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Corporate travel safety tips

a guide to keeping employees safe overseas

The health and safety of your employees is paramount when they are traveling – especially overseas. While a business trip might go without a hitch most of the time, sometimes things can happen – and when they do, you need robust corporate travel safety and security procedures in place to deal with them. From the issues around personal health and security, to understanding how to get around and interact with the locals, a travel manager needs to make sure that their employees have everything they need to stay safe and well abroad.

With this in mind, read on and make sure you get all the advice you need to keep your business travelers safe on the road.

Assessing risks and researching the destination

If your employees often travel to different parts of the world, here are some of the key scenarios you should prepare for:

• Cultural misunderstandings. Make sure your travelers are familiar with local customs to avoid making a faux pas. It’s also a good idea for them to read up on cultural and business etiquette , and learn a few spoken phrases, so their trip goes as smoothly as possible.
• Adverse weather. Events such as floods, earthquakes and hurricanes are more common than you might think in certain parts of the world. Make sure your travelers are prepared for this by staying up to date and keeping them informed about weather warnings with apps and tools like CWT Safety and Security.
• Civil unrest. Political instability can affect travel plans and put travelers in jeopardy. Terrorism is an added risk that can also lead to severe disruption. The best way to ensure corporate traveler safety is by following the latest travel advice with CWT Safety and Security for the country your travelers are visiting.
• Unpredictable local laws. Activities such as drinking alcohol and smoking are frowned upon in some countries. In others, they could even be illegal. Remember your travelers are representing your business during their trip, so to avoid embarrassment – or worse – research local laws before your travelers risk inadvertently breaking them.
• Lack of medical support. Traveling can expose people to a number of potential illnesses and injuries. Give yourself peace of mind by partnering with corporate travel specialists CWT, which works with International SOS – the world’s largest medical and travel security firm.

Preparing employees for international travel

If your business travelers are moving between countries, they’ll need to have access to key information at every stage of their trip. Ensure corporate traveler safety by making sure your employees:

• Have the right travel documents. Your delegates will need to prove their right to enter other countries if traveling internationally. They’ll definitely require a passport, travel tickets and occasionally a visa. CWT partners with visa services company CIBT to assist with the occasionally arduous task of getting a visa for international travel, making the whole process more efficient - meaning less stress for the traveler. It’s a good idea to keep any essential documents – including insurance, hotel confirmations and car rental details – in one safe place so they don’t go missing.
• Pack properly. Important travel documents aside, there are many other items your business travelers need to bring on their trip. From laptop chargers and adapters to breath mints, there are many items they might not realize are essential until it’s too late – so make sure they follow a packing checklist .
• Know where they need to go. It’s essential your travelers have all the details they need to get to their destination. Travelers can put themselves in danger and waste valuable time by getting lost in an unfamiliar country – so give them the travel directions they need to know. Consider pre-booking cabs from the airport to the hotel in unpredictable destinations.
• Are aware of local customs. Knowing local etiquette can help you avoid appearing rude. Make sure to educate delegates on the important cultural differences.
• Have key contact information. Your travelers should know how to contact International SOS, local emergency services, and anyone in your organization who could help in case of disruption or other issues.

Keeping travelers healthy

If your employees don’t feel healthy on the road, they’re unlikely to perform at their best in business meetings, or produce quality work. While you often can’t predict health issues, you can plan how to manage them in advance. There are a number of health-related considerations to be aware of while traveling, including:

• The availability of healthcare. Make sure your travelers know where they can get medical support before they need it. International SOS provides medical, clinical and security assistance worldwide and can advise on the best course of action for any health problems, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Food and water safety. Getting a flavor of the local cuisine is a prospect that will excite many travelers. However, some parts of the world might not have the same hygiene standards as at home. Travelers should avoid street food, and particularly dishes like salads, which might not have been properly treated, washed or prepared. Similarly, travelers shouldn’t take any chances with tap water, and drink bottled water instead.
• Health threats and diseases. Stomach upsets, altitude sickness and heat exposure are some of the most common medical problems when traveling abroad. It’s important to make sure you take the right over-the-counter remedies, so make sure you do your research beforehand.

It’s also essential your travelers complete any necessary vaccination courses for the country prior to traveling, and have comprehensive travel insurance that includes emergency medical repatriation.

Getting around

Your travelers will likely be taking various forms of ground transportation on their business trip. The more traveling methods they take, the greater the number of risks. Make sure your employees follow these corporate traveler safety tips when:

• Driving. Traveling by car is often the easiest and quickest way to get from A to B, so if your travelers are permitted to drive in a different country, it’s an option worth considering. Travelers will need to ensure they have their driving license with them at all times, and should take care to book with reputable car hire firms. Some destinations may also have very different driving rules – for example, motorists might drive on the opposite side of the road. Routes may also be congested, making it difficult for drivers to navigate, particularly if they’re tired from traveling, so a taxi might be a safer option here.
• Taxi. If your travelers need a taxi, make sure they only use a reputable, registered one. If possible, always pre-book rather than accepting one off the street.
• Public transport. The safety levels of a destination vary greatly between cities, and even neighborhoods within cities, at certain times of day. To ensure your corporate travelers’ safety, research public transport options where they’ll be passing through – or whether a car and driver is recommended.

