For many people, travelling with a Rottweiler is an inconvenient and inefficient method for staying secure. And, as you would have to struggle to get your CCTV system through customs, it's always useful to have a few tips at hand in order to stay a step ahead of petty hotel thieves.

Although much of these tips seem like common sense, there are still a staggering number of people who treat their hotel room like a casino safe - they leave everything they have on show while they tan by the pool and are surprised to come back and see their valuables gone. So be patient, and you just might save yourselves a lot of hassle, as well as a small fortune.

So here are a few tips to help you avoid getting your identity stolen when on the road!

Use Your Head

Just because you aren't at home doesn't give you carte blanche in terms of basic personal security. You may be away on a break, but that doesn't mean the crooks are too. In fact, they rely on your stupidity to make their job easier. Keep your own room in shape and you should be fine.

• Be savvy - if you know a friend who has been before, hit them up for some information before you go. You'll be amazed at some of the rackets setup to con tourists. Did you know that local shop owners in Bali will give a black plastic bag to tourists who didn't barter? Get clued in before you go.
• Blend in - don't make the thief's job any easier than it has to be. If you are in a foreign country, try and blend in. If you are walking round in your shorts and tee with a camera dangling from your neck, it's obvious that you're new to the area. Dress like the locals, disguise the fact that you probably haven't a clue about the area.
• Keep your wits - ok, you're trying to have a good time. But you have to remember that a crook will use that against you. There are so many cons in foreign tourist resorts that it isn't even funny. One of our favourites is the 'You've won a prize, let us pick you up from your hotel room' con that is very widespread. Fall for this one and you might as well hand over the family jewels.

Protect Your Stuff

With more exotic destinations like Goa, Thailand and Brazil becoming ever more popular, tourists need to stay wary more than ever. You have to remember that you will be viewed by many locals as a wealthy westerner with plenty of cash, maybe even as much as the equivalent of a week's wages on your person at any time. Thieves know this too, and they are aware that you probably have more stashed in your hotel room. The moral of the story: if you like your identity, protect your stuff.

• Obfuscate - thieves are after easy pickings. If you have a ground floor room with an exterior window or door out to the pool area, then never ever leave the room without pulling the blinds fully across. A burglar who can't see what's inside won't risk wasting time on a wild goose chase after something he can't even see.
• Use the safe - don't even think about getting a room without a safe! The first thing you should do when you get to your room is gather all your documents together and stash them in the safe.
• Where possible, avoid cash - you're credit /debit card will probably charge you for every transaction on foreign soil, but it's far safer than leaving cash in the room. You might thing that maid is hot, but she's only after your cash!

Prevention Is A Cure

It's all well and good setting your room up like a mouse trap, but it would be just as productive to stop a burglar from entering in the first place. Here are a few preventative tips to help secure your room, and your stuff.

• Get a spare key - if you're fortunate enough to have a receptionist remotely fluent in some form of English, then try your luck and ask for a duplicate room key. These are great for sharing rooms, as they don't cause the unwanted situation of waiting for your roommate to finish drinking before you can go to bed. However, they also come in handy as an extra security precaution allowing you to check your room straight away if one of the keys goes missing. Of course, some hotels simply won't allow them, but with your flashing white smile and classic English charm, you never know!
• Beware hotel staff - they may smile back, but would you trust someone you've never met anywhere else? For all you know the receptionist or porter could be looking for some easy money to fuel an addiction or pay back the debt he owes.
• Keep your key/s to yourself - it might be handy to leave them into reception when you head out, but what if a dodgy member of staff has had his eye on your stuff and makes off with it while you're out? No, I'd prefer to be the gatekeeper rather than the part timer on the desk.
• Make copies - don't go globetrotting without duplicates of your important documents. Copy your passport, driving license, contacts, itinerary, tickets etc. before you go; keep a copy for yourself and give another to someone reliable at home.
• Take out insurance - it's so easy to avoid insuring yourself, but it's so worth it. Cover yourself, your belongings and your identity. Get travel insurance that will sort you out with cash and ID should they go MIA.

Backup Plans

Remember, once the thief is in your room, he is very much up against the clock. Closely positioned bedside cabinets and wardrobes often mean rooting around for your money can be a noisy business, so El Burglaro will probably want to hotfoot it out of your room as quickly as possible, avoiding any inconvenient problems with frustrated maids and slightly curious neighbours.

Even with all the precautions in the world, sometimes you're just plain out of luck. What do you do if some schmuck has made off with your gear?

• Don't panic - you may be in a foreign country, but the world is a small place. As soon as you realise something has gone wrong, contact the hotel management and inform them. Chances are you'll never see your things again, but if you've followed our tips you'll at least have the bare essentials.
• Call in a favour - you're parents might not appreciate a call at 3am, but now is a good time to call in a favour. If you have had your cards stolen, contact your card issuer and get them barred. Contact your insurer and make use of your policy; hopefully you will have covered yourself for stolen money as well as belongings.
• Contact the consulate or embassy - if things get really bad you can contact the local consulate or embassy and make some use of those years paying tax. They can issue emergency passports and help with legal proceedings if required.

What we advise isn't exactly rocket science, but year after year travellers fall into the same old cons. Remember that the type of petty criminal after your stuff isn't likely to have made the cut for Ocean's Eleven. By making him actually think, you'll make his life much more difficult and your stuff much safer!