become familiar with the political climate in-country to determine if unrest may be a problem when you’re there. Be aware of possible natural disasters or weather-related problems as well. The more you are aware of possible risks and what to do in an emergency will make things much easier to contend with if you end up being thrust into a crisis.
These tips go a long way to help government workers avoid a lot of problems abroad, and following them can help you too. At the end of the day, maintaining safety while abroad isn’t rocket science. Just make sure that you have a good plan, be aware of your surroundings, keep a low profile, and chances are that you’ll be able to weather any problems that may come your way.
