For years, retreat leaders have chosen destinations by asking questions like:

Is it beautiful? Does it have the right energy?
Will my participants be excited to go there?
Can I find a fabulous venue at a pricing that works?

Those questions still matter. But in an increasingly uncertain world, they’re no longer enough.

Political tension, civil unrest, extreme weather, transportation disruptions, overwhelmed destinations, and rapidly changing local conditions can affect whether a location is appropriate for a retreat.

That doesn’t mean we should stop traveling, become afraid of unfamiliar places, or choose destinations where nothing could possibly go wrong. Because truly, there’s no such place!!

It does mean however, that retreat leaders need to become more thoughtful and discerning when deciding where to take a group.

Retreat Leaders Have a Different Level of Responsibility

When you travel on your own, you can make spontaneous decisions, change hotels, alter your itinerary, or leave a destination early.

When you’re leading a retreat, you’re making decisions that affect an entire group.

Your participants often trust your recommendation without conducting much independent research. They may be unfamiliar with the country, unable to speak the local language, or less experienced with international travel.

Some may have physical limitations, anxiety around travel, or have medications and physical needs that make unexpected changes more complicated.

They’re looking to you to create a meaningful experience, and to make sound choices on their behalf.

That doesn’t mean you’re responsible for every event that occurs in the world. You can’t predict every protest, storm, flight cancellation, power outage, or political development.

But you ARE responsible for noticing reasonably foreseeable risks, asking good questions, and having a plan when conditions begin to change.

Look Beyond the Country and Study the Specific Location

One of the most important things to understand is that conditions can vary considerably within the same country.

A travel advisory may apply to one province, border region, city, or transportation route rather than the entire destination. In other cases, a country may generally appear stable while a particular neighborhood or city center is experiencing demonstrations or disruption.

The U.S. Department of State’s travel-advisory system assesses risks such as unrest, crime, terrorism, health concerns, kidnapping, natural disasters, and limitations on the government’s ability to assist travelers. Its advisories frequently distinguish between regions within the same country.

This is why “Is this country safe?” is rarely a sufficient question.

You also need to ask:

• Where exactly is the venue?
• How will participants reach it?
• Are there demonstrations, elections, labor strikes, or political events expected near the travel dates?
• Are roads, airports, trains, or public services likely to be affected?
• Is the retreat property located near the disruption – or several peaceful hours away from it?
• A retreat in a quiet rural region may have a completely different environment from one held in the center of a major city.

Conversely, a remote location can introduce its own risks if it’s difficult to reach, lacks dependable communication, or has no available emergency care. The goal is not to automatically choose the most isolated destination. It’s to understand the trade-offs.

Do Not Assume Every Protest Makes a Destination Dangerous

Images of demonstrations can look alarming, particularly when they’re repeated continuously across television and social media. However, not every protest creates a meaningful threat to travelers.

Some demonstrations are peaceful, localized, and announced in advance. Others can expand quickly, become violent, interrupt transportation, block folks from reaching the airport, or make emergency assistance difficult to obtain.

The real question is not simply whether protests are happening. It’s how those protests may affect the retreat.

Speak with local destination management companies, tour operators, venue representatives, tourism authorities, and trusted contacts on the ground. Ask specific questions rather than accepting a general reassurance that “everything is fine.”

➡️Where are the demonstrations occurring?
➡️Are tourists being affected?
➡️Have transportation routes been disrupted?
➡️Are local businesses operating normally?
➡️Are additional demonstrations anticipated?
➡️How quickly could the retreat group leave the area if conditions changed?

Local partners can provide valuable perspective, but they may also be financially motivated to keep the booking. Balance their advice with official government advisories, reputable reporting, airline updates, and information from more than one local source.

Consider the Season, Not Just the Destination

A location that’s appropriate at a certain time of year may be a poor choice at another.

A forest retreat may be idyllic outside wildfire season. A tropical island may feel tranquil until hurricane season approaches. A desert location that’s comfortable in March may become physically dangerous during an extreme summer heatwave.

Weather patterns are also becoming less predictable. The OECD reports that extreme weather events – including heatwaves, wildfires, floods, storms, and droughts – are creating more complex risks for tourism and increasing the need for better risk assessment, early-warning systems, resilient infrastructure, and long-term adaptation.

Before confirming a destination, research:

• Historical weather patterns for your exact dates
• Hurricane, cyclone, monsoon, wildfire, flood, or avalanche seasons
• The venue’s emergency and evacuation procedures
• Whether the property has backup electricity, water, heating, or cooling
• Road availability during severe weather
• The availability of alternative transportation
• The limitations and exclusions in your trip insurance coverage
• Do NOT rely solely on average temperatures or photographs from a venue’s website. Ask what has actually happened in the region during recent years and how the property responded.

Quiet Is Lovely. Inaccessible Is Not.

There’s a growing appeal to quieter, more remote destinations. Many retreat participants are actively seeking relief from congestion, noise, crowds, constant alerts, and overstimulation.

A smaller town, coastal village, mountain community, countryside estate, or nature-based venue may provide the spaciousness and peace that allow participants to become truly present. But there’s an important difference between peaceful and inaccessible.