Personal security

Sometimes your travelers might be so preoccupied with their meetings or conferences, they might neglect to research the crime levels, safety standards and neighborhoods to avoid in their destination. Make sure you educate them around these key areas:

• A country’s background. Whatever the domestic issues a country is facing, make sure you keep your travelers informed about it. That way they can stay vigilant and avoid areas of unrest where possible.
• Crime and the law. Some destinations could be renowned for having high level of a certain type of crime - pickpocketing for example. Check out the most common crimes in the area and you can bring in measures to protect against them, whether your travelers need a guard or just a secure place to put their valuables.
• Security training. Keep staff safe through risk prevention training, or training for other specific personal security measures.

At CWT, we’re on hand 24/7 to react to any risks your employees face on their trip. We have representatives in every region across the world who are ready to help in an emergency situation. Working with International SOS, the world’s largest medical and travel security services firm, we’ll help you keep your travelers safe on the road at all times. Find out more about our business traveler care programs

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20 Business Travel Safety Tips and Guidelines for Employees

Traveling for business introduces a host of problems. Following these business travel security tips will lead you in the right direction.

Benefits of a Business Travel Safety Plan

20 business travel safety tips.

• Preparation Is the Key to Safety and Security

Business travel is a large part of many corporate jobs today—but how should businesses go about protecting their employees when emergencies happen away from the home office? Worryingly, the Global Business Travel Association found that 46% of those who travel for work don’t have a corporate travel safety plan in hand.

Safety culture might begin in the office—but it must also include employees who travel domestically and internationally. Would you want to be one of the 22% of business travelers who haven’t been told who to contact if they have an emergency abroad? Accidents, illnesses, pickpocketing, and getting caught in extreme weather events can happen on any business trip. Committing to employee well-being should include travel safety guidelines for employees that help them stay safe while performing their job—wherever in the world it may take them.

In this article, we’ll explore why every company needs a corporate travel safety plan and share 20 essential business travel safety tips that will help keep employees safe while traveling .

Download Our Business Travel Safety Template

Pandemic business travel trends.

In 2019, U.S. travelers took 464 million domestic business trips. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, this figure dropped to 185 million. By 2024, researchers estimate domestic business travel will be almost back to pre-pandemic levels, at 457 million.

International travel followed a similar pattern. In 2019, there were 5.6 million business visitors to the U.S., and by 2020, this number dropped to 1.2 million . Again, these figures are expected to slowly climb back to pre-pandemic levels.

As business travel slowly returns to pre-pandemic levels, companies have a duty of care to provide their employees with the necessary tools and resources for a safe and successful trip. Whether you’re integrating business travel security into an existing safety policy or creating a separate document, preparing for secure travel comes with many benefits.

Enhancing safety

Business travelers are exposed to a huge variety of risks. These risks can be related to civil unrest, weather events, or terrorist incidents, to name a few possibilities. A corporate travel safety plan can provide your employees with the information they need if they’re affected by one of these alerts.

Increasing employee trust and retention

Many employees enjoy traveling for business, with 85% of those traveling for work saying they look for this benefit when considering new job opportunities. Business travel can help boost professional development, provide job fulfillment, and help employees perform better at their jobs. But only when it’s done right. A negative experience due to a poorly planned or unsafe trip can impact an employee’s opinion of their overall role.

Saving time and money

Business travel can lead to higher profits and revenue , but only if it is done safely and with the proper preparation. Employees who haven’t been properly prepared to travel safely are more likely to encounter complications that cost significant additional resources for the company, monetary and otherwise.

Even the largest multinational corporations can improve how they prepare for the hazards of business travel. International SOS recently provided support to a business traveler who had to undergo hospitalization for additional COVID-19 tests when traveling to Vietnam for business. Complicating matters, the employee was unsure how to go about obtaining discharge paperwork and what he needed to do while waiting for approval to catch his return flight. Not only do situations like this one incur business costs, but they can also take a significant toll on the individuals involved.

Building a culture of safety

Showing your employees that you’re invested in keeping them free from danger from the moment they leave home to the moment they return builds a culture of safety in your business. With safety ingrained in your company culture, employees know they are empowered to practice safety, which means they are more likely to make safer choices when working away from the office.

Additionally, you are empowered to make safe choices for your staff. You can fully consider the safest way to incorporate business travel and know your employees will trust your decision. Additionally, you can ask for their input when developing your business travel safety plan to show you’re committed to your safety culture.

Now that we’ve covered the rationale and benefits of developing a work travel safety and security policy, it’s time to consider exactly what you’ll need to include in your own safety plan. Our business travel safety tips below are designed to help you take action with confidence to protect your employees.

1. Develop a corporate travel safety policy

It’s always better to be proactive rather than reactive—and a business travel safety and security policy is one of the best ways to fulfill your duty of care to employees while they’re traveling. This document should include all training, procedures, and resources required for your business to keep employees safe.

