From handbags and in-flight socks to remote controls and clothes hangers, Lindstrom shines a light on the pitfalls to avoid when travelling this new COVID-19 World

New York Times best-selling author and behavioural psychologist, Martin Lindstrom, in association with Intertek Protek, has today launched a COVID-safe travel tips e-book titled “Travel Truth and Lies Unmasked”.

The free e-book which is downloadable here Travel Truth and Lies Unmasked, provides those travelling in this COVID-19 era with handy tips on how to navigate the hidden pitfalls of international travel with confidence. This fascinating and highly entertaining read shuns scaremongering in favour of a practical guide on how to navigate the patchwork quilt of contradictory international regulations, as well as the physical spaces through which we pass on our travels.

As the global appetite for travel resumes, there is a huge demand for a trusted, independent source of information and advice relating to COVID-19 safety. As a regular globe-trotter, Martin Lindstrom set out on a mission to discover the secrets of safe travelling, while telling some highly amusing – if slightly toe-curling – tales along the way…

Did you know, for example, that your airline seatbelt buckle, stash of in-flight magazines and safety card rarely feature on any airline’s sanitation protocol?

Likewise – in hotels – bathroom glasses, clothes hangers and remote controls are often found to have traces of some pretty unmentionable substances! Meanwhile studies show that 20% of handbags and purses carry more bacteria than a toilet; while others go further!

Socks are another danger zone: 20% of airline passengers visit the toilet without shoes, meaning our socks act as little sponges unwittingly transporting bacteria back to our seats, our hands (as we give our sore feet a little massage), faces, tray tables, window shades…the list goes on!

Typically, the spots we perceive as most contaminated are often the most hygienic, simply due to the caution we exercise. And so it is in this vein that Lindstrom consults pilots, airlines, hotel chains and Intertek Protek experts to provide a roadmap on how to charge our behaviour to make new hygienic routines ingrained habits, rather than daily inconveniences. His book is an essential companion for anyone wishing to travel with confidence in this new COVID-19 world.

The book has been written in association with Intertek Protek’s subject matter experts. Protek is the world’s first health, safety and well-being assurance programme, which is intended to protect people, workplaces and public spaces. It is the first comprehensive offering of assurance services designed to provide businesses, employees, and consumers with the confidence they need to operate in the post-COVID-19 ‘new normal’.

Martin Lindstrom, author, said: “The world of travel we once knew is no longer the same and like everyone I began to wonder, what is the reality of travelling these days? After quickly googling ‘Covid safety while flying’ I discovered that it’s almost impossible to hunt down the truth. So I set out to write a book that will equip people with some handy hints as they embark on their first travel adventure in our ‘new normal’ world.” In these uncertain times, one thing is certain and that is, a consumer’s number one priority is their health and safety. Protek, the world’s first health, safety and well-being assurance programme is a great service for companies wishing to provide their customers with the peace of mind they desperately need in order to feel comfortable travelling again. Safe travels.”