GSHN membership offers these support programs and services for young travelers: 1) toll free GSHN emergency hotline access, 2) Safe Travel Emergency Plan 3) real-time member travel alerts, 4) on-going member support website, 5) personalized webpage, 6) GSHN phone card, as described below.
1. Toll-Free GSHN Emergency Hotline
At any time before or during travel, members may access a 24-hour toll-free emergency hotline. Specially trained operators will provide assistance in response to any travel, medical, or security issue.
2. Stay a S.T.E.P. ahead!
GSHN has developed the Safe Travel Emergency Plan (S.T.E.P.), a document listing critical contact information for use in case of emergencies that will be completed by young adult travelers and their parents/guardians prior to taking their trip. The document will be submitted to GSHN, iJet, trip leaders, and travel organizations and kept by the families.
3. Real-Time Travel Alerts
Trips- whether domestic or international- are made less safe when travelers do not have information about their destinations before and during travel. To help travelers be informed about relevant and even crucial information, GSHN provides real-time travel alerts serving as 24/7 "eyes and ears on the world'. Through our alliance with iJET, GSHN members will be made aware of any potential problems and GSHN will be able to respond immediately to travelers in need. Based on information contained in a young traveler’s S.T.E.P. ( Safe Travel Emergency Plan ), GSHN will “push” relevant information to the traveler directly and without delay via pager, cell phone, PDA, and/or email.
4. On-Going Member Support Website
Members will have access- using a secure log-in name and password- to current information pertaining to their individual travel itineraries. This information will be available as soon as members register their trip. This website is different from the personalized webpage that travelers can create. The personalized webpage is more of a communication tool, while this one provides the member with “know before you go” information for ten intelligence areas:
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Security |
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Transportation |
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Communication |
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Health |
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Financial |
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Environment |
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Legal |
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Language |
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Culture |
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Entry / Exit |
This information is specific to the region where the member is traveling and is continuously updated- “real time” 24/7
5. Personalized Webpage
GSHN’s server will host members’ personalized web pages. These pages will serve as a communication tool between the traveler and his or her family. A “how-to” guide on the GSHN website will help members launch their own pages. Members can enter in their itineraries to create maps to show their travel route. Members will be able to notify family and friends of travel delays, itinerary changes, etc.
6. GSHN Phone Card
The member will also receive a Global Safe Haven Network phone card, supplied by our partner ekit, which they will be able to use globally once it is activated. GSHN phone cards provide the member with a personalized voice mail box, and using this feature, parents and friends can leave messages regardless of time differences. Also, young travelers can leave “I’m safe!” updates as outgoing messages for callers to hear.
