Girl Scouts' number one priority with travel is safety. Before choosing Belize as a destination, research was completed to assess the safety of the country. All countries have a travel advisory between 1 and 4 determined by the US State Department. Travel advisories are reviewed every 12 months to be updated. Belize has a level 2 rating. Other countries with a level 2 rating include the Bahamas, United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Germany.
GSUSA has the policy to only allow travel to countries with the level 1 or 2 rating.
Belize is generally safe for American tourists, but it requires exercising increased caution, especially regarding crime. The main concerns are violent and petty crime, particularly in Belize City.
We work with Explorica travel which has over 50 years experience in student travel. Explorica operates out of 45 operation centers on six continents, meaning they are there to support us. Explorica has a 24/7 emergency contact line. Additionally, we have a professional tour director with extensive knowledge language, custom and locations for us to explore.
If the Travel Advisory moves into a Level 3 or 4 , then Explorica works with us to determine alternate destinations.
Trips are registered with the STEP program and our team gets alerts on civil unrest or a natural Disaster.
On any trip, we plan to not have a crisis, but we prepare just in case. An Emergency Action Plan is created which plans out a response plan and nearest emergency services in the areas we will be.
Pre-trip travel meetings are planned so members can learn safety skills and precautions related to our trip.
The chaperone/Girl Scout ration is 1 chaperone for every 6 youth.
All chaperones are travel experienced, CPR First Aid Certified, background checked, and educated on Child Abuse Prevention.
All participants are required to carry travel itinerary with emergency contacts for Explorica with them at all times.