Travel Security
Foreign Travel

Foreign Travel Security means learning the unique customs and dangers of a foreign land before you go.

Burglar bars trapped 66 who died in a hotel inferno. With no fire alarms, sprinklers or emergency lights in the budget hotel in the Philippine city of Quezon, guests had little warning as fire, and panic, swept through the darkened building. Ornate white burglar bars covered nearly all bedroom windows, forcing many guests to take refuge in bathrooms where their bodies were found later.
Excerpted from The Observer (UK) – 19 August 2001

Before leaving home, learn about the political situation, holidays, volatile sporting events, language problems, and travel security. Never forget that the legal rights you enjoy at home virtually disappear when you leave. Your nation's embassy has limited powers but you should register anyway upon arrival.

Local customs vary and so do the clever criminal teams of men, women, and children – such as offering drugged food and drink to targets, as but one of many examples. See Pickpockets.

Extremely dangerous areas surround many resort and tourist venues. Violent robberies are common and local police (and/or hotel staff) are often partners with the criminals. Criminals know that tourist-victims rarely stay to file charges, which are usually futile anyway. Always remember: tourists draw predators like blood draws sharks.

Avoid wearing jewelry and expensive clothing, and don't carry your passport. Avoid drawing attention to yourself. Avoid saying anything that may offend people or using hand gestures unless you're sure of their meaning. Just one example: the American hand sign for "OK" (thumb and index finger forming a circle) has very different, insulting meanings in many foreign countries.

Native women in most foreign countries never respond to a male stranger’s conversation. Visiting women should do the same. Any response – whether angry or even a smile – is considered flirtatious and an invitation to pursue her. Simply ignore a male stranger's attempts to talk to you.

Vary your routine and avoid areas where you can be cornered. Stay in a group of friends. If ever lost, don’t act like you are and don't ask directions from street people – they may send you into a trap. Don't use unmarked taxicabs. Ask an established merchant for directions or to call a taxi for you.

Kidnappings for ransom occur in countries with political turmoil, extreme poverty, or weak and corrupt law enforcement. Be especially wary of places such as Angola, Algeria, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chechnya, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, Trinidad, Venezuela, Yemen, and Zimbabwe. Tourists are easily targeted because they're easily identifiable, and it’s known there's ransom money behind business travelers. See Hostage/Ransom at Hostage Taking.

Carry a family photo to help gain a kidnapper’s sympathy. Beware of unattended bags, and accept no unexpected deliveries at your hotel. Keep quiet about your travel plans.

Observe all of Outdoor Safety, especially Spotting Danger.

• Doorstops (a wedge under the door) won't stop a Push-In or a kick-in, but a hotel/motel doorstop alarm from www.magellans.com will at least slow unwanted entry, alert you, and likely scare off an intruder.
• Doorknob Alarm at www.guarddog.net.
• Stash clothing (such as a money belt) at www.magellans.com.
• Stash safes (a.k.a. diversion safes): ordinary cans (of hair spray or whatever) modified with hidden storage space.
• Child alarm to keep your child near you at www.guarddog.net.
• See Pepper Spray & Devices for more (first check airline regulations as well as local laws at your destination).

Street crime, not terrorism, remains by far the main threat to people traveling abroad today. To help plan your trip, contact SOS Assistance Inc at internationalsos.com or 800-523-8662 and Worldcue Traveler at ijet.com or 410-573-3860. Both offer, for a fee, important information on foreign locations before and during your trip.

Online travel agencies like Orbitz, Travelocity, and Expedia offer travel-management services. Navigant International and Rosenbluth International offer much more sophisticated – and more expensive – 24-hour travel security services.

Consult “The World’s Most Dangerous Places” by Pelton, Dulles, & Aral – Fielding Worldwide, a comprehensive travel security guide written by veteran journalists.

Also consult “Travel Advisory” by Bambi Vincent and Bob Arno – Bonus Books 2003. They’re the experts on Pickpockets.

Check the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs’ web site at www.travel.state.gov. Click on the Travel Warnings/Consular Info Sheets. Go to a page that lists three types of information: Consular Information Sheets, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings - or call 888-407-4747. More security-related information:
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/travel.
• Transportation Security Administration at www.tsatraveltips.us.
• Department of Homeland Security at www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec.
• U.S. Department of State’s Overseas Citizen Services Helpline at 202-647-5225.

Before you leave home, contact your hotel and ask the concierge to rent a cell phone for you there. Get the phone number in advance and give it to your relatives and employer. Also enlist in an international calling service like AT&T Direct. Take the address of your home country's embassy at your destination, to more quickly register upon arrival.

Go to
• Travel Security - Overview
• Camping: human predators sometimes hunt human prey in isolated wilderness.
• Hotels and motels are ideal hunting grounds for predators posing as guests or staff.
• Airline: air travel has more precautions than ever.
• Foreign (YOU’RE NOW ON THIS PAGE): predators hunt for vulnerable travelers in unfamiliar territory.
• Recap of Travel Safety.
• Pepper Spray & Devices for Travel Security.

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Travel Security - Overview
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