10 Essential Travel Safety Tips

The tourism industry took a hit following the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Once wildly profitable, tourism slowed and travel spending decreased an unprecedented 42% (nearly $500 billion); international travel suffered the sharpest decline at 76%. As the industry makes its comeback, people have resorted to traveling with much more caution — but masks and hand sanitizer aren’t (and shouldn't be) the only concerns.

Pandemics aside, there’s a lot to worry about when traveling — dangerous areas, scam artists, even an unreliable vehicle. Traveling safely involves a lot of thought and consideration. You may wish to bring your own water, get travel insurance, or even consider a chauffeur agency, among other precautions.

Below are tips that can help keep you safe on your next excursion:

1. Do Your Research

Always do your research before traveling to a new location. Familiarize yourself with the local language and culture, read traveler reviews, and talk to locals or friends who may have already visited the area.

You want to make sure you get all the information necessary to find the safe neighborhoods. Pinpointing where you should or shouldn’t be can also help you find the right hotels, restaurants, or activities for you and your loved ones.

Use the State Department website for travel updates or look up city-specific websites. Remember to also write down any important contact information, such as the nearest embassy or consulate, local police, hospital, or other emergency departments.

2. Make Copies of Important Documents

Don’t forget to make copies of important documents, including:

Passports;
Driver’s licenses;
Hotel reservations and maps;
Plane tickets and boarding documents;
Baggage claim tickets;
Other booking/reservation information.

Scan these items and save them online, and make several hard copies as well. You definitely want to keep at least one or two hard copies of each document on you while you’re traveling.

Make sure to store your important documents in separate bags. This way, if you lose one bag, it’s less of an inconvenience.

3. Bring Food, Water, and Sanitation Essentials

You can’t go wrong when packing food, water, and sanitation essentials. These may come in handy not just when you arrive at your destination, but also while you’re getting there. If you get hungry or thirsty easily, pack some granola bars, protein shakes, and extra water. Don’t forget to pack hand sanitizer and hand wipes as well.

4. Prepare Safe Transportation

It never hurts to prepare your modes of transportation ahead of time. In fact, you’ll probably be saving a lot of time and money by planning ahead. You may wish to hire a driver to take you to the airport, book your flights, and look into transportation for when you arrive at your destination.

Even if you’re traveling in the U.S., you may want to consider using a chauffeur agency. Some agencies allow you to hire a local driver to drive your own vehicle. You’ll have your own full-time driver, on-demand. A local driver usually knows the area better. A chauffeur service may also be helpful for families with children, adults who may be drinking, or for those who simply do not want to drive while on vacation.

5. Update Your Friends and Family

Inform your friends and family where you’re traveling to and keep in contact with them throughout the duration of your trip. In case of an emergency, you want your loved ones to know where to find you.

You might even consider using location tracking apps to keep your family up-to-date with your whereabouts.

6. Be Aware of Your Surroundings and Blend In

Always be aware of your surroundings and try to blend in. If your outfit or attitude screams “tourist,” you’ll be an easier target for scammers, hackers, or worse.

Consider the following to keep safe while traveling:

Wear appropriate clothes;
Use the ATM wisely;
Don’t share too much personal information with strangers;
Be aware of common local scams;
Be wary of public Wi-Fi;
Use a trusted driving agency.

If someone is acting suspiciously, leave the area immediately — but try to stay in a public place.

7. Protect Your Belongings

You’ll want to protect your belongings while they’re on your person, as well as in your hotel room. The “snatch-and-run” of a bag, wallet, or even cash is pretty common when traveling.

For protecting your on-person items, a cross-body bag is one way to deter petty thieves. These bags go over the shoulder and fall just about on your hip. You can place your hand over this bag while walking through crowded areas to avoid being pickpocketed.

For the hotel, consider using travel locks. With these, you can secure your bag or even tether it to a chair or door in your room. Travel locks are also helpful for traveling in airports or while dining.

8. Get Travel Insurance

Travel insurance covers unforeseen losses during a trip — whether domestic or international. The plan may cover anything from a delayed suitcase to a last-minute cancellation. They’re also essential for emergency medical assistance.

Whatever excursion you take next, don’t skimp out on travel insurance.

9. Secure Your Money and Prepare Emergency Cash

Before traveling anywhere, you’ll want to alert your bank. This informs them that it is in fact you spending all that money in a different location than usual. If you don’t alert your bank, they are likely to tag it as suspicious activity and freeze your account — especially if you’re traveling abroad. Simply call and tell them each place you intend to travel and for how long. The last thing you want to do is get locked out of your bank account in a foreign country.

Informing your bank of your whereabouts isn’t the only thing you need to worry about though. Petty theft, as mentioned earlier, is common around ATM machines. Every time you withdraw cash, be very aware of your surroundings. Keep one hand near your card and the other near the cash.

Moreover, never carry too much money around — cards and cash included. Store them in two or three separate bags. This way, you won’t be completely empty-handed if one of your bags gets stolen. Also, make sure to properly lock up your money in your hotel room. Carry only what you need for the day.

10. Pack a First Aid Kit

No matter where you’re traveling, you should always bring a small first aid kit. These can come in handy for several reasons. If you’re vacationing in the mountains, for example, and hiking regularly, you may stumble and find yourself needing a bandaid. If you’re walking around tourist attractions all day in the sun, you may find yourself needing some sunscreen and ibuprofen as well.

Having a first aid kit on hand means not having to cut your vacation short because of a scrape, a headache, or a sunburn. Some other common first aid kit items include: gauze, medical tape, antibiotic ointment, tweezers, scissors, a thermometer, or even hydrogen peroxide — the last of which can be especially useful if you’re traveling with a dog.

Remember that though this list is important, it’s not exhaustive or all-inclusive of the information and resources available for safe traveling. Do your research and know where you’re going; there may be nuances or exceptions, and you don’t want to be taken off-guard.