The Swine Flu (H1N1) has surged again this season.  As Autumn and Winter travelers reach their destinations, it’s important to know the signs of the H1N1 Flu since the level of risk in various regions may sometimes be unknown.  We encourage you to rely on your doctor as your main source of care and advice on seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccinations and treatment.

What to Do If You Get Sick
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that if you get sick with flu-like symptoms, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people, except to get medical care.

Most people with 2009 H1N1 have been only mildly sick and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs. The same is true for seasonal flu. If you get sick with flu, call your doctor for advice. If your doctor decides that you do need drug treatment, medicine will be most helpful when started within the first two days that symptoms begin to show.

Here are some tips from CDC on what to do if you’re sick:
1)  Know the signs. Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, chills, tiredness, diarrhea and vomiting.

2)  Know the emergency warning signs. Anyone who has one or more of the emergency warning signs below should get medical care right away.

3)  If you are not sure what to do if you or a family member is sick, contact your doctor. He or she will best be able to guide you.

Emergency Warning Signs of the Flu

Concerned about travelling with the recent outbreak of swine flu? Here are some quick sources of information to help you discern what to prepare for:

Center for Disease Control Twitter feed

CDC Questions & Answers

CDC website on the 2009 swine flu outbreak

One-stop access to U.S. Government swine, avian and pandemic flu information

AH&LA statement on Swine Influenza - (April 27, 2009)

One way to gain respect and attention among your guests (and peers) is to display special concern for the safety and security of your guests. On everyone’s mind these days is safety, especially while travelling. Global terrorism threats and international tensions are heightened. We all know about increased security at airports and rail terminals.

While the topic may not be relevant for all locations, be prepared to answer guest questions about security in your locality. Provide direct responses, and don’t avoid communicating about direct threats that may be present for travelers. Be sensitive to your international travelers. Know that foreign guests may be concerned about safety even if your location has no safety concerns. Provide recommendations and tips on areas to avoid, and how to stay safe while sightseeing. Provide a business card with your contact information, as well as emergency and police contacts. Offer to safeguard your guests’ personal property within your property.

Acknowledging and being sensitive to your guest’s security will be appreciated, and interpreted by my most guests as a sign of intelligent and thoughtful management.

One way to enhance your reputation among guests is to post some safety and security tips on your website. Make your guests aware of various online resources regarding the latest travel advisories. Here are some official government resources sites:

http://travel.state.gov/

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/

http://www.smartraveller.gov.au//

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/consular_home-en.asp

Better yet, post a link to our Pocket Tips - How to Travel Safely Abroad, and share with your friends and guests many valuable tips on international travel security. To quickly post a link to this unique page, insert the following code into your site HTML:

Link to this page from your website. Copy the following html code:
<a href=”http://www.instantworldbooking.com/communications/articles/how_to_travel_safely_abroad.php” title=”How To Travel Safely and Securely with InstantWorldBooking.com”>
How to Travel Safely Abroad
</a>

Remember, when marketing your hotel or hostel (or your small business) online, adding services and useful content to your website is key. Follow this advice, and you will be going a long way to enhancing your online marketing efforts, as well as improving guest relations.