This summer, many tourists go to popular foreign resorts. How not to spoil your vacation and not become a victim of thieves? What to do if, nevertheless, money or valuables were stolen at the hotel?
On vacation, it is enough to exercise reasonable care
Theft from tourists happens in any country, especially in one that has a lot of foreign visitors. Money can be stolen from a safe in a hotel room, valuables can be stolen from a room, phones, gadgets, and cash can be stolen from a beach, expensive watches, phones, or wallets from outer pockets of clothes can be stolen during an excursion in a noisy tourist city
“Theft can happen anywhere, and any popular overseas resorts are no exception. Tourists relax on vacation, lose their vigilance, and cease to follow the simplest rules for their safety, which they follow at home. All that is needed is to exercise reasonable care,” says one expert.
For example, you should not take jewelry and expensive accessories on vacation, leave personal belongings unattended on the beach, or lay out money and phones in open space: on a sun lounger, on a table in a restaurant, etc.
Tour operators warn tourists about these simple rules of personal safety in special memos, which are included in the package of documents for recreation in printed or electronic form.
What to do if money and valuables are stolen
Experts told what to do to organized tourists if theft in the room or on the territory of the hotel on vacation abroad did occur.
Firstly, you must immediately inform the hotel guide-representative of the tour operator about this: to know who it is, you need to go to an information meeting and take his contact phone number.
Secondly, you need to notify the hotel administration: this can be done at the reception. At a minimum, the hotel guide will help with translation and communication for tourists who do not speak foreign languages.
Thirdly, if necessary, you need to call the police with representatives of the hotel and report this to the Russian consulate. Their help or advice may be required for further communication with local law enforcement agencies.
Tourists are not entitled to demand from the tour operator participation in the investigation of the causes of the incident, escort to the police, or compensation for the stolen goods.
“Tourists purchased from the tour operator the services of flights, transfers, and accommodation. Everything related to the legal support of a tourist, for example, escort to the police, accommodation service, or other paid services, is not included. Assistance to the tourist remains at the discretion of the tour operator – in the person of a hotel guide or other official representatives. Of course, the tourist will be helped if possible, but this is not the duty of the tour operator. For such cases, there are legal support services,” experts say.
Why you should declare valuables
In case of theft of money or things, it will be quite difficult to receive compensation from the hotel. First, you need to prove in principle that the tourist had this money or things. An easy way to do this is to declare them when crossing the border, ie. at the international airport.
As a rule, tourists go on vacation with luggage, and in 99% of cases they do not declare their belongings, choosing the “green” corridor. However, travelers have the right to declare a favorite gadget, watch, or other personal item that is used in everyday life, even if it has been for many years. In case of theft, a list of declared things with which tourists entered, for example, Turkey, Egypt, or any other country, will help to prove that the tourist had this property or money with him.
In particular, the presence of a customs declaration with a list of imported valuables will allow the tourist to apply for monetary compensation to the insurance company that insured the hotel against theft, theft, and other unpleasant incidents.
Keep especially valuable things in the hotel office safe and make copies of documents
Experts recommend that tourists keep especially valuable things in a special safe in the hotel office (not in a safe in the room!). These values are described and surrendered at the entrance to the hotel safe (at the reception, in the manager’s office, etc.), for which the tourist is issued a receipt/receipt. In the event of the theft of these things from this special safe, the tourist can already “reinforced concrete” count on full compensation, because it was the hotel that was legally responsible for the storage of his property.
Tour operators are also advised to make copies of documents that they can take with them, for example, on excursions. Tourists may need to verify their identity, for example, when boarding a boat for a boat trip, diving, etc.
But money in Turkey or Egypt on an all-inclusive vacation on the beach or by the pool will no longer be needed: there are restaurants/bars/cafes on the territory of the hotels, the use of which is included in the cost of living, so you won’t have to pay for drinks or snacks.