Before selecting a remote property, consider:

➡️How far is it from a major or reliable airport?
➡️Is the final road paved and maintained?
➡️Is there more than one route into and out of the area?
➡️Can emergency vehicles reach the venue?
➡️How far away is the nearest appropriate medical facility?
➡️Does the venue have dependable internet or telephone service?
➡️What happens if a ferry stops operating or a mountain pass closes?
➡️Could a participant leave independently if there were a family or medical emergency?

Sometimes the most responsible choice is not the most secluded property, but one that shares a feeling of peacefulness while remaining within reasonable reach of transportation and support.

Understand the Health and Medical Landscape

Retreat leaders sometimes assume that a beautiful resort or lux property will automatically have adequate emergency resources. That may NOT be the case.

Ask the venue about its first-aid procedures, staff training, emergency communication systems, relationship with local medical providers, ambulance response times, and the location of the nearest hospital or clinic.

The World Health Organization recommends researching potential health risks early in the travel-planning process and understanding relevant local conditions, laws, and customs before departure.

Depending on your group and destination, you may also need to consider:

• Whether participants require vaccinations or preventive medication
• Food and water safety
• Altitude
• Extreme heat or cold
• Accessibility for participants with mobility issues
• Availability of specific medications
• Air quality
• Local infectious-disease concerns
• The level of medical care available for a critical emergency

Your responsibility is to disclose relevant conditions, encourage appropriate medical advice, gather the necessary participant information, and choose a setting that’s suitable for the people you’re inviting.

Pay Attention to the Community You’re Entering

Destination suitability is not just about whether the location is safe and convenient for your group. It’s also about whether your presence is appropriate for the community.

Some popular destinations are struggling with overtourism, housing pressure, environmental damage, congestion, and resentment toward visitors. Tourism organizations are increasingly looking beyond visitor numbers and economic impact to consider the wider social effects of tourism on residents, workers, local businesses, and communities.

Before bringing a retreat group into a destination, ask:

➡️Does the local community generally welcome this kind of tourism?
➡️Is tourism placing significant pressure on water, housing, transportation, or other resources?
➡️Does the venue employ local people and consume from locals?
➡️Will your group be respectful of local customs and daily living?
➡️Are there local guides, artisans, educators, farmers, or business owners you can meaningfully include?
➡️How can the retreat contribute rather than simply consume?

A lesser-known location should not be treated as an undiscovered backdrop for your marketing photographs. It’s someone’s home. Responsible destination selection considers the wellbeing of both the participants and the people who live there.

Create a Destination Plan B Before You Need It

A backup plan created during a crisis is rarely as good as one developed in advance. Before signing contracts and accepting participant funds, decide what circumstances would cause you to reconsider the location.

• Would you move the retreat if the government advisory level changed?
• What if the nearest airport suspended service?
• What if protests began affecting major transportation routes?
• What if a wildfire, storm, or flood damaged local infrastructure?
• What if the venue remained operational but many participants no longer felt comfortable traveling?

Your Plan B may include:

* An alternative venue or destination
* Flexible rebooking provisions
* A clearly written force-majeure clause
* Appropriate travel and professional coverages
* A participant communication process
* A deadline for making the final go-or-no-go decision
* A plan for postponement, relocation, or cancellation
* A policy explaining which funds are refundable and which are not
* A designated local partner who can provide reliable updates

You should also understand exactly what your venue, supplier, and insurance contracts cover. Do not wait until trouble arises to discover that your assumptions and your contracts don’t match.

Choose Calm, Not Fear

This conversation is not about becoming afraid of the world. Travel remains one of the most powerful ways we can learn, connect, challenge our assumptions, support local communities, and experience the richness of cultures beyond our own.

Nor should every troubling headline cause you to abandon a destination. Conditions can be temporary, exaggerated, highly localized, or unrelated to the area where your retreat will take place.

Responsible leadership lives between carelessness and fear. It asks us to remain curious, but not naïve.

The goal is not to find a destination where nothing could ever go wrong. The goal is to choose a location where foreseeable risks have been thoughtfully considered, the retreat experience can be delivered as promised, and participants can feel genuinely supported.

Sometimes it will mean choosing a less famous destination with more dependable infrastructure and fewer crowds. And occasionally, it will mean having the courage to postpone, relocate, or walk away from a location you once loved.

The Right Location Creates More Than Safety

Choosing a quieter, well-considered destination is not simply a defensive decision. It can also make the retreat better.

When participants are not navigating crowds, transportation chaos, extreme temperatures, or a constant stream of unsettling local news, they have more capacity to settle into the experience.

They can breathe, listen, and connect with one another better. They can become more present to the work they came to do.

Your retreat destination should do more than look beautiful in your marketing. It should support the purpose, pace, and promises of the experience.

In an uncertain world, one of the greatest luxuries you can share may be a place that feels calm, considered, welcoming, and well cared for. One that you have thought carefully about what might happen!!

Take a moment to share your feelings below – I’d love to know!

xo Sheri