Know Before You Go

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) campaign to improve the safety and health of British travellers abroad is known as Know Before You Go (KBYG). In action since 2001, the campaign has developed each year and is now supported by more than 500 partners throughout the aviation and travel industry.

Millions of British travellers leave the motherland each year, whether for work or leisure. Unfortunately, some travellers do not take the necessary precautions to stay safe while holidaying or working abroad, simply because they do not know what precautions need to be taken. This is where the KBYG campaign comes into full swing.

Key areas

The campaign has identified several areas that travellers tend to overlook before they embark on an overseas journey. Even though most of the travel advice given is simple, such common sense steps are commonly skipped by travellers before departure, which can lead to the traveller experiencing problems in another country.

Here are some simple questions travellers should ask themselves to fully prepare for a trip abroad:

Passport validity and visa: do you have a visa and is your passport ready for travel?
Travel insurance: do you have proper and legitimate travel insurance? Have you read the fine print?
Country advice: have you read current travel advice for your chosen destination? Is there anything happening in the country that may heighten the risk of travel there?
Cultural awareness: have you read up on the cultural aspects of the country?
Health risks: what are the health risks of the destination? Do you need any vaccinations?
Document copies: have you copied your travel documents? Are you able to retrieve copies from an online storage source?
Emergency details: do you have emergency contact details of friends and family? Have you given details of the trip to friends or family?
Emergency funds: have you got access to emergency monetary funds? Do you have enough cash for travel in your chosen destination?

FCO website

TheFCO website is a fantastic place to find more information about the key message areas and overall function of the KBYG campaign. Links to other helpful websites, including a checklist for travellers preparing to visit another country, can be found at the webpage.

Targeted travellers

Research has found that there are unique groups that are more susceptible than other groups to travel problems. As a result, these groups are targeted by the KBYG campaign. The gap year traveller has been found to be one of the most likely jet-setters to experience problems when overseas. To limit problems within this group, the KBYG campaign has focused on educational promotion strategies around higher learning institutions, in combination with travel agencies around the UK.

Here is a list of the KBYG campaign´s targeted travellers:

Retirees and elderly holidaymakers
Individual travellers
Persons visiting friends or relatives
Single-sex travel groups
Gap year workers and tourists
Sports travellers
Travellers on package holidays

Mini-campaigns are designed to target these groups. However, publications, sporting events and promotion through travel and aviation industry companies are also important parts of increasing public awareness of the campaign.

CheapFerryTickets.com

One company providing support for the KBYG campaign is leading international ferry ticket provider www.cheapferrytickets.com. Tickets for some of Europe´s most renowned ferry services including those operated by P&O Ferries, Brittany Ferries and Stena Line are found on this site, which is a partner to the KBYG campaign.

Don´t be one of the unlucky travellers to be caught abroad without assistance. Instead, take heed of the travel advice given by the campaign and enjoy a safe, problem-free overseas experience.