FCO new Locate Service

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has launched a new service called LOCATE which helps track down Britions in the event of a crisis abroad. Travellers can register details of their trips on the FCO website (see link by clicking on title of this news letter) as well as friend and family contacts back in the UK. LOCATE has been created in response the the changing face of travel. More people are travelling today than ever before, with an estimated 68,000,000 foreign trips made by British nationals in 2006. We are travelling to traditionally more unstable regions.But it is not just in remote, exotic places where a crisis can happen, as demonstrated by last summer's fires in Greece and the bombing in recent years in Turkey, Egypt and this year in Spain. Although the chances of being involved in a crisis is remote, when something does happen communication is often difficult and at those times and not knowing an individual is safe can lead to worry for friends and family and can cause a diversion of of consular assistance away from those who really need it. LOCATE is a two-way service in the event of an emergency worried family members can register details of a loved one who may be caught up in an incident. If the traveller also confirms with FCO that they are OK, LOCATE will match the two bits of information and the good news can be quickly passed to relatives.
Whether you are going on a short trip or away for a year LOCATE will assist the local Embassy find you quickly. Telling the FCO will get help to you or they will be able to let friends and family know you are safe in the event of a crisis.
A tip for all travellers is to add LOCATE to their usual pre-travel checklist

• Ensure you have comprehensive travel insurance
• Find out about vaccinations
• Research local laws and customs of your destination
• Register with LOCATE
• Take photocopies of important documentation or store copies online using secure data storage site

Please check out the FCO website or contact Stewart Bell on 0191 2515000 for more information