The best way to Mitigate Hazards When Touring To a International Nation

Irrespective of whether umrah tour you're a first time traveler or maybe a repeated traveler, vacation safety starts with you. To a lot of people, touring abroad kind section and parcel of their office work. They are really uncovered to challenges when they opt for an abroad journey.

People likely on overseas enterprise visits for various factors, this kind of as:

- attending organization conferences / seminars / workshops, - presenting educational papers / providing lectures, - participating in trade missions / exhibitions / cultural shows, - signing agreements / memorandum of understandings (MOUs), - accumulating resources for posts or books, - participating in students' trade packages, - carry out Hajj or Umrah, and many others.

The writer, becoming a frequent traveler, attempts to list down as several types of pitfalls as possible which are prone to be faced by an overseas' traveler. It could possibly be categorised into 5 components, namely early preparation; within the airport; although in the host place & personal protection; hotel security; and return journey.

Travelers should bear in mind that security precautions are tight at the airports and hotels and thus they must learn to take wise and prudent precautions when touring. Readers should also take note that ideas given here are not exhaustive, they're intended to be used only as a guide and security touring tips derived from other sources should also be considered.

Early planning

Based on writer's own experience, there are not lots of challenges involved here except for a careful preparing. This will usually include: a passport; two-way flight reservation; hotel reservation; host country's visa requirement; currency; any required vaccination; and travel insurance.

The passport is considered as your own life. It is also the most frequently used document any time you travel. It is used during visa application, check-in counter for the airports, immigration & customs counters, check-in counter on the hotel, cashing of travelers cheques (if applicable), etc.

In terms of packing, it is up to an individual's taste. However, the golden rule to follow is - always vacation light. Petty thieves and pickpockets love to exploit or prey on tired travelers burdened with heavy luggage. Other basic safety reminders when packing: pack your luggage yourself; lock your check-in luggage, so that nothing could be put in or taken out; use plain-looking luggage, (designer, fancy or expensive-looking luggage attracts attention of potential snatchers); use luggage tag and place another one inside the luggage; remove old airline destination tags; and carry the appropriate clothes.

For those carrying a notebook, always check 1st the type of plug the host country is using - it could possibly be British three-pin, European two-pin round, American two-pin flat or others. If in doubt, bring along an international adapter. To avoid attracting attention, travelers are encouraged to place their notebooks in non-notebook bags.

Perhaps you may also want to bring along reasonable supply of medicine for common illnesses, these as fever, diarrhoea, cough, cold, etcetera. One last reminder, do not carry any sharp object, inflammable items and check-in at the airport at least 3 hours before departure.

It is to your advantage if your organization has a local contact to take care of you while that you are inside the host place.

At the airport

Company travelers should be aware of following security & safety precautions: refrain from carrying luggage or packages for others; never leave your luggage unattended at the airport, even in perceived safe place, e.g. Golden lounge; always carry your cabin luggage along with you when getting off from the plane during a stopover or transit flight; avoid talking about your office work, purpose of travel, accommodation, itinerary, etcetera. with strangers. If you need to put down your luggage, place them in between your legs.

Whilst while in the host state & personal basic safety

After completing all disembarkation formalities, the very first thing to do is to wait for the check-in luggage, if any. The luggage claim area is normally situated just immediately after the immigration counter. Upon accumulating the luggage, check properly if there is any sign of it becoming tampered with. Somebody who is working while in the airport complex may have tried to tamper with passengers' belongings, perhaps at random. If this happens to your luggage, report to security desk immediately.

Before leaving the airport, call your local contact if you have one. It is advisable to change some money into local currency. You may need to pay for the taxi fare from airport to the hotel in local currency. At some places, however, you may use the service of one of the reputable taxi company counters and the fare is charged to your hotel bill.

Travelers may want to take note that in some countries, U.S. Dollars is considered as a commodity. Tampering of notes will affect the value of trade rate. The exchange rate may vary according to notes bill - higher notes bill commands a higher exchange rate.

If your organization meeting will be held outside your hotel, book the hotel's taxi for your transportation needs. It may be a bit more expensive, but it is safer. Always go out in pairs, when attainable. In several cities, taxis are reliable, however, get ready with some small change as numerous taxi drivers do not have it. Small change can also be conveniently used as a tip, if you feel like providing it for the good service rendered.

