The much-publicised rioting in the UK of recent days has given further proof that destinations once thought of as ‘First World’ are not necessarily safe, nor safer than what was once described as ‘Third World’. Besides, even the most publicised incidents may not present the least risk to business travellers or anyone, even if in the same city, let alone country. In any case, what is more likely to befall the business or leisure traveller (or someone mixing both, inelegantly termed ‘bleisure’) is the most mundane – stomach trouble due to food or the water disagreeing with them, a road traffic accident.
Where to turn for advice, whether to reassure that a place is not as dangerous as the online buzz may suggest, or to warn of a looming threat that has not made the news? If you are an United States citizen, or a security manager working for an American multi-national, a place to turn to is OSAC, short for Overseas Security Advisory Council, run by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, at the US Department of State, which handles the exchange of security related information between the US federal government and American private sector. It’s kept an eye on the UK riots, besides giving daily updates around the Paris Olympics, and such world trouble-spots as Israel-Gaza and Lebanon – meanwhile the UK Foreign Office today was advising The UK continues against all travel to Lebanon and advising British nationals still in the country to leave now while commercial options remain available.
As for natural hazards, countries with the most wildfire alerts are Australia, Canada, the United States, Spain, Indonesia, Greece, Chile, Italy, Kazakhstan and South Korea, according to the emergency security and medical services company World Travel Protection (WTP), part of Zurich Insurance Group.
Kate Fitzpatrick, Regional Security Director, EMEA at WTP, has listed here her ten travel essentials.
Emergency Contact Details – Save your emergency contact details clearly on your phone. Use the acronym ICE (In Case of Emergency) in front of critical contacts, and number them ICE1, ICE2, by importance (family, work and supports, etc.)
Passport biography page, visas and ICE contacts – Laminate a list of your emergency contacts, your passport and visas. Having hard protected copies may be a lifeline in a crisis or emergency event, especially in an evacuation.
Travel assistance app on home screen – Make sure the emergency app of your travel assistance provider isn’t saved in a folder with multiple other apps. It needs to be on the home screen of a device and stand alone for ease of identification. Being easily located and on hand is critical in a crisis.
USB chargeable mini-LED torch – Torches are always useful and having one which is USB chargeable takes away the worry of dead batteries.
Zip-lock freezer bags – Having some zip-lock bags can make the difference to a ruined phone and documents in adverse environmental conditions, as well as provide a life-saving solution to storing clean water.
Spare rechargeable power pack – For your laptop and a mobile, bring the largest power pack that is practical when also considering weight and bulk. There are some solar powered options to recharge, but if cost is a factor, look for capacity over functions and aesthetics.
Basic first aid kit – Take an off-the-shelf camping or pharmacy stocked basic first aid kit. If in doubt, ask a pharmacist or your travel assistance provider for suggestions.
Dual SIM non-smartphone – It is important to have as many options as possible to enable you to communicate in an emergency. Dual SIM gives you access to different networks, especially in regions that are less developed and data services are unreliable or, due to a crisis or disaster, unavailable.
Wide-mouth water bottle – In some crisis events this can be used as a protective case for valuables and documents, and a flotation item in a backpack if needed.
Pre-paid credit/debit card and cash – Try to ensure you could cover at least three days of expenses if needed. Ideally, enough money or pre-pay to secure an emergency flight or vehicle transport to the nearest safe airport in a wide-scale crisis or emergency event.
Kate Fitzpatrick, pictured, said: “The world is changing, and once safe destinations are no longer immune from unpredictable climatic events. When travelling preparation is key, and that includes ensuring you have up to date information on your destination, as well as some travel essentials which will help if things do go wrong.”
