Travel retail consultant Stephenie Rodriguez is a frequent flyer who, more often than not, travels alone.
A much-respected, effervescent figure in the industry, Rodriguez, as Chief Enabling Officer at the Mighty Media Group, claimed the Digital Disruptor of the Year title at the 2017 The Moodie Davitt Digital Awards (‘The Moodies’).
She is also the mastermind behind the development of WanderSafe, a newly released compact non-violent personal safety solution for travellers. Rodriquez claims her new product is a “perfect fit” in travel retail and a must for anyone travelling alone.
WanderSafe made its debut on the global market at last week’s TFWA Exhibition.
The innovative electronic device and app was created by JOZU for Women, a travel platform designed to help women travel better and safer. WanderSafe was designed by Rodriguez, who is the brand and JOZU CEO, in collaboration with former US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Safety Expert, Thomas Pecora.
The app and device deliver three key features for everyone who ventures away from home: information, environmental awareness and the right equipment needed to deter an assault. And Rodriguez is adamant that WanderSafe can contribute to the safety of solo travellers.
“As a travel retail consultant I have travelled to more than 53 countries, and most of the time alone,” Rodriguez says.
“I’ve had close calls, been very scared, and watched communities manage around violence against those most vulnerable from Nairobi to Northern California.”
Ms Rodriguez encourages travel retail companies to include WanderSafe in safety protocols to ensure their own employees’ safety.
Rodriguez listened to stories from many solo travellers before designing the WanderSafe. Tracey Regimbal (see video below), a NATO college employee, said she felt vulnerable because of the lack of information and lack of equipment when confronting situations when she was away from home. She was sexually assaulted after taking a licensed taxi from Rome Airport.
“ Women fear poorly lit areas at night statistically as a major concern. Things like staying at a hotel that is in a safe suburb, near amenities, and with safer room preferences are considerations that hotel booking websites often don’t have enough information about.”
Such stories are both alarming and recurrent. US traveller Kristie Love was raped in an Iberostar Resort in Punta Cana in 2010 and TripAdvisor refused to publish her recount of her visit. Travel retail industry executive Karuna Tuli told her story of interrupting a rape in London recently.
“These (stories) are not uncommon but indeed part of my wanting to create a solution to empower travellers – male and female – to travel better and safer when away from home.”
Rodriguez underlines a traveller’s vulnerability and the fact that women “tend to travel differently than men”.
“Women will ask for directions. Women have safety issues particularly around not becoming an obvious target for rape or trafficking. Women fear poorly lit areas at night statistically as a major concern. Things like staying at a hotel that is in a safe suburb, near amenities, and with safer room preferences are considerations that hotel booking websites often don’t have enough information about.”
She says online booking sites and travel brochures provide in-depth details of accommodation “but nothing about what might happen when you want to go for a run, grab a coffee or want to explore the neighbourhood”.
WanderSafe acts as an anti-rape, anti-assault and anti-trafficking device, pairing, via Bluetooth, with a smartphone app to deliver location-relevant safety information in real time. Rodriguez says ‘JENI’, the JOZU for Women travel ‘guru’, gets to know her users, and assists them with insight as to where they are and what risks are around them.
The device’s features include a high lumen quick-click flashlight, second click disorienting strobe light, and a twist top 140db personal siren. The WanderSafe Activate button sends a distress signal, with details of the user’s location, to contacts, employers or law enforcement representatives.
“We’ve found that WanderSafe is not just for women who feel vulnerable as we’ve received feedback that anyone in a place where they are uncertain and uninformed can appreciate the benefits of the WanderSafe platform and device,” Rodriguez says.
It’s an ideal fit for travel retail, which is the brand’s first targeted market, she adds.
According to Rodriguez, WanderSafe is the first product to address the need for personal safety in travel. She encourages travel retailers to include the device in safety protocols to ensure their own employees’ safety.
“We’ve looked at the holistic problem and solution and as such, we are working with our non-profit partners, including Airline Ambassadors International and CrimeStoppers International to deploy WanderSafe in domestic areas where rape and domestic violent challenge progress.
“Our partners help us ensure that we can deploy our ‘buy one– give one’ strategy of Corporate Social Responsibility where it is going to be most effective.”
The WanderSafe launch is backed by crowdfunding, which started on 2 October, the United Nation’s International Day of Non-Violence, and birth date of Indian activist, Mahatma Gandhi.
The Indigogo platform offers several tiers and incentives for individuals and companies, including experiences and product development.
“We stand on the shoulders of the giants we serve to have global reach and scale quickly.”
Volume discounts are offered [Rodriguez suggests that interested travel retailers could take advantage of discounted rates to purchase the devices for employees]. There is also a listing of WanderSafe ‘Safe Haven’ businesses which are open 24 hours and willing to help travellers in need.
WonderSafe I has a RRP of US$59.95 in travel retail and US$79.95 for domestic sales. Rodriguez says another device, the WanderSafe II, is already in the pipeline.
King Power Group (HK) Managing Director Duty Free & Travel Retail Sunil Tuli is backing the project and the product is set for a domestic roll-out in India in Q1 2019.
“WanderSafe is designed by me as an experienced solo traveller and with the oversight of a retired CIA Security Executive. Thomas and I agree that safety is a combination of information, environmental awareness and equipment.”
“We stand on the shoulders of the giants we serve to have global reach and scale quickly,” Rodriguez comments.
“As a frequent traveller, I speak to hundreds of travellers from flight attendants to students. When I share what I do I am often asked to sell the product as I explain it. This makes me sure that there is a certain market in travel retail.
“Presently there are no personal alarms sold in travel retail or solutions such as ours; that makes us a first-mover with a significant value proposition.
“WanderSafe is designed by me as an experienced solo traveller and with the oversight of a retired CIA Security Executive. Thomas and I agree that safety is a combination of information, environmental awareness and equipment,” Rodriguez concludes.
