6 safety tips for the female business traveler

While walking with an industry colleague, we were concerned we were being followed by a man. After making eye contact with him, I realized we were in potential danger. We decided to walk back to the hotel and the man continued to follow us at an alarmingly fast pace.

Once we stepped inside the hotel, we alerted the bellman for assistance, explaining that were being followed. The man walked into the hotel and we identified him immediately for the bellman to intervene. That day, we escaped a potentially harmful situation.

This experience has made me realize that we need to take extra steps to stay safe. Here are some tips I keep in mind when travelling on business.

Familiarize yourself with your surroundings.

As you know, it’s important to pay attention to what’s going on wherever you are. This applies to any situation, whether you’re traveling or not. So, keep your head up and take notice of your surroundings.

Share your ride with friends or family.

When relying on Uber or Lyft for travel, it’s always a good idea to share your ride with friends and family. Both platforms allow you to share your ride details with others so people know where you are.

Here are a few more safety tips to keep in mind:

• Confirm the driver’s name before entering the vehicle
• Verify the licence plate number and vehicle type in the app
• Make sure the driver knows who exactly they’re picking up

Remain in high traffic areas.

Request a room in a higher traffic area as opposed to a remote section of the hotel. Whenever you have meetings on-site, request it to be held in the lobby or a busy hotel space. The importance here is to not be drawn away from busy areas.

And if you’re working late into the evening and feeling nervous, don’t hesitate to request a staff member to walk you to your room.

Keep your room number private.

When you first check in to your hotel, it’s always a good idea to ensure your room number is kept private. And most front desk agents will be happy to oblige your request.

This applies to the hotel bar too. I’ve seen people charge items to their rooms and it shocks me when they mention their room number out loud. I simply wave the bartender over and show them my room number.

Stay within a group.

As we know, there’s safety in numbers. So try to stay within a group of friends or colleagues whenever you can. Avoid being pulled away from the crowd. And please try to stay in well-lit areas whether you’re inside or out on the town.

Enjoy your time, but remain vigilant.

Of course, it’s important to relax and enjoy your time. But, please do so safely. Be aware of your surroundings, remain in public areas and travel within groups when possible.

There are lots of tips out there on travelling safely. Above all, it’s important to trust your gut. If you feel off or uncomfortable, remove yourself from that situation immediately. Safe travels!