Against a backdrop of changing government, legislation, and policies, business travel is firmly continuing its upward trajectory. As airline capacity and hotel occupancy grows, business owners remain committed to investing in business travel to build a broader
understanding of domestic and foreign markets and gain that all important competitive
edge.

Whilst this is positive news for jobs and economic growth, it also comes with a word of warning as organisations face significant responsibilities to ensure employees are kept safe while travelling. Particularly in light of results from a recent survey by Business
Travel Show Europe which highlighted that whilst over half – 57 per cent – of travel managers do provide traveller safety training, over a third – 34% – stated they don’t.

More certainly can be done. Whether your company has a dedicated travel manager, partners with a travel management company, or relies on administrative staff for bookings, HR professionals play a crucial role in ensuring traveller safety and
implementing risk management that are fit for purpose.

Understanding travel risks and duty of care
Today’s global landscape presents numerous challenges. From larger scale natural disasters, geopolitical and civil unrest, through to policy changes, and new travel regulations – such as Brexit-related policies and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirements. Alongside perhaps more commonplace issues like travel delays and cancelled flights, all are cause for traveller safety concern and can often fall under the remit of HR.

Suzanne Sangiovese, Travel and Technology Director at travel risk intelligence platform Riskline explains, “HR often finds itself responsible for travel, either alone or as part of a broader team managing the function. That means they need to stay on top of traveller
risk and duty of care, ensuring employees have the right support before, during and after
a trip.”

Sangiovese goes on to outline how best to effectively manage travel risk, “Key considerations in an effective travel risk management programme include understanding destination risks, knowing company policies on emergency response and ensuring
employees have access to 24/7 assistance.” She adds, “It’s also critical that HR professionals can locate travellers in real-time, communicate safety protocols clearly, and align with legal compliance requirements.”

An individual approach to a company-wide challenge
It is important to have a broad and current view of wider risks whether at home abroad. However, for any travel risk management strategies and policies to be effective, a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t always appropriate. The bigger the workforce, the more attention HR needs to pay to individual risk factors and plan accordingly. Different demographics can face different threats and challenges
so a keen understanding of these is the first important step towards ensuring they are sufficiently managed.

Carolyn Pearson, CEO of Maiden Voyage, a business travel safety training provider, highlights several examples: Women travellers may face risks related to pregnancy (such as Zika virus exposure), varying airline fit-to-fly protocols, and certain supplements that are
illegal in some countries.

Male travellers often experience heightened risk of physical attacks, robbery and targeting by individuals attempting blackmail or sextortion.

LGBTQ+ employees face serious safety concerns in over 60 countries where same-sex relationships are criminalised, some carrying the death penalty. Trans travellers frequently encounter inappropriate security screenings and discrimination.

Ethnic minority travellers commonly experience bias, including extended questioning at airports and poorer treatment during their journey.
Travellers with disabilities face unique challenges with accessibility and accommodation, sometimes leading to serious disruptions in their travel experience.

Practical safety measures for HR teams
Reassuringly there are several steps HR professionals can take to improve traveller safety and better manage the risks that can come with travelling for work. These include:

1. Regular training for both travel programme managers and travellers themselves to ensure all employees and leadership team clearly understand what the risks are and the measures in place to safeguard against them. Ensure comprehensive briefings on destination-specific risks and safety protocols form part of this training.

2. Establish strong pre-trip approval processes to assess potential risks before travel begins and a qualified assessment of how to travel safely is undertaken, including researching destinations and routes to identify potential threats.

3. Invest in comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical emergencies, evacuations, and other potential crises and ensure policies are reviewed regularly.

4. Partner with travel risk management specialists who can provide expertise and critical emergency response services if needed.

5. Maintain open communication channels with travellers throughout their journey.

6. Consider investing in traveller tracking technology to keep an exact eye on employee locations in the event of an emergency and also access live updates on any potential or emerging threats for example political unrest or environmental disruptions.

Business Travel Show Europe is the leading trade show for professionals managing or booking corporate travel. Taking place 25-26 June at ExCeL London, the event is free to attend for HR professionals. Register now at businesstravelshoweurope.com/register to learn more about current travel risk management trends solutions from industry leaders.