For Travel Safety, Consider STEP

[WalnutBaron]

Today's The Points Guy blog provides valuable information on the U.S. State Department's STEP program (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program). The program allows you to set up an account for free and then notify the State Department whenever you plan to travel outside the USA to receive travel alerts in the remote case where security for U.S. citizens could be a concern.

Conditions where these alerts may be optimal include the following:

• Travel to politically unstable areas or areas prone to violence.
• Extended trips of weeks or more where you may be in areas with limited internet access.
• Travel to a major event--either for business or pleasure--where the event itself could be targeted by terrorists, especially if attracting a large number of Americans.
• You are a minority traveling to an area where you're unlikely to "blend in".

I'm planning to travel to the Middle East for a major business trade show in the next few months and registered myself and my colleagues to be alerted in case of any changes in the security status of our destination.

This is an excellent resource, and I appreciate the State Department's effort through this program to keep U.S. citizens safe and informed.

 

[moonstone]

The Canadian government has the same type of thing. I think it's a great idea. I registered DH & I when we first started wintering in Belize. This is the link to the registration page. https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration


~Diane