2. Prioritize health and safety

In the global threat landscape, both predicable and unpredictable risks emerge, and travelers are particularly vulnerable. Your corporate travel safety policy should place employees’ health and safety front and center—with business priorities taking a back seat. It is your duty to care for employees no matter where they may be working, and traveling employees adopt a higher level of risk, which calls for an equal expansion of support and protection. Only when your people are safe and secure can they fulfill their own responsibilities to the business.

3. Secure buy-in

Consult key stakeholders, particularly those responsible for travel risk management , about your plans for business travel. They can help support your team members while they’re abroad or bolster your safety planning with their perspective and expertise.

4. Delegate responsibilities

As with any policy creation, assigning specific roles is best to ensure accountability and thoroughness. Travel safety can be a big undertaking depending on the destination and nature of the trip, so having a team to back you up will make complicated operations run more smoothly. Your plan should specify who is responsible for which tasks to ensure everything is taken care of.

5. Conduct a risk assessment

Business travelers face a wide range of threats and impediments, including but not limited to

• Travel disruptions
• Crime and terrorism
• Political or social unrest
• New travel laws
• Disease outbreaks and health emergencies
• Extreme weather
• Natural disasters

Companies need to actively monitor an employee’s travel destination before a business trip to gain a clear understanding of whether there are any active or potential threats in that area. A formal threat assessment calls on stakeholders to analyze potential travel risks and determine whether preventive measures are necessary—or whether to avoid specific high-risk travel plans altogether. Travel safety maps are another useful way to visualize the threats affecting different locations, and utilizing a threat intelligence system with threat history can give you an idea of previous incidents in an area.

6. Ready your team for anything

The all-hazards approach can be a valuable framework to follow when designing standard practices for employee travel. While you don’t need to obsessively catalog every potential detail and create a corresponding solution (although you should do so for likely or high-impact events), you can cultivate the capacity, resources, and security measures to react to anything at any time.

7. Create an essential travel safety checklist

Corporate travel safety policies will likely vary from company to company and trip to trip, but there are a few things to consider every time an employee travels:

• Pre-trip planning
• What to pack (safety-related)
• Travel documents
• COVID safety
• How to find emergency services or healthcare
• Ground transportation safety (e.g., car rental or public transport guidelines)
• Communication protocols

8. Maintain a living document

Once you create your corporate travel security policy, review and update it regularly—at least once per year. Communicate any changes to your employees, and offer training refreshers. Without the most up-to-date plans, your employees may be ill-equipped to make the best safety choices before and during their trips.

9. Provide safety training for traveling employees

Safety training can help employees gain situational intelligence and know how best to react to threats, from natural disasters to political instability or terrorism. If something goes wrong, you won’t be there in person to help support your people. By training your team ahead of time and offering essential safe-travel advice, they will be ready to react to common threats and stay as safe as possible. In particular, situational awareness training can help people stay sharp even in unfamiliar environments and situations.

10. Research and respect local customs

Many travelers remark on “culture shock” when immersed in a new place. Sometimes, visitors can transgress cultural boundaries without even knowing it. Provide education on local customs to help prepare your people and reduce any social friction they might encounter on their trip.

11. Train to avoid violent incidents

Many business trips are perfectly peaceful, but violence is a potential threat that calls for advance planning, employee training, and threat monitoring of all locations your employees may visit. In 2017, 53% of business travelers were impacted by terrorism. While these risks may be difficult to imagine, it’s important to feel entirely confident in your preparedness efforts around potential violent incidents. Practicing drills with crisis simulation exercises can help your employees know how to react and stay aware of the risks if they find themselves in a dangerous situation.

12. Be mindful of individuals’ varying risks

Keep in mind which of your employees might be at greater risk while traveling. For example, 83% of female business travelers have safety concerns. Any business travel safety training should also include specific guidance and resources to address or report issues that may predominately affect marginalized groups, like assault, hate crimes, kidnapping, or sexual harassment. It is especially important to keep a record of travelers’ itineraries in these cases to help them as soon as possible if anything goes wrong.

13. Educate travelers on insurance coverage

If your company has a business travel insurance policy, ensure employees understand what it covers and how to use it in an emergency. For example, many policies cover expenses related to medical emergencies, trip cancellations or interruptions, medical evacuations, and lost valuables. If your traveling team members don’t know about that support, they might not use it and put themselves or their work at risk.

14. Establish a reporting process

Providing employees with a method for reporting issues will lead to a better overall travel experience. Despite your best efforts, the world of travel is chaotic, and your plans may fall through. Stay in communication with agents managing travel plans to learn of canceled flights, double-booked accommodations, and other snags as soon as possible so you and your team can remedy them and keep your traveling workforce on track.

15. Observe repeat travel spots between visits

Even after your employees return from a travel location, it’s a good idea to continue monitoring the area. This will give you a firmer idea of the local threat landscape and the frequency and severity of common risks. This is especially important if your employees travel to this area frequently, such as to visit a partner or client’s office.

