Commentary: Why are youths more susceptible to risks while on holiday?
To stay safe on their vacations, youths need to know where they are going, what they need for the trip and who to reach out to, says International SOS’ Bala Selvam.
SINGAPORE: Around the world, there are numerous examples of young people meeting with accidents on their travels, such as a British student who died after falling from the window of a fifth-floor apartment while on holiday with friends in Brussels and two teenagers from Dublin who died during a post-exam holiday with classmates to the Greek island of Ios.
Only last month, a 23-year-old Singaporean student on holiday in Bali fractured his cheekbone after the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) he was riding crashed into a coconut tree. In May, a 22-year-old Singaporean law student went missing while travelling alone in Taiwan. Taiwanese media reported later that her body was found floating in the sea.
Travelling overseas can bring about many benefits for youths such as experiencing new cultures, learning to be independent, and destressing from their studies and work.
However, it also presents potential challenges, including extreme weather events, crowd crush injuries, and the risk of getting hacked by cybercriminals while abroad.
After a prolonged period of restrictions and limited mobility during the pandemic, international travel has returned with full force. International travels are expected to return to about 80 to 95 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in 2023, according to a study by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Along with revenge travel means youths going on holidays, sans parents. In recent years, a noticeable trend has emerged among today's youth during their travels - an increasing inclination towards taking risks and embracing adventure.
A study published in ScienceDirect earlier this year found that youths have a heightened travel risk perception for health-related matters, and are more likely to seek pre-travel advice to combat the spread of communicable diseases such as COVID-19.
However, the study, which surveyed more than 400 students at Monash University, also found that youths are more likely to take risks during their travels.
Is the increasing trend of youths seeking risks and adventure during travels a reflection of their desire for unique experiences or a consequence of social media influence? How can parents encourage a sense of adventure while also instilling a sense of responsibility and risk management among young travellers?
What are the risks young travellers face, and how can they mitigate them?
THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media has played a significant role in shaping the travel preferences of today's youth. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have become some of the common go-to resources for young travellers planning their itinerary, in search of the “authentic” lived experience through the eyes of independent reviewers or influencers.
Studies by Condor Ferries, a ferry and cruise company in the UK, found that 90 per cent of Gen Z travel decisions are influenced by social media content.
But social media engagement and an over-reliance on online reviews can create a misleading perception of safety for youths, reducing their perception of travel risks associated with their chosen destinations.
Furthermore, young travellers who share their holiday escapades online and tag their posts to specific locations open themselves up to a wave of potential security concerns.
While there is nothing wrong with sharing experiences online, youths should avoid posting and tagging their posts to specific locations in real time to reduce the risk of being targeted by criminals.
They should adjust the privacy settings on their social media accounts to limit the visibility of their posts to trusted individuals or friends, and be wary about sharing personal and sensitive details online, such as snapshots of a boarding pass.
At the same time, they should also be aware of the need to protect their online security.
Research by NordVPN, a global leader in Virtual Private Network (VPN) services, has shown that one in four international tourists has fallen victim to hackers when using public Wi-Fi while abroad.
Making use of public Wi-Fi can be dangerous for overseas travellers as it allows hackers a means to gain access to their personal information, credit card details, private emails, online activities, corporate data, and other credentials.
OVERCROWDED DESTINATIONS
If youths travel during the festive period, they should consider the potential dangers if their trip coincides with national holidays in the destination countries.
On Oct 29 last year, a crowd crush occurred during Halloween festivities in the Itaewon neighbourhood of Seoul, South Korea. Over 150 people, including more than 20 foreigners, were killed. Several Singaporeans were reportedly in the crowd, Singapore media outlets reported later. They were lucky to make it out alive.
There have also seen catastrophic crowd crush incidents at sporting events, such as the stampede at a football match in Indonesia in October 2022.
Those tragedies serve as a reminder of the potential harms of being caught in a crowd. According to Risk Frontiers, a risk management company in Australia, the dangers of such situations include asphyxiation, getting trampled on, getting crushed between people or against fixed structures such as barriers.
If caught in such situations, travellers should fold their arms up in front of them at chest level, like a boxer. In this position, they can protect their ribcage when bumping into others, and ensure space around their ribs and lungs, allowing them to be able to breathe properly, according to one tip from the Singapore First Aid Training Centre.
They should also keep away from barriers such as walls, fences and other solid objects to prevent being crushed against those items, and control their breathing and avoid screaming to save their breath.
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
One of the key considerations when planning a trip is to research the typical weather conditions of the intended destination.
With the increasing impact of climate change, weather patterns have become more erratic and unpredictable, making it essential for travellers to be prepared and adaptable. In recent months, there have been tropical storms in Japan, intense heatwaves in South Asia, and severe flooding across regions in Italy.
Understanding the locality’s infrastructure, weather severity and potential secondary risks posed by these events can help youth travellers to either avoid or plan for flexibility to mitigate these risks effectively. For example, when staying in a location prone to natural disasters, choosing accommodation with reliable backup power facilities is essential.
FREEDOM OF TRAVEL
When youths travel for the first time without their parents or teachers to look out for them, their lack of exposure in travelling independently means they might be less capable in managing potential risks by themselves.
In particular, we have seen that the pandemic-induced travel hiatus has also desensitised youths’ risk perception for their own personal security in both physical and virtual environments.
Like all things in life, preparation is key. To prepare for their trips, youths need to know where they are going, what they need for the trip and who to reach out to.
By taking these proactive steps, young travellers can enhance their preparedness and reduce the potential risks associated with travelling independently.
Bala Selvam is a Regional Security Manager at International SOS.
