Be smart when you travel
Data reveals the dangers facing Aussies overseas, and what our government can – and can’t – do to help.
Consular officials at work
The recent deaths of tourists, including two Australians, from suspected methanol poisoning in Laos, provide some insight to the work undertaken by DFAT and consular staff.
In the wake of the incident, the Smartraveller advice for that country was updated to warn travellers to “be alert to the potential risks particularly with spirit-based drinks including cocktails”.
Australian officials have also supported the families of the victims on the ground in Laos and Thailand.
Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the United States of America were the top travel destinations of Australians who sought consular assistance from the Australian government in the 2023-24 financial year.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), 827 Australians in Thailand sought assistance, followed by 546 in Indonesia, 528 in the Philippines, and 483 in the US. Other calls for help came from the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Vietnam, China, Japan, and India, with Italy rounding out the top 10.
During 2023-24, the Consular Emergency Service received 53,137 calls – one every 10 minutes – from travellers or their families and friends, including 15,200 cases where consular support was necessary. Some 6,160 of those, from places including Ukraine, Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Sudan, and New Caledonia, were classified as crises.
DFAT notes in its State of Play documents that, “A consular case is when assistance is provided by Australian officials to an Australian who has encountered difficulty overseas. For example, if they have been in an accident, a victim of crime, or arrested...”.
“Depending on a person’s circumstance, a case can be simple or complex. Some cases are quick to resolve, Others can take months or even years.”
These cases are handled by staff in Australia’s embassies or high commissions, in and missions shared with the government of Canada, and by honorary consuls in countries where Australia has no official presence.
In 2023-24, which saw a 7% increase on cases over 2022-23, Australian consular assistance was provided in 2,840 cases involving personal welfare and other serious matters, 1,919 cases of death, 1,356 of illness or hospitalisation and 865 of arrest.
Officials also issued more than 8,000 replacement passports, due to a 28% increase year-on-year in the number of lost and stolen passports. The top places where Australian passport loss or theft occurred were Italy, the US, Great Britain, France, and Greece.
Assistance was provided in 117 cases involving Australians arrested or detained for drug-related offences – a 23% increase from 2022-23.
These included 18 cases in Indonesia, 15 in Japan, and 10 in Thailand. DFAT’s advice on drugs is simple: never carry, buy, or use illegal drugs while overseas, and don’t carry bags for others if you don’t know what’s in them.
Recent news stories about the “Bali Nine” – two of whom were executed, one died in prison, one was released, and five have spent 20 years of life sentence in prison in Indonesia – is stark reinforcement of that message.
DFAT has used the release of this data to remind Australians to put their safety first when travelling, including by using the Smartraveller website before departure and while overseas.
More than 10.6 million people visted the website in 2023-24, and there were 9,222 travel advice updates in that year. The top five destinations people sought information about were Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, and Egypt.
The site provides travel advisories for 178 destinations, with each assigned one of four levels of advice ranging from “Exercise normal safety precautions” to “Do not travel”.
It also cautions about things Australian consular officials can’t do, including:
- Guarantee your safety and security in another country or make your travel arrangements
- Give you legal advice, interpret, or translate documents
- Intervene in another country’s court proceedings or legal matters
- Get you out of prison or prevent you from being deported
- Get you better treatment in prison than local prisoners.
If you are planning an overseas holiday, the best advice is to have travel insurance and register on the Smartraveller website. Check the page for your destination regularly for updates.