16. Invest in quality communication software

The right tools can go a long way to ensuring your employees stay safe, and this is especially true of communication for business travel. Your emergency communication tool should include a combination of the following capabilities and characteristics:

• Intuitive interface: Send and receive alerts with ease
• Two-way messaging: Allow users to reply with status updates
• Multichannel notifications: Use different channels such as text message, phone call, email, or WhatsApp , to communicate
• Wellness checks: Quickly survey employees to see if they’re safe or need assistance
• Reduced delivery time: Use pre-built notification templates for different scenarios when seconds count
• Centralized information: Create event pages to provide one source for all updated information related to a specific event
• Availability: Access via mobile devices as incidents can occur at any time

PRO TIP : Use our Buyer’s Checklist to help you determine what kind of emergency communication system your organization needs.

17. Maintain an up-to-date database of employee contact information

No matter how robust your communication technology and processes are, if you don’t have the right info, all of your thoughtful notifications won’t reach the people who need them. Common solutions include self-service information updating in HRIS systems or company directories. You need a communication system that syncs contact info with those existing records so you don’t have to worry about an employee missing important information because their phone number is out-of-date.

18. Deploy threat intelligence and monitoring tools

Leading up to and during an employee’s business trip, the more you know about potential threats, the better you’ll be able to ensure their safety and security. A threat intelligence system is critical for keeping track of threats where your employees are traveling, as well as at home. Reliable threat monitoring tools can help you protect your employees during their trip by tapping into thousands of data sources to intelligently track and monitor threats in real time. These tools also take into account threat history to help you form a clearer picture of what’s happening where.

19. Engage with intelligence analysts

Keeping track of every emerging threat can be an enormous task, especially for small in-house teams. Luckily, high-quality threat intelligence services include live professional analysts who help you sift through the firehose of information and isolate only the most relevant. Some solutions, such as AlertMedia’s, even allow you to chat directly with an analyst to fine-tune your awareness.

20. Increase visibility with location data

If your employees deviate from the plan, willingly or not, you’ll be aware only if they take the time to notify you. By equipping employees with location-tracking technology or apps like GPS-enabled employee communication software , you eliminate the guesswork. This form of tracking should be voluntary to avoid unnecessary surveillance, but employees in certain situations might feel more comfortable if they know their location is being shared with those who are looking out for them.

Preparation Is the Key to Business Travel Safety and Security

A detailed corporate travel security plan is a must in today’s threat landscape. With business travelers exposed to a wide variety of risks—it’s vital for companies to create a culture of safety that extends to employees’ diverse destinations so they can stay safe and perform at their best.

Your travel safety guidelines for employees should not be a static document. Consistently reassess relevant threats and update the plan to account for changes to your travel program or policies. It’s vital to account for all hazards and make sure your employees have the latest information about how to respond. Use the tips and tools we’ve covered to help keep your business running—and give your employees peace of mind .

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Business Travel Safety Template

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Travel and Expense

Travel safety guidelines for employees: ensuring safe and secure business travel.

As a business owner with employees who travel, you have a duty and responsibility to keep them safe. Communication and training are key to preparing them for their next business trip. And because you never know what’s going to happen, it’s best for travelers to be prepared for anything. 

Travelers can face health issues, physical safety concerns, and delays or disruptions. Using these travel safety guidelines for employees helps strengthen the security of travelers and establish a plan for productive corporate travel safety. 

Pre-trip Planning and Preparation 

Anytime an employee travels outside of an area they are familiar with, they should research the area on their own, or check to see if their employer has any specific guidance for that region. Every area has local regulations and cultural differences; it’s important to adhere to the rules so travelers stay safe. When you prepare ahead of time with these safety tips for business travel, you can anticipate some potential traveling pitfalls. 

Extreme Weather 

All around the world, there are weather events travelers may not know about. Floods and earthquakes are common in some places. Your traveler should stay up to date about the weather in the area. They can use apps and other resources to get weather warnings. 

Your most important duty is duty of care

Learn five tips for ensuring employee health and safety.

Cultural Differences 

Local customs change quickly across different areas. When travelers aren’t familiar with them, they are likely to make mistakes. While some mistakes are embarrassing, others are more severe and could come with fines or imprisonment. Business etiquette is also an essential part of travel. If the traveler is going to an area where a different language is spoken, they should learn a few phrases. 

Local Civil Unrest 

Depending on where travelers are going, there could be political instability. These concerns can impact travel and often cause dangerous situations. Understanding the political climate of an intended area of travel is crucial for traveler safety and when determining if the traveler can add some personal travel experiences to their business trip . 

Proper Documentation 

If traveling internationally, travelers must prove they are legally allowed to enter the area. This means always carrying proper documentation. Documentation could include travel tickets, a passport, and possibly a visa. In addition, it’s imperative to keep all documents safely in one place. Travelers should also keep insurance information, car rental documents, and hotel reservations together in case they need to provide them. 

Travel Training and Support 

Doing the research for any impending travel for your company only gets you halfway there. You also need to share this information with those who are going to travel. It’s important to let your staff know that you won't be able to control every situation. However, you can guide them on common threats and how to handle them. Training should be centered more on employees preventing themselves from getting into dangerous situations. It’s easier to avoid danger than to remove yourself from it. 

