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STAY SAFE WHILE TRAVELING ABROAD

 
Remaining alert and keeping a low profile are just two of the tactics for staying out of harm's way while you're traveling, security experts say.

The military action in Iraq and the bombing of U.S. embassies in Africa last year appear to have heightened business travelers' concerns about how safe they would be in certain parts of Africa, the Middle East, the Far East, and Latin America.

Despite such worries--often sparked by terrorist acts and warnings of terrorism--international security experts say U.S. business travelers' chances of getting caught up in dangerous, politically motivated conflicts are slim.

The greater risk for U.S. travelers in other countries, the experts say, is that they will become victims of local crime waves while engaging in otherwise safe activities such as threading through crowded airports, hailing taxis, or conversing with strangers.

"Be especially vigilant," for example, about carry-on luggage and briefcases at the airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the U.S. State Department says in a consular information sheet on risks to travelers in that country.

Be careful about bailing a cab in Mexico, the State Department says in an advisory. Travelers should "avoid taking any taxi not summoned by telephone or on their behalf by a responsible individual or contracted in advance at the airport," the department says in a consular information sheet.

The risks of cab rides in some foreign countries are set forth in a report by London-based Control Risks Group, an international business-security consultancy with U.S. operations headquartered in McLean, Va. The report warns that sometimes "criminals, using stolen taxis, beat victims, forcing them to withdraw money from ATMs."

Be wary of strangers while traveling abroad, security experts say "While in Asia, don't be overly trusting or chatty with friendly strangers, even Americans, because these so-called friends might be setting you up for a robbery or some sort of scam," says Christopher Rogers, president of Hawaii-based International Corporate Executive Protection. Rogers is the author of the Asia/Pacific Security Guide Book (PSI Publications, $25).

Keeping yourself safe while you're overseas depends a lot on preparing well, being circumspect, and maintaining a low profile, according to security experts, travel-industry professionals, and business people who travel abroad extensively. Following are some of their suggestions for avoiding trouble in the various phases of your trip.

Research your destination. "Become familiar with the place where you're going," says Michael Kabo, president of Solutions, Inc., a San Francisco consulting firm that specializes in travel and meeting arrangements.

"Get some maps, Kabo says, "and talk to the people you'll be visiting. You can get a lot of good inside information this way."

Eloise Weazel, vice president for administration and exports for Sunshine Industries, a Cleveland-based housewares manufacturer, says, "I get information from others who have been where I'm going by networking with colleagues in our association"--the Housewares Export Council of North America.

Make copies of your documents. Many seasoned business travelers say you should make copies of the most important pages in your passport, your credit cards, and the card issuers' toll-free phone numbers in case the cards are lost or stolen. Keep one set of copies with you, leave one set in your hotel room, and leave one at home.

Dress to be unnoticed. "I never get dressed up when I'm traveling," says Randy Petersen, publisher of InsideFlyer, a magazine for frequent travelers.

Petersen, whose firm is based in Colorado Springs, Cob., says he wears jeans, sport shoes, a sport shirt, and an obviously cheap watch when he flies abroad. "I look innocuous," he says, "not like some well-heeled American businessman--and it's a lot more comfortable."

Petersen uses a small backpack to carry his laptop computer, cellular phone, important papers, and other items he would otherwise put in a briefcase or a coat pocket.

Would-be thieves are thrown off by the backpack, he says, "because you look like a nobody, and it can fit securely on your body so you don't have to keep putting it down."

Sunshine Industries' Wenzel also uses a backpack to hide her laptop and other en-route valuables. "My backpack is my briefcase," says Wenzel, who also believes in "dressing down, no flash, no expensive jewelry"

Be watchful at the airport. Business travelers in airports make tempting targets because they're often distracted. According to a report in Business Traveler magazine, the potential dangers begin at the check-in counter, where your bags and laptop computer could be stolen while you're talking with an airline clerk.

The same type of theft can occur at a telephone bank while you're making a call and not watching your carry-ons, or it can happen in a restaurant while you leave your bags unattended to go to the buffet.

In restrooms, carry-ons placed for a moment on the floor in a stall can be snatched by an occupant of an adjacent stall who reaches under the divider.

When going through the security check before hoarding, avoid putting your bags on the X-ray machine until you're sure you re next in line. And if someone near you makes a scene, keep your eye on your bags. Distracting a potential victim is a common tactic used by thieves in airports.

Choose safe lodging. Petersen of InsideFlyer says that if he doesn't have a specific recommendation for a safe hotel in a given city, he picks brand-name international hotels that have a reputation for safety.

Sunshine Industries' Wenzel, on the other hand, says she likes to stay in top-drawer local hotels. She says the employees of such hotels are more apt to provide personal attention.

Nonetheless, Wenzel adds, "I only go to places [that] my local business contacts or association networkers recommend."

Says Robert Young Pelton, co-author of The World's Most Dangerous Places (Fielding Worldwide, $21.95): "Don't hang the 'Make Up Room' sign on your door when you go out; leave the 'Occupied' sign instead."

Pelton also recommends leaving the radio or TV on while you're out of the room.

Your hotel concierge can play an important role in keeping you safe, according to security experts. The concierge can tell you where to go and where not to go for restaurants and shopping, can make sure you get safe transportation, and can tell you where secure ATMs can be found. (Some ATMs are in locales that can be dangerous, especially at night.)

Avoid the taxi trap. "When you get into a taxi driven by a stranger in a strange land," says Pelton, "watch out. The odds for damage to your body, your sense of well-being, and your wallet skyrockets."

InsideFlyer's Petersen says you should never hail a cab. "Ask your hotel concierge to call a cab," he advises. And when leaving a restaurant, ask the manager to call a cab for you.

Unless you know the country and the language, travel experts say, you should not drive a rental car. If you want the flexibility of having your own car available, try to hire an experienced driver who speaks English and knows the lay of the land. Most major car-rental companies can help you obtain such service.

Petersen says he uses the American Express Platinum Card Concierge Service, with a worldwide toll-free number, to have a car and driver waiting for him at the airport when he arrives in an unfamiliar city.

A good driver may be well worth the extra expense if you have to get around a lot. You'll be much safer, and you may be able to save a considerable amount of time and money with a driver who can also serve as a trustworthy guide.

Don't go out walking alone. According to Frank Johns, managing director of Pinkerton Global Intelligence Services, "When you're walking the street alone, you're much more vulnerable. When there are two of you, it reduces the threat of attack by 70 percent. When there are three or more, it reduces it by 90 to 100 percent."

Avoid publicity; Although Americans who work overseas face little risk of being kidnapped, says author Pelton, and although the casual American tourist or in-and-out business visitor faces almost no such risk, it's advisable to keep a low profile when you're traveling in a foreign country.

If you're planning to do business with a particular company or government agency, be sure your hosts don't put advance notices in the local papers about your visit. Ask them to hold off issuing such information at least until you have left the country or city.

"Local terrorists or high-roller crooks just don't grab somebody out of the blue," Pelton explains. "They often read about the person they want to hit in the paper."

Some of the scary travel advisories issued by the State Department and the international security companies might make you wonder if it's even worth it to travel to less-developed countries in search of new business opportunities.

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