Contact: Paul Heller paul@thebigbluemarble.com

PRESS RELEASE:

TRAVELING ABROAD IS SAFER THAN STAYING AT HOME

Every day hundreds of Americans needlessly avoid traveling abroad out of fear for their safety, according to Paul Heller, travel safety expert.

Heller says, ?Statistics show that Americans are ten times more at risk of terrorism at home than abroad. On average, Americans have around a one in a million chance of dying in a terrorist attack while abroad. Whereas, following 9/11, Americans have a one in hundred thousand chance of dying in the USA. In addition, Americans have a much greater chance of being a victim of a violent crime in the USA than in most of the rest of the world, particularly East Asia and Europe. In fact, there are more people killed by guns in New York City on a busy, summer weekend than in Japan in an entire year.?

After living and traveling abroad for much of the last twenty?five years, Heller reports that he has never had a problem. The key to his success: ?I try to blend in. I learned this the hard way from a young German female tourist in Cairo. She was dressed in skimpy, torn jean shorts and a halter top. She ran up to me and asked for my help after she was almost raped. After she calmed down a bit, I asked her to look at how Egyptian women dressed and tell me if she saw any one in shorts and a halter top. I think she got the message.?

Heller suggests that if travelers follow a few very simple rules they can be safe almost anywhere:

• Heed the old maxim: ?When in Rome, do as the Romans?. Avoid casual clothes, especially shorts and tank tops, unless a lot of locals dress that way. Don?t flaunt your jewelry and cameras unless you see locals doing likewise. If possible, live in local residents? homes and seek out travel experiences such as language and culture schools and walking tours that make you seem like a local resident rather than a tourist. Remember if local residents respect you they will steer you away from danger spots and provide assistance should you get into trouble.
  
  
• Trust your instincts. Dangers abroad are not much different than in the USA. If you are in a big city abroad, take the same precautions you would in New York City or Los Angeles. Don?t discredit feelings that you are in danger, just because you?re in another country. On the other hand, remember that just like in the USA, most people abroad will try to help if necessary.
  
  
• Do some research beforehand to learn how to be safe at your destination. While most of the world has less crime than the USA, road accidents are a real danger in many parts of Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Therefore, you should travel by plane and train as much as possible to avoid road travel (Egypt, for example, has thirty five times more automobile deaths per capita than the USA). There are places with a lot of violent crime but an almost negligible terrorist threat. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil there has never been a major terrorist attack, yet you?re five times more likely to be robbed than in New York City.

?Most importantly?, Heller advises, ?be alert but enjoy yourself. If you are alert you?ll avoid most dangers. If you are pleasant, people won?t care where you?re from. Most foreigners easily understand that you are an individual person rather than a spokesperson for the American government. I can?t tell you the number of times that people have gone out of their way to help me. I?ll never forget Miguel, a poor Mexican farmer I didn?t even know, who took me into his home for free and helped me fight a bout of diarrhea following a long bus ride. You will find many more people like Miguel on the road than criminals or terrorists. People are good the world over.?

Paul Heller is one of America?s foremost experts on traveling more safely, economically, and enjoyably. He is also author of the upcoming book Travel Like a Local: A Whole New Way to See the World Safely, Inexpensively, Meaningfully, and Comfortably and President of?the Big Blue Marble,?a travel?publication and seminar business.