Travel Experts Are Warning Against Spring Break Selfies & Other Bad Habits On Holiday

You know to check for travel advisories and protect your passport on holiday, but some experts are warning of an often overlooked vacation hazard: the selfie.

A recent Allstate Canada survey found nearly half of respondents (45%) plan to post about their vacation on social media, either before or during their trip — the highest proportion being 18- to 34-year-olds (46%).

But oversharing your spring break plans could have dire consequences back home.

Holiday snaps, aside from being hella cute, also announce when your home will be unoccupied, increasing the risk of burglary, warns a new "Hold that Travel Selfie!" campaign.

"We get it, a vacation is exciting and it’s tempting to share that excitement on social media. Unfortunately, depending on the security settings of your social media accounts, posting details about your vacation also announces in a public forum that your home is empty and, in some cases, for how long," said Allstate spokesperson Gene Myles.

"We’re asking Canadians to think twice before posting a picture of their plane ticket, or that quintessential beach selfie, until after they return home."

Allstate advises reviewing older pics to remove unintended info, like your home address, apartment number or street name that could feature in the background of a photo. You may also want to avoid geotagging your travel posts, which reveal your location in real-time, and start using a VPN on public Wi-Fi to protect your online activity from being monitored.

Canadian vacationers who are adamant about keeping their Insta posts, well, instant, are advised to update their privacy settings before travelling to make sure only the people they trust are allowed a snapshot of their trip.