As a reminder, it is normal for a building's security personnel to request for your ID in exchange for a visitor's pass. You may give any type of ID, but never your passport.

To minimise personal challenges although traveling overseas, it is suggested that you follow simple tips as follows: inform or register with your country's High Commission; inform or register with Country/Area Manager's Business office (applicable to certain multinational corporations having offices overseas); keep a low profile and do not show-off; do not display money or jewellery in public; carry cellular phone at all times; learn not to trust just anybody; as much as possible, try to look like locals, e.g. dressing; learn to break from routine; do not get caught in local's civil strife - stay indoors; do not drive, therefore road accident might be avoided; if arrested, contact your High Commission immediately for assistance; use shoulder wallet to keep your passport, airplane ticket, cash, and many others; never get involved with drugs; avoid going out alone and reduce time spent on the streets; women should not walk alone on the streets to avoid unnecessary harassment; and beware of criminals who pose as plainclothes police personnel in order to rob overseas tourists.

Other useful travelling tips include: keep both hands free; keep passport, plane ticket and cash on you at all times; make photocopies of passport and plane ticket, but keep them separately from the originals; be careful about using your maps as they portray that you are a foreigner or maybe a tourist; keep blood type identity in your purse / wallet, if available; place cellular phone properly, for theft is common in certain countries; suggest to bring along passport-size photographs; avoid buying too several expensive items using credit cards. Always check the amount on the credit card sales purchase slip before signing; eat only cooked food and drink bottled drinking water or bottled mineral water; bring a signalling device, e.g. a whistle with neck cord; practise using local public telephone, if feasible; learn to divide placing valuable items you happen to be carrying; do not accept food or drink from strangers - they may be drugged; and when ordering bottled or canned liquid, ensure that it is opened only in front of your eyes.

Hotel protection

In beefing up security, hotels in certain countries install metal detector arch or are using hand-held type metal detector to screen guests as well as visitors.

As a basic safety precaution during your hotel check-in, request for a room that is located not higher than the sixth floor, if available. It is easier to escape during an emergency, e.g. fire. Travelers should be security aware that rooms on lower floors provide easy access for burglars or intruders. During check-in, place your luggage in front of you.

After check-in, carry your own luggage to your room. Women travelers who arrive late at night may want to request a bell boy or porter to carry the luggage direct to the room, along with you accompanying him. When you initially enter your hotel room, check the room thoroughly (in the bathroom, connecting door, behind the curtain, while in the closet, and so on.) to ensure that the room is really empty and safe before closing the door.

To reduce or minimize hazards while staying with the hotel, the following do's and don'ts are useful: choose a newly built hotel. Surely the management had installed the latest protection gadgets available during the market; check the location of fire exit and staircase, and many others. It is useful when you need to move out or evacuate quickly during an emergency, e.g. fire, bomb threat, terrorist attack, earthquake, and many others. Remember that the lift is out of service during an emergency; for an extra protection of you and your valuables, consider using a rubber wedge or door stopper that you usually use at home; always have a torch light with extra batteries - to generally be used when electricity supply is cut off. Some hotels provide a torch light, usually placed from the closet; verify callers before opening the door; display "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door; check with the hotel if tap water could be used for drinking. In certain countries, you cannot drink the tap water, even after boiling it for it may upset your stomach. Boil the supplied mineral water to make drinks; place your belongings at one or two places only. It is easier to pack them again should you need to move out quickly, e.g. in case of emergency; to avoid hotel theft, keep all belongings under locked when likely out from the room; and if you have scheduled your meeting within the same hotel where you might be staying, it is to your advantage to check the location of the room initial at your earliest convenience.

Return journey

For security reason, it is safer to travel direct from your hotel to the airport. Travelers should plan ahead as to when to leave the hotel for traffic conditions in certain cities are unpredictable. Departing passengers are required to fill within the Embarkation Card. They can be also required to pay for airport tax, if this is not included as component of plane ticket fare. Again, do not carry any sharp object, inflammable items and check-in at least 3 hours before departure.