Travel Safety

St Lucia - the scene of recent tragedy...

We've all heard the news of people tragically killed, injured or abducted or caught up in political events while on foreign holiday trips. We naturally become more concerned when these events occur in destinations in which we are especially interested or may even have booked a trip to. The news lately has been full of the awful killing of Roger Pratt whilst he defended his wife on the Island of St Lucia and many are asking if St Lucia is safe.

We heard too of the kidnapping for ransom of Paul and Rachel chandler a few years ago and the trauma they suffered for over a year and, of course, the Arab Dawn uprisings two years ago caused many to question their intended destinations in and around North Africa.

So what can you do if you feel alarmed or nervous about the news or events in a country to which you intend to travel?

Well, the first thing is to put your concerns into perspective and get out a map to discover if events that cause concern are actually anywhere near where you are staying. Countries are generally large and often the holiday resorts are hundreds of miles away from the political or criminal events that may be occurring. But this is not always the case, as with St Lucia, and so you may wish to seek further advice.

A good place to start is the FCO - the Foreign and Commonwealth Office - which has a website dedicated to advice regarding "Hotspots" around the globe. Go to the Home Page HERE and type in the country to which you are travelling and check the advice our Government are giving. Be aware though that often these warnings are delayed as long as possible to ensure that the Government does not give erroneous or misleading advice to travellers.

Next you could check with your travel agent or, as we always advocate at Holsure, you can do some research on the net to see what other travellers have posted regarding their trips, vacations, experiences and journeys. Trip Advisor is another good place to start HERE or Lonely Planet HERE.

It's difficult to have complete confidence in a holiday abroad when you are aware of political disruptions or regular incidences of crime, but with care and research you can find out just how real those threats may be.

Remember too that a good Travel Insurance policy should cover you for holiday cancellations and last minute changes, but check with your provider. We, at Holsure, always ensure that your policy will cover all that we can possibly provide at your request and we are more than happy to discuss the clauses and conditions until you are fully happy with the plan you have.