This article suggests steps tourists (particularly Americans) can take to protect themselves and their personal effects while traveling abroad. I cover how tourists should dress, how they should protect their passports and other valuables, where they should sit on public transportation, and how they should interact with locals.
One of the biggest fears of many travelers is the possibility of becoming victimized during their vacation. It’s rather easy to take precautions, but many travelers are completely unaware that they’re not doing enough to protect themselves. It’s not enough to carry a money belt under your clothing or take measures to protect your passport. If you make an effort to blend in with the crowd and not look like a tourist, you can significantly decrease your chances of getting mugged or becoming a victim of terrorism. Also, it helps to know where you should sit on an airplane, bus, or train in case of a terrorist attack. Knowing how to react to the locals is also key. If you are vigilant about these things while abroad, you can significantly decrease your chances of becoming a crime victim.
How Not to Dress Like a Tourist
Throughout my travels, I’ve heard about things that tourists commonly wear that make them stick out. White athletic shoes are typically mentioned. Wearing those in particular will mark you as an American or Canadian. So be mindful of your footwear. If you’re going to wear athletic shoes, make sure they’re not white. Otherwise, try to wear comfortable loafers or sandals.
Shorts and fanny packs are other dead giveaways. If you’re in the Caribbean, perhaps, you might be able to get away with shorts. However, if you’re traveling somewhere like Europe, the climate doesn’t get so hot in most places that you have to wear them. Try to wear khaki pants instead. Skirts and cropped pants are fine for women. Try to avoid t-shirts and denim – strive for business casual dress. A lot of people in foreign countries dress more conservatively than North Americans do.
If you carry a purse, try to find one with a long enough strap to wear across your shoulder, and make sure you walk with one hand on the strap to deter any would-be purse snatchers. A money belt worn under your clothing is a good idea, but it’s also wise to carry money in different places on your person, so that if you do become a victim of pickpockets, you haven’t lost everything. Keep the bulk of that money in your money belt, but don’t forget to tuck some money into your socks or into a front pocket.
Try to avoid wearing anything with logos or flags on it that will give away your nationality. The only people I’ve ever seen get away with putting flags all over everything are Canadians. Avoid wearing baseball caps. Very rarely have I seen anyone outside of North America wear them. The same goes for cowboy hats.
Obviously, you can’t avoid bringing your camera or camcorder with you, but if you’re able, try to bring something small that fits into a small carrying case that you can sling across your shoulders. It’s rather painful and cumbersome walking around with a big camera strapped around you all day long anyway.