Training should include what to do when a traveler gets into a dangerous situation. In certain areas, there may be common scenarios that highlight a danger. When discussing these, you want to talk about what to do in the event they are caught in one of these situations. With proper training, they should feel competent about responding properly. Educating travelers properly can save their lives. While it may sound dramatic, it’s true. The more you discuss the risks with your travelers, the better they can identify and avoid them. 

Travel Tips 

When talking to employees who travel, you want to stress the importance of safety guidelines. For some, it may seem like excessive worry for no reason. However, they should understand that you are giving them guidelines for their own safety. 

Some of the top examples of safety guidelines include: 

Keep Belongings Safe 

Anytime an employee is traveling, they should stay on high alert. They should follow their gut and stay aware. Travelers should avoid unfamiliar or low-lit areas, especially at night. Always keep your  documents and valuables in a secure place that is not obvious. 

Keep Emergency Contacts 

It’s pertinent for travelers to carry emergency contacts with them. This includes the contact information for the consulate or embassy as well as contacts from home. By carrying a contact list, the traveler won't have to rely on memory or digital contact storage. 

Transportation 

Only consider reputable transportation options. Use licensed taxis, reputable companies, or public transportation. Travelers want to be sure to wear seatbelts or hold onto the handrails. Even if no one else is, they should. The rules of the road are different in other countries. 

Health Concerns 

Making an appointment with travel health professionals or a travel clinic can be helpful before your employees travel. Those professionals can alert the employee of any health concerns in the area. Travelers must have appropriate vaccinations and medications for the destination. 

Comprehensive travel insurance may be a requirement for your traveler. This can cover medical emergencies, trip cancelations, and other unforeseen events. All travelers should carry a card or document with important medical information, including allergies, blood type, and any existing medical conditions. 

When your employees follow these tips, it allows for a safer and, perhaps, slightly more relaxed travel experience. There are some steps all travelers should take to ensure their safety. These tips are essential for your employees to have a memorable and stress-free journey. If you want more information about how to help your employees travel safely, follow us on social media. 

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14 Simple Business Travel Safety Tips

Business travel usually has an itinerary filled with items like client meetings, working lunches and training sessions. Making good use of your time is essential! In the rush of fitting in work, workouts , and the area’s best food and drinks, safety can fall by the wayside. It’s important to remain alert and consider business travel safety during corporate trips, especially when traveling alone.

Corporate Travel Safety

Keep these business travel safety tips in mind to ensure your trips go as planned:

Before You Leave: Preparation

1. Share your itinerary with family members or friends so they have a general idea of where you’ll be during your business travel. If your contact information will be different while you’re traveling because you’re using a corporate phone or messaging app, let them know. 2. Take photos of your travel documents and store them in an online backup service. Give a copy to a coworker as well. 3. When you’re packing for your trip, be wise with your wardrobe and luggage selections. Leave expensive accessories and heirloom jewelry at home. Instead, use professional-looking substitutes that won’t draw attention from would-be thieves. Pack conservative outfits that will help you dress like a local. 4. Familiarize yourself with the culture and customs of your destination. Offending someone, whether in a business meeting or at a restaurant, can be bad for business and jeopardize your safety. 5. Keep an eye on the news and weather forecast for your destination to stay informed of any adverse weather conditions or civil unrest that may affect your trip or put you at risk.

At the Hotel: Business Travel Security

6. Locate the police station and hospital closest to your hotel and meeting locations. Know how to contact emergency services if you need to. 7. Use a portable door lock at the hotel for added business travel safety. Even if you feel safe without the added security, use the door’s deadbolt and peephole.

Ground Transportation: Travel Safety Tips

8. If you are using a rental vehicle, consider utilizing hotel and conference center valet parking. This way, you can enter your car in a well-lit, high-traffic area rather than searching for your car in a dimly-lit parking garage. 9. Make sure you know how to use your rental car’s lights and locks before leaving the lot. 10. Have a road map or app open at all times so you have clear directions to avoid ending up in an unsafe area that you’re unfamiliar with. 11. If you’re using public transportation services, select a reputable transportation service and book your transport in advance. Be sure to identify and confirm the driver’s name and license plate before entering the vehicle.

Throughout Your Trip: Safety Tips While Traveling

12. Keep your bags and luggage with you at all times. This is especially important in the airport. 13. Explore your host city in the daylight. Stick to well-populated areas and carry your valuables close to your body. Only venture out after dark with a group. 14. Carry an external backup battery for your phone with you so you don’t find yourself with a dead phone at the end of the day.

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Building a better corporate travel safety & security program

When your employees venture beyond the borders of their familiar workspace, their health and safety take center stage. While business trips often proceed smoothly, unforeseen challenges can arise, underscoring the need for robust corporate travel safety and security measures that extend beyond standard Duty of Care (DOC) efforts expected from most travel risk management teams.  

In this guide, we will provide you with essential corporate travel safety tips and insights to keep your business travelers safe and well-prepared while on the road. 

What are safety risks to consider while traveling for work? 

Generally, risks associated with business travel can be classified into two primary groups: individual risks and environmental risks.  

