When it comes to business travel, it is worth considering some practical advice that I gathered based on the book El arte de hacer public relations [bien], originally written in Spanish by Beatriz de Orleans. Whether for events, conferences, meetings, internships, or for a short period of time, improvising is not usually the best option for traveling while working. So, I’ve gathered 5 topics to observe when you need to organize yourself for a professional trip.
Pay attention to the weather
Before packing your suitcase, you need to know the season in the destination country or city, the maximum and minimum temperatures, and the frequency of rain or sunny days. This is essential information when deciding which clothes and accessories to take in your luggage.
Have a daily schedule
Keep in mind what will be scheduled for each day to decide what to wear, observe the local etiquette and, finally, be able to prepare for occasions apart from meetings and formal events. For informal occasions, especially in places where in the local culture it is important to establish a relationship to close a deal, it is to be expected that the program extends to lunches, dinners, and extra hours in bars. Nothing unusual for Latin Americans and Asians, for example.
Time zone and jet lag
On long-distance air travel, it’s inevitable to feel the biological clock messed up with time differences. What’s left to do is adjust to the destination country’s time. If you are traveling to Asia or Oceania, with long time differences, the best thing to do is to endure staying awake and sleep only at night. If possible, set aside at least 1 day to catch up on sleep and adapt to the local time zone.
What to dress
With clothing when on business travel, it is always worth paying attention to the local customs of the country or city of destination. Take comfortable clothes that you have already worn, both for formal and informal occasions. It’s not worth taking the risk of packing clothes you’ve never tried on. Preferably, take clothes that don’t wrinkle.
Do not rely 100% on ironing at the hotel. If you didn’t take iron with you, a trick can be to leave the clothes in the steam of hot water. Another point to consider is to maintain discretion, either for security reasons in the case of places with high crime or to avoid gaffes in the midst of cultural differences. Avoid carrying valuables and jewelry to avoid attracting attention.
Understand the local culture of the destination
If you travel to another country, it is important to pay attention to the local culture, what is expected in terms of business etiquette, habits, and customs, the way they work, and how to dress. For those traveling for work, try to understand in advance what the hierarchy is like in the work environment, how meetings are usually conducted, and what is expected of a person occupying their position. More details on culture shocks are in this article and in the books by Geert Hofstede and The Culture Map by Erin Meyer.
In the middle of the rush when traveling for work, it’s best not to risk it. Are there any other tips missing? Is there any adventure you went through worth mentioning to help other travelers? Feel free to leave a comment.
Originally posted 2023-02-12 21:40:44.
