Spring Break: Be Smart, Be Safe

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 14, 2012

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Spring Break is fast approaching and many students are preparing to travel abroad for a well-deserved vacation. Smart trip-planning involves more than getting a new travel guide and backpack. That’s where the State Department can help: We have resources for students and their parents to prepare for safe, enjoyable trips.

Be Smart. Students are not invincible when they go abroad. Every year, there are incidents of travelers being arrested, injured, sexually assaulted, and even killed. For Spring Breakers, many incidents have been linked to alcohol and drug use. These and other specific issues for students are highlighted on our studentsabroad.state.gov website to raise their awareness. The site serves as a one-stop shop with useful safety and travel information, and should be the first place students visit when considering a trip abroad.

Be Safe. The State Department also encourages students to stay connected while they travel. All U.S. citizens traveling or living abroad may sign up online for our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. STEP enrollment makes it possible for the State Department to contact the student traveler in the case of a family emergency in the United States, or in the event of a crisis in a foreign country. Safety and security updates are automatically sent to the enrolled citizen so they can make informed trip-planning decisions. It’s free and takes less than five minutes to register online.

Our priority is to ensure that students return home safely, and we believe that a well-informed traveler is a safer traveler.

For further travel information contact:
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Public inquiries: (888) 407-4747
travel.state.gov; studentsabroad.state.gov
Download the Smart Traveler iPhone app.
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ENDS

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