5 Travel Safety Tips: How to Avoid Tourist Crime
Living in a community allows everyday people access to information about public safety tips that visitors might not consider. Crime statistics, for example, may indicate a municipality enjoys low levels of petty theft and misdemeanor assaults. But the few crimes that occur may transpire in specific sections of town. As a local, you probably enjoy word-of-mouth reports and tips about tough neighborhoods or rowdy bars. However, that information may not be as easily available to people who travel.
Vacationers often rely on online platforms that are also trying to attract tourist dollars. That means they have a vested interest in getting you to a location that may or may not be entirely safe. As a tourist on the road or someone immersed in an unfamiliar place, it’s essential to take safety measures with these travel safety tips.
The following safety tips could prove invaluable in avoiding criminals and maximizing your traveling experience.
1: Always Avoid Telltale Signs You Are A Tourist
Criminals in high-volume tourist destinations recognize things that indicate you are not a local. These may range from out-of-state vehicle plates to identifiable rental cars, among many others. Career thieves are more inclined to target visitors because the odds are in their favor that you won’t travel back to appear in court if they get arrested. Without a witness, local prosecutors fight an uphill battle to gain convictions. The following tips can help you blend into the local scenery.
- Avoid wearing T-shirts and hats from tourism shops.
- Wear casual clothing that fits the season.
- Speak the common language whenever possible.
- Avoid speaking loud enough for thieves to recognize your accent.
- Don’t openly carry sightseeing equipment or take selfies in crowded spaces.
It’s typically worth considering the way people dress, conduct themselves, and learning a few local expressions. Convincing people you are somehow a local is not necessarily the point. Making criminals uncertain should be enough to motivate them not to target you.
2: Always Protect Your Valuables And Yourself
Street thieves generally use a limited number of techniques to get your valuables. They may follow you into a secluded area and demand your money or pickpocket you in a crowded area. As a tourist, it’s essential not to place yourself in compromising positions. Cutting through an alley or visiting an unlit park at night, among others, can put you at unnecessary risk. Try to always travel with another person. Traveling with a group minimizes the risk of being confronted.
On the other hand, pickpockets are prone to lifting wallets and purses in crowded places. Solutions typically involve securing wallets with chains or burying them in a deep, tight pocket. Bags should always be completely sealed, zippered shut, or clasped tight. Petty thieves look for easy marks. Don’t present yourself as one, and they should move on.
3: Download A Weather App And Set New Alerts
Staying safe is not always about crime and violence. Seasonal weather flare-ups may be entirely foreign for vacationers. Things such as tornadoes, severe wind events, extreme heat indexes, or wildfires are generally not on the minds of people enjoying the sights, sounds, and cuisine. A weather alert can provide a few minutes of warning that allows you to retreat to a secure location in time.
4: Always Take Health And Plan Wellness Steps
It’s not unusual for excited tourists to take long hikes and get swept up in the beautiful landscape. Focusing your attention outward can sometimes result in otherwise responsible people forgetting to stay hydrated or eat properly. One way to avoid dehydration is to remember to carry a water bottle and refill it whenever possible. A lightweight backpack can also serve as a way to bring along snacks to buoy your system.
5: Always Maintain Cyber Security Vigilance
One of the unfortunate byproducts of living in the technology age is that cybercriminals can breach personal devices and access valuable data. These include credit cards, bank accounts, and even private health information, among others. For these reasons, tourists would be wise to avoid utilizing free Wi-Fi in local restaurants and cafés. Although well-meaning business owners offer such services as a way to attract customers, cybercriminals know how to leverage open networks.
That’s why travelers are advised to deploy defenses such as strong passwords, two-factor password authentication, and secure a portable virtual private network while on vacation. Otherwise, digital thieves could drain your bank account and rack up credit card bills while you are enjoying a mocha latte.
Be Prepared with These Safety Tips And Get to Packing for Making Memories
At Haven Gear, we want to make sure you are taking measures to maximize your safety. Although we realize thinking and planning for these instances can make people feel uneasy, we feel it is incredibly important! Part of the process does involve confronting the idea that criminals are lurking in alleys, crowded places, and online. But with reasonable protections and awareness in place, you can relax and enjoy your time away from home safely. In the end, safety precautions and travel safety tips help foster fond, lasting memories.