"Krone" commentary

Thoughts on travel safety

Andrea Thomas reports for the Kronen Zeitung on the topics of vacation and travel.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Anton Gvozdikov, stock.adobe.com)

People who travel broaden their horizons, are open to the unknown, often experience unforgettable things and are aware of the beauty of our planet and how worthy of protection the earth is!

Traveling promotes understanding for other cultures, indeed it promotes peace. Alexander von Humboldt's quote fits in with this: "The most dangerous of all world views is the world view of people who have not seen the world." So traveling is good. The desire to travel after Corona is enormous, but so are the security risks. At the 1st European Travel Insurance Symposium on Travel Safety, experts addressed the questions of what worries travelers and what they should not be afraid of.

Andreas Sturmlechner, CEO of Europäische Reiseversicherung: "Our customers have become more sensitive when it comes to travel cancellation insurance and repatriation." Verena Pronebner, ÖAMTC lawyer, confirms this trend: "Legal protection when traveling is becoming increasingly important. Everyone can minimize their personal risk with good insurance. "Additional security is provided by booking a package tour.

Geopolitical developments, trouble spots and wars are making the "travel world" smaller. The experts' good tip is to find out about the risks in your vacation destination before you travel, heed travel warnings and register free of charge on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before your trip so that you can be contacted in an emergency.

This service is also available as a very useful app, as is the European Travel Insurance app, which allows you to quickly and easily manage insurance benefits, such as cancellations, loss of luggage and, above all, medical emergencies, which means that a doctor can be contacted within 30 minutes if necessary. Matthias Karrer, emergency doctor and "chief travel doctor": "Minor medical problems can often be solved immediately, while more serious injuries can be dealt with using information to initiate the appropriate logistics."

What else worries us? How do I protect myself from illness? Tropical medicine specialist Prof. Dr. Herwig Kollaritsch spoke about the development of new travel risks due to rising global temperatures. Changing insect habitats increase the risk of communicable diseases, but "with good prevention, you can reduce 90 percent of the risk of infection from mosquitoes. This includes, above all, the right insect repellents, but also vaccinations."

Meteorologist Marcus Wadsak commented on the dangers posed by global warming. Extreme weather events, storms and disasters are becoming more frequent. The ORF weather presenter calls for greater awareness and a change in behavior. We not only have climate change, but also a climate emergency - as can be read in his book: "Klimawandel. Facts versus Fake & Fiction". Nevertheless, traveling is good, because only those who know the beauty of our earth know what needs to be protected! "Climate protection begins with a change of mindset. "Where can everyone contribute to climate protection? Climate ambassador Wadsak's answer is: "There are three major areas where we can do something. That would be transport, energy and food."

The last concern relates to flying. Harry Gruber, former professional pilot and trainer against fear of flying, knows that 30 percent of all passengers suffer from a fear of flying. The figures speak against this: 4.2 billion (!) people fly every year, compared to 198 deaths (2016). Another figure: 1.3 million deaths in road traffic according to the WHO (2016). However, the fact that kerosene is not taxed should give us much more food for thought ... Do we still want to travel? Yes, information and precautions increase travel safety and travel and shared experiences are enriching!