Do you take the right S.T.E.P. when you travel?
There are a ton of free and useful resources out there for travelers that many individuals do not know about! Programs that are both facilitated by governing agencies as well as privatized groups, who’s mission is to aid individuals during their travels. One program we have found very useful and available to many is the STEP program.
So what is STEP?
STEP stands for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). It is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals who are traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. This is run by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
What are some of the benefits of STEP?
Receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plans.
Help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency.
Help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.
You can easily fill out the form on the U.S. Department of State’s site. All that is required is your personal information, your itinerary information and travel information. If you are an avid traveller, you can create a profile and login to it for each trip you have. You can also sign up for email subscriptions alerts and updates for specific countries from the U.S Department of State to monitoring safety conditions for future travels!
Since this program is free and only benefits the traveler, there is no reason why you shouldn’t consider enrolling your trip! Take the necessary steps to keeping yourself safe while you travel. For more tips on how to say save while traveling, check out these four practical tips for keeping yourself safe on any of your travels.