If you plan on going on a vacation at some point soon, that means you will probably be looking at tourist activities. Whether that’s looking up things to do in Hongdae or where to go in South America – you will be spending a lot of your time researching the best way to truly explore these great places! And there are all sorts of great things about being a tourist. However, there are also some safety considerations that you should keep in mind, mainly if you’re going somewhere that is unfamiliar beyond a specific aspect of your understanding. For example, if you’re going to a different country, the overall sense of safety may be different depending on the context.
Keeping this in mind, what kinds of things can you do to stay safe in this tourist mode? You can make sure that you watch out as a pedestrian. You can do your best not to go to dangerous places at all. You can make smart decisions when it comes to cuisines, so you don’t end up with food poisoning. And, if there are any cultural faux pas that you should know about, be sure to research those in advance.
Watch Out as a Pedestrian
Part of being a tourist is walking around. And as fun and relaxing as that can be, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have situational awareness of what it means to cross the street as a pedestrian. And what would be one of the worst things to happen for you as a tourist, especially in a busy city? If you get hit by a car. And as unfortunate as it may seem, being involved in a pedestrian accident is probably more common than you would think. Recognizing this in advance, make sure that you are very aware of traffic patterns before stepping out on the road, even if it appears that you have the right-of-way.
Don’t Go To Dangerous Places
It may seem obvious, but many people forget that part of staying safe merely is avoiding dangerous places. Those two aspects of tourism are mutually exclusive. So, if you’re planning a vacation, make sure to stay away from the world’s most dangerous locations. It might be that there is a war going on or there is some sort of civil unrest occurring. In those instances especially, stay as far away from conflict zones as possible. It’s not worth it to be a tourist if there is the potential for violence.
Avoid Food Poisoning
You also have to pay attention to the safety of your food. And that means knowing what the symptoms of food poisoning are. Look through various guides of a tourist location in advance and find out if any of them have any history of food poisoning. It’s always a little bit of a risk buying food off the street from vendors as well. Things may look delicious and smell heavenly, but if your gut biome is not ready, be prepared for the worst.
