So you are asked by your boss to take a business trip in the near future. Although you may be accustomed to packing your luggage and navigating through the airport with colleagues – what do you do when you are asked to travel alone this time?
Women face unique obstacles when they travel alone, but with some confidence, common sense and planning, you can feel just as prepared for a trip alone as you normally do surrounded by co-workers.
Here are a few tips to ensure that women are safe when traveling alone –
1~ Select Accommodations Wisely. Spend extra time selecting your hotel. Make sure that you stay in a location with a 24-hour staff on duty. Avoid booking a room on the ground floor, and make sure that your hotel is located close to where you will be conducting business – but more importantly that it is located in a safe area.
2~ Pack Extras. Safety features like a rubber door stop, a man’s shirt and a whistle are good items to pack for the trip. Laying a man’s shirt in the room leads the cleaning staff into thinking that you are not traveling alone. A rubber door stop shoved in the door at night almost makes your hotel room door impossible to open, and carrying an emergency whistle is always a smart idea when traveling alone. Leave all flashy jewelry at home for this trip.
3~ Always Have a Plan. Make sure that if you have a connecting flight during your trip, that you take a few minutes to research the airport area. This will help in case your connecting flight gets delayed. Write down hotels and restaurants in the area, just in case you end up needing to stay there.
4~ Do Your Research. If traveling abroad, try to learn about the country’s cultures. This may include dress code, eye contact, dining customs and hand gestures. Using these things may seem strange to you but will impress your business associates and will also help you to properly fit in.
5~ Don’t Share Information. Although it may be tempting to sit and chat with people at a restaurant or coffee shop, make sure that you don’t share too much information. Being friendly is always encouraged – just remember that thieves are often overly friendly and look like everyone else.
Be excited when asked to represent your company with a business trip. It tells you that your boss thinks enough of you to entrust you with such a task. By planning ahead of time and following a few safety tips you can become a confident traveler and possibly even have the opportunity to enjoy some much needed alone time.