Together, they form the essential building blocks to a comprehensive corporate travel safety policy template. 

Individual risks to consider 

Individual risks are those directly related to your travelers themselves. This includes their behaviour, health, or identity (i.e., gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc.). For the most part, individual risks are within the traveler’s control, and proactive measures like education, training, and proper planning can help mitigate them. Read on for more corporate travel security policy examples. 

Female traveler safety 

Women traveling for work are more likely to face certain risks than their male counterparts, such as sexual assault and harassment, and theft of personal belongings. In fact, according to a 2018 report by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), 83% of women reported concerns about their safety while on a business trip . Yet according to that same study, only 18% of travel policies specifically address female safety.  

Additionally, gender roles are legally enforced in certain parts of the world, primarily the Middle East. Certain behaviours or customs that are considered normal for women in most Western cultures are not tolerated and may even be considered illegal in other societies. 

LGBTQ+ traveler safety 

Travelers belonging to the LGBTQ+ community may also encounter unique challenges in different areas across the globe. In at least 60 countries worldwide (primarily in Asia and the Middle East), same-sex relationships are criminalized. A corporate travel security policy should address these risks, providing solutions, contact information, and other resources for confronting sensitive issues.  

Cultural misunderstandings 

Travel managers: Make sure both you and your travelers are familiar with local customs to avoid making a faux pas. Simple gestures like a thumbs-up, considered friendly in the US, may have negative connotations in others, like Italy or Greece. It’s recommended that travelers read up on cultural and business etiquette, and learn common spoken phrases, so that their trip goes as smoothly as possible.

Food & water safety 

Sampling local cuisine is a highlight of any journey, but travelers should exercise caution in regions with different hygiene standards. Street food and salads, which may not undergo proper treatment, washing, or preparation, should be avoided. Additionally, travelers should opt for bottled water instead of tap water.

Environmental risks to consider 

Environmental risks, on the other hand, are any external threats that can impact your travelers, including natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and even terrorism. These types of risks are often beyond the individual traveler’s control, but can have significant consequences on their safety and well-being. Business travel safety tips for preparing for environmental risks, your TRM team needs to stay informed on travel advisories, have contingency plans in place, and adopt holistic TRM software. 

Political and civil unrest 

Political instability can affect travel plans and put travelers in jeopardy. Since 2017, over 132 countries have experienced significant protests , and in 2023 alone, notable protests have occurred in Pakistan, South Korea, Armenia, Bulgaria, Hungary, France, Greece, Poland, and parts of the US. When sending employees to areas that are politically unstable, careful and considerate planning based on up-to-date advice and information is essential.  

Natural disasters and adverse weather 

Natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes are more common in certain parts of the world than you might think. But even a minor storm is enough to unexpectedly cancel a flight – leaving your travelers stranded and alone in an unfamiliar area.  

Crime & law 

Some destinations may have a higher prevalence of certain crimes, such as pickpocketing. Check out the most common crimes in the area and you can bring in corporate travel security measures to protect against them, whether your travelers need a guard or just a secure place to put their valuables. 

Medical accessibility 

Make sure your travelers know where they can get medical support before they need it. International SOS provides medical, clinical and security assistance worldwide and can advise on the best course of action for any health problems, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  

Illness and disease 

Stomach upsets, altitude sickness and heat exposure are some of the most common medical problems when traveling abroad. It’s important to make sure you take the right over-the-counter remedies, so make sure you do your research beforehand.  

Transportation 

Ground transportation , including taxis, rideshares, car hires, and private drivers, is often the preferred choice for business travelers moving within cities or regions. However, it also comes with its set of safety concerns, including vehicle safety, driver verification, navigation apps, traffic and road conditions, and emergency services. 

Public transportation is a cost-effective and eco-friendly option for business travelers, especially in urban areas. However, it presents unique safety considerations such as schedule and timeliness, crowds and pickpocketing, safety at stations, ticketing and fares, cultural sensitivity, and language barriers. 

One platform for all 

International travelers need the kind of safety net only a global TMC (and trusted network) can provide. A mix of technology and human support that drives compliance – and in turn, visibility – and works for everyone around the world reduces business travel risks. 

With FCM, you can rest assured that your corporate travel security program is in capable hands, ensuring your travelers stay safe and well-prepared wherever their business takes them. 

Swifter, smarter, smoother travel. Let's talk. 

A short guide to corporate travel safety and security 

When your employees venture beyond the borders of their familiar workspace, their health and safety take center stage. Even though business trips often go without a hitch, the unexpected can still creep up. 

How can your organisation account for this? With robust corporate travel safety and security measures that extend beyond standard Duty of Care (DOC) efforts expected from most travel risk management teams. 

In this guide, we’ve got you covered with essential business travel safety tips to keep your travellers safe – and happy – while on the road. 

First things first: 

What are the risks associated with corporate travel? 

Generally, risks associated with business travel can be classified into two primary groups: individual risks and environmental risks. 

Individual risks 

These are factors directly related to travellers themselves, such as behaviour, health, and identity. 

