“Once in awhile it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to.”                 — Alan Keightley

From aviation security to personal safety in cities and resorts around the world, travelers are acutely aware of the risks inherent around the world.  Learning how to discern the truth about where and when to travel can be a daunting task.   Travelers know that they have to have a risk management plan for traveling close to home and abroad.  Navigating places smartly and developing interpersonal skills can help travelers overcome the almost inevitable challenges and crisis situations that have sadly made their way into modern travel.


pumpkin-halloween

Safe and Spooky: Where to enjoy Halloween from a Social Distance

By Tonya Fitzpatrick

Halloween is around the corner and the ghouls and goblins are coming for us whether we’re ready or not. This time they will be frightening us from a safe distance. But don’t worry because your adrenaline will still run high.   Read more

The World Family Travel Events & Festivals
stray-cat-may carry rabies

The Risk of Rabies is Real: Here’s What Travellers Need to Know

By Melissa Hobson

While rabies occurs in more than 150 countries and territories and causes around 59,000 deaths worldwide each year, many travellers don’t fully understand the risks.   Read more

Asia Health & Wellness Insights
US traveler and passport

Understanding U.S. State Department Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts

By Tonya Fitzpatrick

The U.S. State Department provides  American citizens with regular notifications of events that  may affect their safety and security.  These notices come in the form of Travel Alerts or Travel Warnings.   Read more

United States Insights
Anietra standing in front of the American flag before catching the last evac flight out of India. Aneitra was sent to India on a fishing assignment to write about the goonch catfish.

Escape from India during COVID-19 (Part 3 Final)

The conclusion of Escape from India during COVID-19 continues with Anietra sharing more of the roller coaster ordeal that took her and Ian from hope to hopelessness and back. Now she is confronted with the memories of the traumatic experience.   Read more

India Experiences
One of many police checkpoints where we got hassled. Photo: Anietra Hamper

Escape from India during COVID-19 (Part 2)

In Episode One of Escape from India during COVID-19, we introduced you to veteran journalist Anietra Hamper who was trying to escape from India after COVID-19 derailed her fishing assignment trip. Anietra and her fishing guide, Ian Henderson, were left stranded in India with only a narrow window to get … Read more   Read more

India Experiences
Flag raising on September 11 at World Trade Center

SPECIAL: Remembering 9/11

World Footprints commemorates the anniversary of the terrifying attack that changed the world and brought heroes to the front-line. You will hear from survivors their first-hand account of the events as they experienced them.   Read more

United States History Social Responsibility
Digital nomad office is a dream lifestyle

Lessons I’ve Learned Since Becoming a Digital Nomad

By Ali Jennings

Becoming a digital nomad is the dream lifestyle for many people nowadays. This shouldn’t come as a surprise.   Read more

The World Insights
guatemala

Go With the Flow: Life Lessons From Backpacking to the Pandemic

By Natasha Tucker

Some of you may ask why I chose Guatemala — especially if you’re like my parents whose idea of adventure is an all-inclusive trip to Cuba.   Read more

Central and South America Backpacking & Camping Experiences
To travel or not travel woman-thinking

Travel during a pandemic: Responsible or reckless?

By Jessica Barrett

My last trip was in February 2020, just a month before the coronavirus pandemic shut much of the world down for months on end.   Read more

The World Safety Social Responsibility
Washington DC Tourism

Tourism in Washington, D.C. amid COVID and the 2021 Presidential Inauguration

With all of the challenges facing Washington and a forthcoming Presidential Inauguration to prepare for, we spoke to Elliott Ferguson, President and CEO of Destination DC, to talk about the status of tourism in the District.   Read more

United States Events & Festivals
South Africa - Lion's Head, Cape Town. Photo of Kellie Paxian

Balancing safety and sanity as a nomadic soul during the pandemic

By Kellie Paxian

But for many of us wanderlust-filled souls, there is one major influence on our well-being that the pandemic discourages — and that is travel.   Read more

The World Safety
National Shop for Travel Day - River in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Photo: Tonya Fitzpatrick

Celebrating the joy of travel on National Shop for Travel Day

By Tonya Fitzpatrick

The technological resources that are available make research and planning for vacations much easier. This was the reasoning behind the creation of National Shop for Travel Day.   Read more

United States Events & Festivals
Happy New Year's Eve

How to celebrate New Year’s Eve safely around the world

By Tara Tadlock

Lockdowns and government restrictions don’t have a put a damper on New Year’s Eve festivities.   Read more

The World Events & Festivals
Twenty Twenty | Nigel Watts's Twenty Twenty

Global Pandemic, Climate Change, Virtual Tourism: Twenty Twenty novel predictions from 1995

As 2020 comes to a close we remember the late author Nigel Watts and the eerie predictions he made about this year in his 1995 novel “Twenty Twenty”. Nigel’s predictions are shared through the voice of his widow, Sahera Cohen.   Read more

The World Insights Climate
Maunakea

Maunakea – The White Mountain

By Manali Shah

A sacred mountain for Hawaiians, it is also an Observation facility with telescopes bigger than the Hubble Space telescope.   Read more

United States Technology