I like to travel alone. I’m rarely lonely and I only get scared when there’s a good reason. Common sense and some simple “rules of the road” help me travel in safety and comfort.
Yes, there are news stories about bad things happening to women travelling alone, stories that make some women so nervous they’d rather stay at home, with the security alarms on, than travel for business or pleasure.  They miss a lot.

Those clients of yours travelling alone for the first time, might consider something a little more structured. A cruise is the best way to have company or not, depending on their mood. And on a cruise or a coach tour dinner companions will always be available. Your client will be safe and have lots of company with whom to do things.

I like to make friends with hotel staffers who usually respond by taking a personal interest in my comfort and safety during my stay in their city. Recently, the maid was worried that I was in my room a lot. Several days in a row she knocked at the door to make sure I was all right. I was making notes and watching the parade of weddings under my window. “If you are sick, I’ll pray for you,” she said.

Using common sense means asking where the safe neighbourhoods are, and which areas to avoid. Just as there are places to avoid in Toronto, so there are in any city. Before you go, contact the Foreign Affairs hotline 1-800 267-6788 or travel.gc.ca/ for up-to-date safety info.
Once you or your client arrive at destination, ask the front desk, concierge or the nearest police officer about any risky areas. Avoid public transit late at night, or early in the morning. Don’t go into parks that are desolate, never walk a beach alone at night or in the daytime.
Do not carry all your valuables in one purse or in a backpack. If possible, keep the passport in a safe, back at the hotel, and just carry a copy. Separate cash from credit cards. Forget a fanny pack unless it is under your clothes.  In crowded areas, the back pack should be in front of the body. Someone I was travelling with lost all his cash right out of his fanny pack while getting on a bus. It was only when we were underway that he realized it. It wasn’t the end of the world, I had the credit cards, and passports, and half the cash but it could have been.

And of course, your clients would never do what I saw a group of Canadians do; flash their foreign cash in a crowded café, remarking on how much you needed of this “funny money.” Then they left to go down a dark road that was the quickest way to their hotel. Never keep money or your cell in a pocket.

Suggest to your clients, and always remember to BE NICE. One of the best things about travelling alone is you have more time to watch other people, unless of course the eyes are glued to a device. It is truly amazing how badly some people engage with locals, treating them as though they are idiots and talking down to them.

Several years ago, I was on a Palace Resort agent’s FAM, to the Moon Palace in Jamaica. The Palace, if you don’t know does amazing Fam trips. An agent and I wandered the streets of Ocho Rios in Jamaica. As usual the vendors were very enthusiastic, actually the word ‘pushy’ comes to mind. My companion treated them all with great courtesy, and said to each of them “I’ll be going back to the hotel to think about what I’ve seen, and when I do buy, your lovely items will be high on my list.” I was in awe.

Solo travellers might consider a small investment of safeguards, such as a personal alarm/light it makes a high-pitched, siren sound, a Port-a-lock door security guard that you take with you, and hidden waist and neck wallets. I’m eyeing a scarf that has a hidden zipper pocket.
Yes, in some countries, women are considered less than equal to men, and it’s a good idea to team up with other people. Dress appropriately for local customs.

Many years ago, when I first began to travel on business, I established some ground rules that kept me feeling comfortable. For instance, I don’t go off in cars with strangers; I make sure my room is not in an isolated part of the hotel. I check out the occupants of the elevator before I get on, and if I’m hesitant, I simply wait for the next one, or ask a staff person to come with me. I never open a hotel door without double checking the peephole.

Travelling to an all-inclusive resort solo doesn’t have to mean paying a huge penalty, nor does it mean bringing a friend who won’t be one by the end of a week. Transat Holidays has a solo collection of more than 35 resorts in 18 destinations where there is no single supplement. Transat has negotiated a deal that your solo clients will have Free WIFI, a communal table for sharing meals, and free room service where available.

Just tell them to be aware, not scared. My husband and I have made every mistake in the book, as I do travel alone and we’re still smiling, and looking forward to our next trip together and separately.