Despite trouble in the past, Blake said students should not be concerned when traveling to Latin American countries in the future.

“Make sure that you make those unsavory outcomes unlikely ones,” he said. “There’s crime all around us from Detroit to New York City to Los Angeles to Houston — wherever.

There are things that one can do to avoid … putting yourself in any risk or in harm’s way.

I wouldn’t have any concerns about recommending someone to go to Guatemala or elsewhere in Latin America.”

Crime isn’t a major concern for English junior Haylee Wilson, who will be visiting the Bahamas with her friends for spring break.

Wilson said she and her friends don’t plan on spending much time outside of their resort, which she said leaves little opportunity for problems.

“We’re going to an all-inclusive resort so I’m not too worried,” she said. “But we are aware of the dangers because we’re all girls.”

The easiest way to prepare for a potential problem while traveling is to know about the country before leaving for the airport, said Julie Friend, an international analyst for travel health, safety and security for the MSU Office of Study Abroad and International Studies and Programs.

“The most important bit of predeparture or preparation is learning a little bit about the country that you’ll be going to — the risks that you are exposed to while you’re there — and that should get you thinking about ways to mitigate those risks,” she said.

“You can spend your time having a good time and not spending your time calling all your credit card companies because you’ve been pickpocketed and lost all your money.”

To help prepare for any risks, Friend said she recommends students visit the U.S. Department of State’s travel Web site, where they can check on travel warnings and alerts provided by the government if a foreign country might be unsafe to visit.

They also can research profiles on specific countries to see crime reports, medical information, traffic quality and embassy locations in case of trouble, Friend said.

The most useful feature on the Web site might be a vacation registration page.

Here, travelers can inform the government when they plan to leave, where they will stay and when they plan to return home, she said. That information could be vital if any problems occur during a vacation, Friend said.

“If the student doesn’t come home when they’re expected to (or) if there’s a natural disaster, it’s the first place that the U.S. government is going to go to start to be able to account for who’s in the country, and who’s ill, and who’s injured, and who might have passed on,” she said.

For more information, including specific country information, travel alerts and warnings, and travel guides for students visit the U.S. Department of State’s Web site at www.travel.state.gov.