• Female traveller safety – Women travelling for work are more likely to face certain risks than their male counterparts , such as assault and harassment, or theft of personal belongings. 
• LGBTQ+ traveller safety – Travellers belonging to the LGBTQ+ community may also encounter unique challenges in different areas across the globe. In at least 60 countries worldwide (primarily in Asia and the Middle East), same-sex relationships are criminalised. 
• Cultural misunderstandings – If you aren’t familiar with local customs, you might risk accidentally making a faux pas. Simple gestures like a thumbs-up, considered friendly in the USA, may have negative connotations elsewhere, like in Italy or Greece. 
• Food & water safety – Trying out local cuisine is a highlight of any journey, but travellers should exercise caution in regions with different hygiene standards. Street food and salads, which may not undergo proper treatment, washing, or preparation, should be avoided. 

Environmental risks 

These are external threats like natural disasters, diseases, and terrorism. Environmental risks are beyond the travellers' control but can have major consequences. 

• Political and civil unrest – Political instability can affect travel plans and put travellers in jeopardy. When sending employees to areas that are politically unstable, careful and considerate planning based on up-to-date advice and information is essential. 
• Natural disasters and adverse weather – Natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes are more common in certain parts of the world than you might think. But even a minor storm is enough to unexpectedly cancel a flight – leaving travellers stranded and alone in an unfamiliar area. 
• Crime & law – Some destinations may have a higher prevalence of certain crimes, such as pickpocketing. Check out the most common crimes in the area and you can bring in corporate travel security measures to protect against them, whether your travellers need a guard or just a secure place to put their valuables. 
• Illness and medical accessibility – Stomach upsets, altitude sickness and heat exposure are some of the most common medical problems when travelling abroad, but travellers should still know where they can get medical support before they need it. International SOS provides medical, clinical and security assistance worldwide and can advise on the best course of action for any health problems, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Now that we know the risks, we are one step closer towards efficient corporate travel security. 

What is corporate travel security? 

Corporate security typically refers to the steps and precaution a company takes to protect its physical, financial, and intellectual assets from various. 

But corporate travel security isn't just about safeguarding assets. It's about prioritising the safety of your most valuable resource: your people. 

It encompasses a spectrum of measures designed to protect employees, both physically and otherwise, during business travel. This can range from making sure they’re up-to-date on certain vaccinations or simply giving them a rundown on local cultures and customs. 

At its core, effective corporate travel security hinges on a robust travel risk management policy that identifies potential risks, outlines preventive measures, and establishes protocols to respond to unforeseen situations, ensuring that employees feel secure and supported throughout their journeys. 

What does corporate travel security include? 

Travel risk assessment .

Before sending your team off on business travel, you should perform a travel risk assessment to make your team aware of any potential threats travellers may encounter on their trip. Start out by doing this for your biggest travel markets. 

By nature, travel risks are ever-changing. In any one country, they vary by the time of year, the current political climate, and more. 

What does this mean for business travel security? You’ll need to carry out some extra research every and any time you send your employees on a business trip. You don’t want to roll the die and miss any risks that weren’t there the last time you checked. 

Employee itinerary tracking 

Without a doubt, tech and innovative softwares have broken the glass ceiling on the corporate travel industry. One such breakthrough? Travel itinerary tracking. 

Identifying the whereabouts of travellers at any moment can be challenging but crucial. If an incident takes place, not knowing exactly where your people are can lead to increased risk, stress, and work. That’s where GPS tracking comes in. 

While most location tracking apps focus on personal sharing, like with friends and family, some of them were designed specifically to allow employers to track their workforce. 

Employee training 

Once you’ve evaluated the risks, it’s time to pass some of that knowledge on to your employees. While it’s not yet possible to predict incidents before they happen, you can train your staff to spot what is and isn't an unacceptable risk to take while on a business trip. 

Discuss the major risks and common threats your staff may encounter. Emphasise preventive measures as it’s often easier to avoid a dangerous situation than to handle it. However, educating your team on how to respond is equally important to ensure their safety. 

Remember, in critical moments, there might not be enough time to think, so make sure your travellers take on board your advice—even if it’s something as simple as looking out for pickpockets. 

Speaking of which, we’ve compiled a list of corporate travel safety tips for employees to help you get the ball rolling: 

How do YOU stay safe when travelling for work? 

• Understanding business travel safety policies : Before embarking on any trip, familiarise yourself with your company's duty of care policies. These encompass pre-travel training, travel insurance, emergency contact information, and rules for various aspects of travel. 
• Know who to call : Keep a list of emergency contacts handy, including local authorities and company representatives. Understand the procedures to report incidents and seek assistance. 
•   Hotel security : Conduct a safety check in your hotel, know emergency procedures, and avoid sharing room numbers openly. Verify identities of anyone claiming to be hotel staff before allowing access to your room. 
• Food safety : Be cautious about local food and water standards. Stick to safe eating and drinking habits, avoiding street food and opting for bottled water over tap water. 
• Preventing theft and cybercrime : Take precautions against theft and safeguard against cyber threats by using secure networks and protecting sensitive information. 

After all that, you may be asking yourself… 

Are Business Trips Safe? 

