Travelers face rising costs and ineffective passport security trends

Travelers are facing rising costs and new security trends. In the Czech Republic, an NMS Research survey conducted with ERGO Cestovní Pojišťovna indicates that the average cost for a vacation is 21,000 CZK per person. For a family of four, this can reach 84,000 CZK, with exotic destinations costing significantly more. Experts suggest that travel cancellation insurance is a vital protection for this financial investment against unexpected illnesses or accidents.

Meanwhile, a social media trend is spreading across European airports where passengers wrap their passports in aluminum foil to prevent data theft from biometric chips. However, experts, including those from the German Federal Office for Information Security, state this is unnecessary. Data theft via RFID would require a device to be within 25 centimeters of the document, and the International Civil Aviation Organization notes that chips only release data when the reader inputs a code from the passport's photo page. Furthermore, using foil can scratch or damage passports, potentially invalidating them, and causes delays at security checkpoints.