Problems and Pitfalls of Executive Travel
- Leaving a lovely hotel on the Adriatic, a couple is in a boat speeding toward the next island. The driver’s cell phone rings and he turns the boat back to the dock. Why? The couple failed to clean out their safe and left their travel wallets, passports, and cash. Luckily, the hotel cleaning staff reported the incident and the hotel bellhop brought the items to the dock.
- Another couple was prevented from boarding their ship the night prior to their cruise to Alaska. They didn’t bring their passports and were required to have them when going through Canada. The husband begged, bribed and paid for his brother’s airfare so he could bring the passports to Seattle the next morning.
Such oversights occur whether traveling as a couple, solo, or with a group. Some may be 
amusing, but most are costly, irritating and time consuming. Tight time constraints, stress, and fatigue are conditions that foster distractions and travel slippages. Planning before departures help avoid travel troubles.
Before a trip:
- Leave expensive jewelry, purses, and or other valuables at home. Buy an inexpensive travel watch and leave your treasured watch or jewelry at home
- Pack light. The less you have, the easier it is to keep track of things
- Scan, photograph, or make copies of driver licenses, passports, and insurance and credit cards. Store one or two copies in your luggage and leave one copy with family or friends
- Consider buying insurance for the loss of personal items and luggage, health problems, and even natural disasters
- Be aware of recent US government travel warnings (https://travel.state.gov) or health precautions from The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO)
Before hotel departures:
- Post a note on your door or set an alarm on your phone as a reminder to empty the safe
- Charge devices in the bathroom next to your toothbrush and pack chargers and devices before you brush your teeth
- Carry on your person items you can’t afford to lose. This includes, documents (e.g., itineraries, passports, credit and insurance cards, cash, jewelry), devices (e.g., phone, camera), and medications
- Create a routine to allow a few minutes to check for misplaced items including under the bed and all drawers
During transit
- Create a routine to check for misplaced items prior to leaving cars, vans, buses, planes or trains
*******************************
Dr. Markel Offers Value-Driven Keynotes and Breakouts.
Download Dr. Markel’s Speaker One Sheet: GeriMarkelCorporateOneSheet-Print
Book Dr. Markel to Speak at Your Next Event? Connect Today!
