What's the worst that can happen? The "Before"
Copyright © 2009 Amanda Kehoe
As an American traveler-- human rights abroad, environmental precautions, cultural travel, and safety are a few things I view as important as I travel within my country & travel to other parts of the world. As a worldwide hotel brand, the InterContinental Hotels group (IHG) recognizes that safety will be an increasing concern in the hospitality industry. Any hotel should & be able to provide as much security as we want. However, the individual traveler is also responsible for keeping his or herself safe when traveling, especially in new countries. The recent tragedies in Mumbai and Jakarta have only increased the need to talk about safety and how to best prepare oneself when traveling.
I will spare you the details of what the hotel industry and IHG currently does to protect travelers. I am sure most of you are aware that hotels utilize many avenues to protect themselves & provide safety to consumers. Risk management, loss prevention, employee training are just a few areas that tie into security as a whole. As business and leisure travelers, we must take measures to protect ourselves and our fellow travelers as we are responsible for our safety.
I want to share a few tips that I practice to ensure my safety as I travel. I know that some of you will find at least one thing that you can implement on your next trip and plenty of things you may want to add. It is important to tell IHG and the hotel industry what we as travelers deem important with regards to our safety. Hotels do respond to important safety concerns brought up by the traveling public.
Personal step by step security preparation I use when traveling outside my country:
1. Prepare notebook to give to a trusted person
Use 1/2 inch 3-ring binder with pockets; take additional notebook with you on trip
Page 1: "Emergency Contacts" with home address, phone number, each traveler's mobile phone number, family contacts, and neigbors listed for notebook holder to use
Page 2: Detailed "Daily itinerary" with appropriate hotel name, activities planned, approximate transportation transfer times, hotel arrival times, check-out times, flight numbers and schedule
Page 3: "Important Numbers" with address & phone number of any airline, hotel, company, or person I plan to come in contact with
Page 4: "Time Zones" listed so people know what time it is in the country I am visiting
Page 5: "Copy of Flight Itinerary"
Page 6: Copy of passports
Page 7: Copy of health insurance card and drivers license
Page 8: Copy of personal business card
Page 9: Medical contacts and list current medications and allergies
Page 10: Copy of credit card issuers and phone numbers
Additional Pages: Information regarding loyalty cards, travel insurance, nearby hospitals & police, maps
2. Email digital versions of documents to family & friends
3. Review travel warnings regarding place of travel
4. Get additional vaccinations suggested or required for place of travel
5. Research security related material on travel destination-see # 12
6. Prepare house for travel (safety-related)
a. set automatic light timers
b. notify security alarm company of vacation dates
c. plan someone to pick-up newspaper from driveway, pick-up packages, water plants, and pick up mail from mailbox
d. test fire alarms that are linked to alarm company
e. cancel house related appointments that interfere with vacation
7. Call credit card issuer to alert credit card security department of international travel
8. Prepare mobile phone for international travel calls in country visiting
9. Email hotel concierge or other hotel personal contact with flight numbers and approximate arrival times. I request a personal call to mobile phone if I have not arrived within 2 hours of confirmed airplane arrival
10. Print or write name, flight number, & final destination location and place in every piece of luggage
11. Prepare seperate notebook with similar information to accompany me on the trip
12. Get doctor to produce & sign letter documenting ailments and prescription drugs currently taking to allow border crossing
13. Review general fire and airplane safety procedures
14. Document items taking on triptake pictures if needed and know value of items
15. Learn how to get any travel documents replaced
16. Prepare a plan for personal items including money that may be stolen, misplaced, or lost
RESEARCH
- travel insurance needs
- protection benefits offered by credit card issuer
- overseas medical benefits that you qualify for
- health related system for destination country
- how to reach emergency personnel
- social customs-how not to offend others, respect boundaries, and dress appropriately
- how destination country views my nationality
- common tourist crimes
- warnings, thoughts, ideas from travelers who have visited country recently
- what laws are practiced in visiting country
- what medications, supplements, and items that are NOT allowed to enter country
Help for executing your safety plan
Though many sites listed apply to US citizens and those that travel to the US, please adapt ideas to the country where you reside. Below I have grouped ideas & links so that you can read what may be of interest to you:
Basic Hotel and Personal Safety Guidelines
- Safety tips: provided by the American Hotel & Lodging Association: These are tips in PDF format that are usually posted on hotel doors and include the most common guest safety tips
- Personal Security Tips: Detailed security tips for Americans and any other nationality
- Essentials for visiting or living overseas: other documents to possibly include in travel notebook
- Travel Advice: provided by ABTA of London in a PDF document
United State Government sites that must be utilized as you travel abroad or to the United States
- US Homeland Security : security level information & crossing US borders
- US Custom & Border Protection: what does the law say about entering into the US-- documentation, gifts, paperwork, & identification are a few topics
- Centers for Disease Control: obtain health information for 200 international destinations including vaccination needs, insects & diseases, and warnings for any type of traveler
- US State Department Travel: obtain travel warnings, alerts, worlwide terrorism information and country specific information. Apply for a US passport
- US Travel Registration: register your trip at the US Embassy or Consulate in the country where you will be visiting
- US Transportation Security Administration: safety initiatives, warnings, aiport information, 3-1-1 liquid rule, traveling with disabilities, traveling with children
United Kingdom Government and other sites that can be utilized as you travel abroad or to the UK
- UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office: security travel information for the UK resident-one stop travel security source
- UK Travel Registration: register your trip using LOCATE, consular information
- Find an Embassy: embassy, high commissions, and diplomatic post locator
- HM Revune & Customs: buying or bringing goods abroad
- Civil Aviation Authority: regulates UK airlines, passenger rights in UK, tips on complaining
- Consumer Direct: general consumer advice funded by UK government that may help with travel, travel security, & other issues
- UK Commonwealth Office Terrorism Info: what you need to know about international terrorism
- UK Food Imports: check here for crossing UK border with food, use the handy checker for exact list
- Directgov: obtain passport services, air travel info, roadway safety in the UK. Great source for UK residents & travelers to United Kingdom
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)
- IHG's Responsibilities & Commitments: to guests, safety, and employees
- Brad Bonnell's Security Statement: after Mumbai attacks. Brad Bonnell is the Director of Global Security for IHG
Amanda, I am amazed at your thorough and excellent review. Thank you .
I live in the shadow of 9/11/ and everytime there is a minor problem anywhere, in NYC, the initial thought is that it is another 9/11.
I was in a crowded elevator in a building that houses international business offices and is across the street from the UN. The elevator stopped between floors, and everyone was sure there was a power failure due to a terrorist attack on the UN. Two minutes later, power came on, and the elevator got to the lobby without incident. But it was very frightening.
A similiar thing happened in the subway. The train stopped between stations and the lights went out. Passengers assumed it was a terrorist attack on the # 6 train (?) Some prayed and someone orgainized ed the passengers, saying that , children, old people and women will be prioritized for whatever emerency this was. Nothing happened. Lights came on, and the train chugged to the next station.
Before 9/11 these incidences had little meaning; now the reaction is that it is caused by terrorists..