“Get Out There” is a column for itchy footed humans written by long-time Paste contributor Blake Snow. Although different now, travel is better than ever. Today we examine the irrational fear of foreign travel.
There is no such thing as a dumb question. But there are “innocently ignorant” ones. This is one of them: “Is it safe to travel outside of America?”
Asking that question isn’t a bad thing, though, if the asker is willing to listen. To any who’ve asked themselves this with sincere intent, listen up: the answer is a resounding, “Yes!” It has been this way since Americans first started traveling for leisure in the late 1700s, shortly after the country declared its independence. In fact, there has never been a safer time for Americans (or any abled nationalities, for that matter) to travel the world than today, according to global peace, health, and development indexes.
The more nuanced answer to this question, however, is: “It depends.”
If you’re considering one of the 20 war-torn or otherwise unstable countries that the U.S. Government advises “DO NOT TRAVEL” to, then no—you probably shouldn’t go for leisure reasons. At the moment, those include Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, Venezuela, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, among others. Americans are also advised to “reconsider travel” to an additional 20 out of 200 total countries where there are heightened security or health concerns. But even many of those have “low risk” tourist areas with no warnings at all.
In short, a whopping 80-90% of foreign countries are considered safe and sound according to the latest U.S. intelligence. If you believe in those figures but still have some anxieties about traveling internationally, that’s normal. But there are several things you can do to build your confidence when traveling abroad.
Here are five proven tips for doing just that, according to my 10 years as a travel writer to all seven continents.
1. Consider overseas U.S. destinations first.
Maybe you just need to find your sea legs before trying a foreign country? If so, consider visiting one of these American states or territories off the mainland—no passport required. They’re terrific, familiar, and exotic, and a great way to break into foreign travel. Now shoo!
2. Ease into it with a foreign all-inclusive resort.
A dear friend of mine has been scared of foreign travel for years. But he’s finally warming up. The trick? His family is planning to visit an all-inclusive resort in Mexico without ever leaving the resort. It’s a start and better than nothing.
3. Go to Europe—America’s favorite foreign continent.
Americans love traveling to Europe for three reasons. It’s economically, politically and culturally similar enough to home to not feel too foreign, but still feels distinctly different than America. It’s known for a general level of safety (i.e. low crime and health advisories). And you can see a lot in little time. Bon voyage!
4. Go to Japan, the safest country in the world.
This might be a stretch, since Japan is arguably the most foreign place you can visit as an American. But if safety is your number one concern, no other country is safer than Japan. It’s so safe and crime-free, even toddlers and grade schoolers travel on subways late at night in large cities by themselves. If they can do it, you can!
5. Notify your local embassy.
If you need extra assurance, register your trip with the local embassy in the destination country. They can provide assistance in case of emergencies or unexpected situations. If you’re worried about medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and other unforeseen events, you might also consider travel insurance.
Fun fact: Seven foreign countries advise their citizens to “exercise increased caution” when visiting the U.S. due to our “high rate of firearm possession,” “elevated threats of terrorism,” and “increased hate crimes.” Moral of the story: Fear of what you don’t understand goes both ways. Foreign travel is one of the great joys of life, and you shouldn’t let fear keep you away from it.
Blake Snow contributes to fancy publications and Fortune 500 companies as a bodacious writer-for-hire and frequent travel columnist. He lives in Provo, Utah with his adolescent family and two dogs.