Many of us travel abroad frequently. These days, for example, corporate travel is a very global endeavor. A senior executive might be called to Europe on a moments notice. Even if she is an experienced traveler, she may still need to use a list. In fact, many seasoned travelers are so organized that they use lists to prepare for their overseas travel.
A List of Travel Security Products
For example, she might ask yourself the following questions as she prepares for her business trip overseas. Do I have my electric converter? The reason being that in Europe they use a different electric power system than we do in the United States. Do I have my credit cards? Do I have some cash? The reason being that you never know: perhaps the computer systems that control the ATM machines will go down, and there is always the need for tips. Where will I change my US dollars into local currencies such as Euro or Yen? Again, we are certainly moving towards a cashless society, both in the United States and in Europe as well as of course in Japan, but still it is useful to convert some US dollars into local currencies. Another question might be do I have a list of all of my emergency phone contacts? These might be written down on paper, just in case the mobile phone is lost or gets broken. And of course do I have my mobile phone? These days none of us can really live without our mobile phone, and certainly not if we travel abroad!
Now, when you drill down this list of travel security items, you get to certain products that may or may not be needed. And, the line between products and services can be rather blurry. It used to be, for example, that many cell phone plans did not work in the United States as well as in Europe, but these days, especially for frequent travelers, it is true that most of the cell phone plans work in foreign countries. You should certainly check this out if you’re not a frequent traveler, before you go as the cell phone (or mobile phone as they call it in the UK and Europe) is a necessity for travel abroad. Think not just of travel products but of travel security services you may or may not want to use when in Europe, Japan, or elsewhere overseas.
A Travel Security App: A New Kind of Travel Security Product
A product that our hypothetical executive may or may not be aware of is the idea of a travel security app. Security is always of paramount importance in any of the major US cities, of course, because, let’s face it, there is crime everywhere in the USA, and usually more than in the safer cities of Western Europe or Japan. However, when you are in your hometown, you do not stick out like a sore thumb. But when you travel abroad, it may be apparent that you are not a local person. This may be very obvious in a place like Japan, in which the ethnic groups, are obviously not the same as those here in the United States. Or, it may not be so obvious in a place like Germany, where European Americans and Europeans do not look physically different. It depends which ethnic group you fit into, and whether that matches the country to which you are going.
Behavior, however, also sets you apart as a traveler. And, unfortunately, many thieves and other types of undesirables may target you as a foreign person when you are traveling abroad. Senior executives and other corporate types who travel abroad may be extra vulnerable because they may be so busy with their work issues that they may not be paying attention to the situation around them.
One of the travel security products that should certainly make the list, therefore, is a travel security app. An app such as the FoneTrac app allows that busy traveler to be able to check in with the home office, on a daily basis, and not forget to do so. It also allows push notifications to go out to that busy executive on issues of importance for travel security, such as an alert if there is a potential for a terrorist attack, a weather emergency, or even an outbreak of a virus like the ZIKA virus. Who knows? And finally, if that executive needs assistance, even for something as mundane yet important as a travel emergency, the app makes it so easy for her to reach out.
So when you are working with your employees, or if you are an executive or student who will be traveling abroad, remember that it is very important to include one of the newest travel security products: a travel security app. Whether you are using the iPhone or the android operating system, we support both. If you have any questions reach out to us for a consultation.
