Business Travel

The basics of business travel are not so different from those of leisure travel. Keeping yourself safe while you're on a business trip depends a lot on preparing well, being circumspect, and maintaining a low profile, according to business people who travel abroad extensively.

Following are some of their suggestions for avoiding trouble in the various phases of your trip.

Research your destination:
Become familiar with the place where you're going. Get some maps and talk to the people you'll be meeting with. You can get a lot of good inside information this way. You can also get information from others who have been where you're going by networking with colleagues.

Resources abound for helping you prepare for your overseas business trips. Here is a sampling of materials available from agencies and companies via the Internet:

• The U.S. Department of State Overseas Security Advisory Council offers a free brochure, Personal Security for the American Business Traveler Overseas. It is available on the Internet at www.ds.state.gov
• The U.S. State Department also has a web page of country-specific travel warnings and security reports.

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Be watchful at the airport:
Business travelers in airports make tempting targets because they're often distracted. According to a report in Business Traveler magazine, the potential dangers begin at the check-in counter, where your bags and laptop computer could be stolen while you're talking with an airline clerk.

The same type of theft can occur at a telephone bank while you're making a call and not watching your carry-ons, or it can happen in a restaurant while you leave your bags unattended to go to the buffet.

In restrooms, an occupant of an adjacent stall who reaches under the divider can snatch carry-ons placed for a moment on the floor in a stall.

When going through the security check before hoarding, avoid putting your bags on the X-ray machine until you're sure you re next in line. And if someone near you makes a scene, keep your eye on your bags.

Distracting a potential victim is a common tactic used by thieves in airports.