For many businesspeople, international travel is just part of the job description. Even famous business people like Ehsan Bayat find themselves frequently going to and from foreign countries for work-related commitments. For many people, work-related travel is seen as a fun adventure, while others find it to be a dreaded necessity of the job. No matter which camp you fall into, there are some tips and advice you can follow to make your international travel a little less stressful. Here are some tips for traveling businesspeople.
Pack Light
Even if your company reimburses you for the cost of checking your luggage, it’s still a better idea to just pack what you can bring with you on the plane. Too many unlucky traveling businesspeople have found themselves in a foreign country with lost luggage. As stressful as this is when it happens on a domestic flight, it’s a thousand times more stressful when you’re in a foreign country. Keeping your clothing and belongings close to you is the best way to go.
Read Up On The Country You’re Traveling To
You might not have all the time in the world to master you destination country’s language and customs, but surely you can spare a little time to read up on the country to which you will be traveling. The more knowledgeable you are about the country, the more you will impress the clients or people whom with you’re doing business. Plus, knowing a little bit about a country makes it all the more enjoyable when you appreciate it with your own eyes.
Take At Least A Little Time For Tourism
Use whatever time you have to yourself on your business trip to really enjoy the country in which you’re visiting. Don’t be one of those business-related travelers who spends all of their time in the hotel business suite. Instead, get out and see what the city has to offer. Even if you only have the time to visit a small cafe or shop, you’ll get a little taste of a country previously unknown to you. Plus, it’s an opportunity to pick up some unique souvenirs or trinkets for your friends or family members back in your home country.
Make A Good Impression
Make a good impression on your clients or foreign colleagues. Not only will this reflect well on your company, but it will ensure that your superiors trust you to go on foreign trips again. Traveling for business is one of the simplest ways to see the world without having to pay a dime out of your own pocket. The better prepared you are to deal with your foreign clients, the more opportunities you’ll have to go on more trips in the future.
Traveling for business is an exciting and exhilarating adventure. Remember to pack light, see the sites as much as possible and make a good impression on your foreign clients. If you do these things, you’ll be sure to enjoy many more foreign business trips in the future.
My international travel has always been recreational. Four wonderful countries. I enjoyed two weeks in Costa Rica with a backpack. Traveling light allowed me the freedom to get outside easily, without the stress of packing up. You really can’t put a price on freedom. It costs me nothing to pack light and usually results in a more enjoyable trip. Unfortunately bacon doesn’t travel well.
I love traveling for business actually. If I ever stop traveling full time for work, I know I’ll have to find a job that at least lets me travel a little. Every time I’ve gone cold turkey, I wound up hating my job.
I agree with packing everything in your carry on – there are few trips where that can’t be accomplished and it makes life a lot less stressful. I also invested in a couple of packing cubes lately that have made packing so much easier. I wish I’d done it years ago.
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That’s awesome 🙂 So many people hate it. It’s good that you like it, because your work is soooo much travel.
I am intrigued about the packing cubes. Are they really that more awesome? Maybe I should ask for some for Christmas.
Whenever I will be on travel, I assure that I have a list prepared of things I’d need. If I am on travel for seven days, I have prepared things for only 8 days so that I have spare things just in case I something unexpected happens.
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I’m all for making a good impession. I always try to adapt to different cultures and do things their way 🙂 Nothing peeves me more when I’m abroad and I can spot someone for sticking out in a negative way. Great tips!
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Taking time for tourism is a great idea. It’s a shame for any businessperson to have to skip seeing the local sights for a few hours during a trip abroad. Great post!
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