Knowing About Travel Abroad
It’s one thing to know how to book travel for participants, and quite another to provide the information they will need to make it safe and enjoyable. While it is more their responsibility to make sure they can get into another country, or are even able to fly, you should familiarize yourself with resources in these areas so they can find accurate information.
Crossing Borders
Every country is wary of criminals, and you can’t blame them for that. However, a person who offended a neighbor by hanging out laundry wearing her nightgown may be considered a persona-non-grata in another country and may not be allowed to cross the borders.
Health
When your visitors arrive in their destination, you can bet your bottom dollar that one of them has a health problem that could be serious. Sure, that guy is in the pink of health but he’s allergic to peanuts. Make sure everyone has emergency medical and health information before they leave, complete with hospital phone numbers, police, and fire.
Safety
Is your traveler aware of the districts that are considered unsafe in the destination area? Did you provide general safety procedures for travel in general? If not, you are leaving the open to crime in a place where they may not even speak the language. Get up-to-date information and provide it to all participants long before they leave.
You can get this information from the State Department, tourism boards, and also from other meeting planners in your destination country. While your at it, you can develop relationships with them for later. They may even call on you sometime–it’s always best to have a friend in distant places.
