Britain launches website to track tourists in emergencies
Fri, May 16, 2008
AFP
LONDON - BRITAIN launched a new online service on Friday to help track down travellers caught up in emergencies such as the current disasters in Myanmar and China.
Travellers are urged to register their details on the newly-created Locate section of the Foreign Office website, logging information on their journeys and the details of friends who can be contacted in an emergency.
A Foreign Office survey found that more than half of Britons who go abroad neglect to leave journey details with loved ones.
'It's great to get off the beaten track when we're away from home, but things can change very quickly in any country,' said Foreign Office Minister Meg Munn.
'In our survey, more than nine out of 10 Britons said they would feel reassured to know that in the event of an emergency abroad, the local embassy could quickly find their location.'
The new service was not specifically linked to the disasters in Myanmar and China - where some 19 British tourists went missing for days this week when caught in the quake as they visited a panda sanctuary, before being found safe.
'Telling us where you will be, whether it's a short trip or you're travelling for a year, could help us either to get to you if you are in trouble, or know that you are safe so that we can concentrate our resources on helping those in need,' said Ms Munn. -- AFP
