On Monday, the United States State Department issued a worldwide travel alert after the attacks in Paris which killed 130 people and the hotel siege which killed 19 in Mali. This has affected people from countries around the world, who often follow Americas lead.
The current national threat level for terrorism abroad is severe in the UK, and France, Belgium and Spain have followed suit with their threat levels at the highest level and 30 other countries worldwide have their terrorism threat level currently set to high.
While Canadians generally take these types of warnings with a grain of salt, many Americans are cancelling their travel plans. However, there are many reasons why you should not cancel your travels over the holidays and trips for next year. When we look at the statistics, our likelihood of being killed by terrorism overseas is still less than being struck by lightening either at home or abroad.
Sure, you may not want to fly to Syria anytime soon, and there are other places in this world which are far more dangerous than Canada. But traveling is about thinking critically and evaluating the real risk level.
Terror threats tell us the worst possible scenarios, and a lot of this is due to the fact that state departments need to cover themselves.
Travel opens people’s minds, helps us to build international connections, and gives us greater empathy for the world around us. If anything, we should be encouraging each other to travel more, and reach out to people of all different cultures, proving that we won’t let fear make us turn our backs on each other.
Unfortunately, the media has a lot of responsibility for the culture of fear in which many people live. And this fear sells. While it’s important to be informed, and to be alert for any attacks abroad, remember that you have more chance of being hit by a car if you happen to look the wrong way while crossing the street.
So what should you do?
Register with Canadians Abroad
This free service is offered by Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada and helps you to stay connected to Canada in case there is an emergency while you’re overseas, such as an earthquake, terrorism or civil unrest. It takes just a couple of minutes to register and you’ll be notified in the event of an emergency, and can also access consular services through the program.
Check your travel insurance
It’s important to know exactly what your travel insurance covers while you’re traveling. Check if it covers you for trip interruption or trip cancellation, and be sure to purchase your policy before you leave.
Stay in touch
Keeping in touch with those at home will help them feel less stressed if you’re overseas. A simple SMS or Facebook message can help relieve their worries, ensuring that you can get on with enjoying your travels.
