Today I had the pleasure of sitting down with host Debbye Turner Bell on Arise.tv to talk about summer travel and safety–particularly in the Middle East. Check out this clip of the live TV interview to see my tips (you’ll want to fast forward to minute 42.50).

Here’s the link: http://www.arise.tv/arise-america-show/arise-america-02-07-2325

Here are 7 travel safety tips from the interview:

1. Make copies of your passport, visas, and travel itinerary and give them to a friend or family member that’s staying home. In the event that you lose these documents abroad this individual will be able to email them to you.

2. Also make extra copies for yourself to carry with you when you’re out and about at your destination so that you can leave the hard copies in the hotel safe.

3. Check the U.S. State Department website for any travel advisories or warnings about your destination. The site will warn you about civil unrest or other reasons you may not want to travel to a particular place at a certain time.

4. Check in with the U.S. Consulate when you arrive at your destination. This may not be necessary when traveling to places frequented by Americans, such as the Caribbean. However, it’s recommended when traveling anywhere abroad.

5. If you are the victim of a crime when traveling abroad, report the crime to the local police department, get a copy of the police report, and report the incident to the U.S. Consulate.

6. Some other safety precautions include:

* In certain countries, I recommend traveling with a man and/or in a group. It is unfortunate that this is still an issue in the 21st century but it is.
* Stay in well-populated places
* Even in big hotels, be careful who you let in your room
* Stay in groups when venturing out
* Keep your money and credit cards hidden in one of those pouches that fit under your clothes. You can purchase them at any luggage store.

7. Lastly, use common sense! If you’re about to do something that can easily be a scene in a scary movie, then follow the advice that you’d be screaming at the screen, “Don’t do it!”