When you contemplate traveling abroad, what do you think about? Getting a cheap flight or getting bumped to first class? Finding that perfect luxury hotel or vacation rental? All of the fun you're going to have eating, drinking, sightseeing and taking IG worthy pictures?
What about the information specific to you that could be manipulated and used to cause harm? The valuables you’re taking that can be used to take advantage of you? How about the creatures or possible events that could disrupt your trip or leave a lasting impression on your life? Do you know what threats or hazards could most affect you?
I know, I know. This seems a little pessimistic, especially if you’ve just got up the nerve to step out of your comfort zone and travel internationally. But trust me, it’s better to ask these questions now, spot threats and hazards to your health, safety, valuables, and significant information, and be in a better position to protect yourself.
So what are threats and hazards?
A threat is when there is the potential for an organization or person to inflict injury, damage, or loss. A hazard is an unavoidable danger caused by events of chance or accident. Hazards can also result in an injury, damage, or loss.
The difference between a threat and a hazard is the human factor. Behind any threat is an adversary. And while only an adversary can carry out a threat, an adversary can take advantage of a hazard to cause harm to a traveler.
While we face threats and hazards everyday, being in unfamiliar surroundings or circumstances – like when traveling to a place where you may have limited knowledge of the language or culture – can increase the chances of threats and hazards catching us off guard and ultimately leading to undesired outcomes.
There are six primary categories of threats and hazards that most undesirable events fall into – criminal, terrorism, geopolitical & civil unrest, privacy, health, and environmental. These categories cover almost any thinkable undesirable event that could permanently influence the rest of a traveler's life.
1. Criminal Threat
Most people are familiar with criminal activities like assault, kidnapping, theft, fraud, drugs & alcohol, etc. And now, even some of these familiar crimes that for some have personally seen and experienced are being taken to the virtual world. Virtual kidnapping, identity theft and ransomware are just a few crimes that have made a steady climb up the charts.
2. Terrorism Threat
Terrorism consists of violent acts committed to instill and exploit fear. Some acts of terrorism are intended to hurt as many people as possible, and others are strategic and meant to prompt changes at a higher level.
3. Geopolitical & Civil Unrest Threat
Acts of civil unrest include riots, protests, demonstrations, strikes and other types of civil disobedience. Civil unrest is often the result of geopolitical and social issues within a country, or between countries with ongoing differences of opinion. They can start as non-violent, lawful protests and demonstrations, and sometimes quickly turn hostile and violent.
4. Privacy Threat
Threats to privacy exponentially increased over the past few decades. Digital footprints have grown because of sources like social media, apps, applications, shopping, gaming, the ever-growing-list of data breaches – everything we put online. And before all of this, people got your information the old-fashioned way – by simply having conversations, searching through your belongings, people watching, eavesdropping, etc.
5. Health Hazard
Health hazards are normally the result of something chemical or biological, and can result from something man-made or something found in nature. The severity of health hazards are often the result of factors specific to the area, like the healthcare system, sanitation, or pollution.
6. Environmental Hazard
The most obvious environmental hazards are weather-related such as typhoons, hurricanes, and earthquakes. But they can also include potential hazards such as Insects, wildlife, and terrain specific to the country. And if the naturally occurring hazards weren’t enough, we also have to consider the age and quality of the country’s infrastructure.
While some have experienced one or more of these threats and hazards, most travelers have “uneventful” trips and are able to complete their travel with little to no negative impact on the rest of their lives. Nevertheless, undesirable events resulting from one or more of these threats and hazards are not always predictable. The probability of encountering an undesirable event resulting from a threat or hazard is dependent on factors and circumstances specific to the country, as well as a travelers’ valuables & significant information. And now that you know the types of threats and hazards an undesirable event can present, you’ll be able to evaluate if and how they can affect you, and preparing to avoid them will become easier.
Nobody wants to think about the bad things that could happen while traveling abroad, but it's better to know and be able to take steps to prepare so that you increase your chances of returning from your travels with as many good memories as possible.
Have you ever heard of someone encountering, or have you personally encountered any of these threats or hazards while traveling? What did you do? How did you respond?
If you’re interested in learning more about how to prepare and avoid threats and hazards, download my free ebook today!
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