WELLINGTON, June 12 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee is encouraging all New Zealanders heading overseas to register with SafeTravel in case of an emergency such as terror attacks.
SafeTravel was launched in 2006 and is the official source of advice for New Zealanders living or travelling overseas.
"The site also allows travellers to register their contact details and travel plans so we can reach out to them in case of an emergency or to provide them with updated advice," Brownlee said in a statement on Monday.
"While recent terror attacks have occurred in popular destinations for New Zealand travellers -- such as London, Manchester and Paris -- it's a sad reality that such unprovoked incidents can happen anytime, anywhere," he said.
In the event of an incident overseas, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) can easily contact SafeTravel registrants to confirm their safety and wellbeing, Brownlee said.
"Trying to find out information about unregistered New Zealanders is often difficult and takes time," he said, adding that the MFAT was quickly able to contact registered Kiwis in London and Manchester after the recent terror attacks to offer information about consular assistance should they have required it.
"While it may seem obvious, I also want to encourage Kiwis travellers to phone home if they ever find themselves caught up in a major event," Brownlee said.
In the past year, there were almost 67,000 new registrants, bringing the total number to 148,312, and more than 8,320 of them are currently overseas, according to Brownlee.
"I hope all New Zealanders heading overseas will take 10 minutes to register with SafeTravel and encourage others to do the same," Brownlee said.
