Introduction
In today’s interconnected global economy, where competition prevails, business travel is a vital component for any organization that has strategic aspirations to grow its business, deliver and manage cross-border projects, and establish strong, long-lasting relationships with clients. However, while business travel presents opportunities for organizations, it also exposes them, their workers, and stakeholders to a myriad of risks, such as health issues, personal security, logistics, and regulations. Many of the risks associated with business travel undermine the health and safety of staff and disrupt the organization’s ability to continue operating, not to mention also putting the organization’s reputation at risk.
The need for robust business traveler risk assessments for organizations that have a legitimate duty of care obligation, to ensure continuous operation, and to promote confidence among staff and stakeholders, is paramount. A formalized travel risk assessment facilitates organizations to identify potential threats, establish vulnerabilities, and put the appropriate safeguards in place to prevent or mitigate an incident. In summary, a significant purpose for conducting formal travel risk assessments is to allow workers to conduct their work safely and productively, while the organization pursues its respective business goals.
Understanding the Importance of Travel Risk Assessment
A travel risk assessment is a systematic evaluation of risks that can threaten employees, organizational assets, or business goals on work travel. Travel risk assessments move beyond simply responding to threats, and emphasize anticipating, preventing, and being prepared for those risks.
The value of travel risk assessments is well-established and continues to grow. In the first place, organizations have a duty of care, self-evidently, legally and morally, to protect their employees while working on behalf of the organization. Second, business continuity will be threatened when travel is disrupted by natural disasters, political unrest or health threats. Third, and increasingly, protecting organizational reputation is a consideration, as stakeholders see proactive travel risk management as a professional and corporate responsibility. Lastly, good risk assessment involves exploring cost-saving measures that, for example, remove the potential for costly medical evacuations, loss of equipment, or negotiations impacted by loss of a business resource travelling on behalf of the organization.
Steps for Conducting a Travel Risk Assessment
The travel risk assessment process consists of several specific stages that establish the framework to understand possible threats and put safeguards in place.
The first step is identifying which assets need protection. Assets can include physical items such as equipment and devices, but can also include employees, intellectual property of concern, and essential business operations. They can be ranked by importance and exposure to risk so that an organization can allocate resources to protect what matters most.
The second step is to review the destination. It is key that organizations understand the environment where employees will be traveling. This review will include political stability, crime, cultural norms, critical infrastructure reliability, and socio-economic climate. The analysis should include data from credible sources such as government travel advisories, security intelligence reports, updates from embassies, and credible media from local activities.
third step is to assess health risks. Health vulnerabilities may concern infectious diseases, seasonal outbreaks, food and water safety, and environmental risks like air pollution. Also, the health profile of a destination must be evaluated for healthcare access as some destinations might not have adequate access to health care facilities. Organizations should promote pre-departure health assessments, vaccinations, preventive health measures, and insurance coverage and travel coverage that includes evacuation for medical emergencies as part of the travel process.
The fourth step is to assess safety risks. Safety risks might be associated with civil disorder, protests or demonstrations, violent terrorism, and the ominous, but real, possibilities of cybercrime, theft, and kidnapping. Cybersecurity is of particular concern because travelers often connect to an unsecured network while away, increasing the likelihood of their company’s sensitive data being compromised. Travel profile risk is always a consideration, with particular emphasis on issues of nationality, gender, ethnicity, and profession for the traveler in risky areas.
The fifth and last step is to rate risks. Risks are usually rated with a relevant risk matrix that assesses the probabilities of an event happening and the effect or severity of that event. Ratings are categorized as low, medium, high, and critical. Risk ratings provide organizations with an opportunity to properly prioritize risks in accordance with their risk appetite, and ensure that resources are applied towards reducing the severity of the consequences.
Implementing Controls and Mitigation Strategies
Once risks have been identified and once those risks have been assessed, the organization must take action in order to mitigate those risks. Controls and mitigation measures should be implemented before, during, and after the travel event.
Before travel, organizations should develop and communicate an active safety guideline that is relevant to the travel destination, and a pre-travel checklist covering medical, vaccination, insurance, travel documentation, and emergency contact information; Assessment may also be done at the pre-travel training session, during which employees will obtain additional knowledge about cultural niceties, security awareness, and emergency plans.
During travel, organization members should be continuously engaged and informed with real-time updates about risk. It is important to use secure communication channels and provide the ability to have access to 24/7 support in case of an emergency. Each organization will need to conduct due diligence on the safety and security of transportation and accommodation services and establishments before allowing employees to utilize them. Organizations should also monitor changes in risks, such as political changes, extreme weather events, or sudden health alerts that affect travel by using a risk management platform that can provide current and timely intelligence.
Organizations should hold debriefings after travel in order to get feedback from employees about their travel experiences and any challenges they may have faced. This information helps to illustrate the gap in current protocols and will help improve the future risk assessments. A post-travel review also provides information that may assist in updating organizational policies, altering pre-travel training, and improving emergency preparedness.
Leveraging Technology in Travel Risk Management
Technology is central to enhancing travel risk management and organizational oversight. Travel risk management platforms provide managers with access to real-time updates, alert reports, and centralized reporting systems to keep them aware of the location of their employees and any emergent threats. GPS tracks and mobile check-in systems will offer an added layer of safety by allowing organizations to pinpoint the exact location of their employees, to provide help if required in an emergency.
Secure communication applications, similar to social media, are another important service that allows employees to send sensitive information without being intercepted. Finally, data dashboards and analytics offer executive-level protection by tracking and identifying global travel patterns and emergent threats, and thereby supporting more informed decision-making and planning for the future.
Continuous Review and Improvement
Assessing travel risk is an ongoing process, not a one-off activity. Risks are not static, and they continue to evolve – for many reasons, including political change, global health risks, climate change, and technological advances – leading organizations to update their risk assessments frequently for both new and emerging threats.
It is essential to include employee feedback during the review process. Travelers in the field may often have direct insights from their travel or on the ground that need to be included alongside external reports. It is also important to train employees, as well as managers, travel logistics coordinators, etc. regularly to ensure they remain aware and prepared. Following international standards and guidelines – such as ISO 31030 on Travel Risk Management – can help create consistency and compliance, as well as ensure best-in-class practices.
Conclusion
Any organization, whether domestic or international, engaged in business travel must utilize an effective travel risk assessment framework. An effective framework allows you to identify risks, analyze vulnerabilities, and develop preventive measures to satisfaction of your duty of care obligations while ensuring business continuity and protecting your most valuable assets.
Risk assessments are not only focused on supporting the physical safety of employees, but also on the ability to protect your organization’s corporate reputation, financial position, or strategy. By using technology, severely detailed reviews, and establishing a culture of continuous improvement, you can improve your chances of getting through the complexities of global travel. This will, in turn, assist in making a business travel environment where employees feel comforted and supported, while they take actions to conduct their business with the lowest risk possible.