Absolutely! Most incidents that occur on business trips are not a matter of life-or-death…but they’re still pretty inconvenient. From having a phone stolen, to getting food poisoning from a hot dog cart, these small incidents add up to lost workdays, wasted business trips, and unhappy employees. 

But despite these risks existing, a well-thought-out approach can effectively manage them. 

Traveller Safety on your mind? We’re here for you anytime, anywhere. 

Paladin Risk Solutions

Paladin Technologies

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Paladin Associates

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20 Business Travel Safety Tips To Provide Awareness

Travelling for business has become almost inevitable in a variety of professions. While client meetings and team working sessions are an important part of business trips, so too is the safety and security of your team while travelling. When planning business trips, it is important to consider how your team’s safety will be impacted during every step of the travel itinerary.  Gaining insight into your travel destination and having awareness of potential hazards, conflict situations, political sensitivities, and historical trends that can all impact what appears to be a simple business trip is necessary to do prior to departure. Depending on your destination, accommodation, transportation, and scheduled plans, there are many moving parts to consider to keep everyone safe.

We’ve put together a complete list of business travel safety tips to help you ensure your and your team’s safety while abroad.

Business Travel Safety Tips

• Before you leave

At the hotel or accommodation

Transportation, during the business trip, before you leave , 1. familiarize yourself with local customs .

As business travelers, you and your team should get familiarized with cultural and business customs before your departure. Not knowing what is customary in the country you are travelling to can cause unintentional offense or conflict. For example, in Japan, business cards are held in high regard; they should be handed out and received with both hands and never played with or written on—especially during a meeting! 

It is also a good idea to learn a few key phrases such as greetings, thank-yous, and goodbyes, to show respect to clients and locals. Consider sending your team a cheat sheet for them to study and refer to while travelling.

2. Understand local laws 

With so much diversity in the world, it is no surprise that there are varying laws and rules in each country. For example, it is illegal to chew gum in Singapore, and swearing in public in Muslim states, like the United Arab Emirates, could get you fined, jailed, or deported. Keep your team safe by reviewing and understanding local laws in your travel country prior to taking off.

3. Learn about political and civil unrest

Political instability can lead to serious trip disruption and put the lives of travelers at risk. Riots, demonstrations, and terrorism are a real threat when travelling to countries with unrest. When planning your business trip, check the Global Protest Tracker to learn about active unrest, follow up-to-date travel advisories from your government, and avoid corporate travel in areas of extreme conflict.

Ask the question, should you or others be travelling to this destination right now?  What is the climate?  What are the risks?  Obtaining threat, hazard, and risk assessments tailored to your travel itinerary can notify you of unforeseen dangers and provide awareness. Find out more on the Paladin Risk Solutions site. 

4. Know unsafe areas and districts 

Every city has a “rough part of town” (or two, depending on where you’re travelling to). Familiarize yourself with these locations ahead of time and avoid unplanned stops or accommodation and restaurant bookings in these unsafe areas.

Consider risk awareness training for you and your employees, to learn best practices on how to be aware of threats and risks, and to gain environmental awareness. 

5. Be prepared for the weather and possible natural disasters

Beyond checking the forecast to see if you’ll need to pack a raincoat, it is also important to check for larger risks like hurricanes, flooding, and earthquakes. Take extra precautions and familiarize yourself and your team with safety protocols in the event of a natural disaster.

Get up-to-date weather information and warnings on global weather websites like The World Meteorological Organization .

6. Create a contacts list 

Knowing who to call when you are in an emergency situation is an important consideration to stay safe during business travel. Create a list of emergency and medical support contacts including local emergency services, and embassies. Know where these establishments are in relation to your accommodations and workspace and be sure to have a list of contact information for relevant corporate emergency contacts (like travel managers) in case you need emergency help. 

7. Understand how COVID-19 has impacted the country

As a result of the economic downturn due to COVID-19, there has been an increase in unemployment, which can lead to a spike in crime in certain areas. Theft, robbery, drug-related violence, and more may be heightened in other countries post-pandemic. Be sure to perform a travel risk assessment to fully understand the safety risks that may be waiting for you at your destination.

You’ll also have to look into what COVID-19 requirements are needed to enter the country. For example, do you have to provide a negative COVID-19 test prior to taking off? If so, what kind of test is needed, will an antigen test be sufficient or does it have to be a PCR test? It’s the same for returning home. The last thing you’ll want is to be unprepared when trying to catch your flight. 

8. Keep accommodation details to yourself

Information like your accommodation address, room number, room key codes, travel documents, and additional security information should be kept confidential. Try not to speak loudly when discussing this type of information and never share it with strangers or people outside of your work cohort. 

9. Avoid being followed to your room

As an extra safety precaution, when your team is heading to their individual rooms— especially female business travelers—be sure to not let anyone follow. If someone is waiting for the elevator with you, let them go ahead and wait for an empty elevator. You can check your phone or ruffle through documents to signify you’re not ready to head up yet, simply gesture to them to go ahead.

10. Use all locks on hotel doors and windows

Whenever you are in your room, use the deadbolt and swing lock once you close the door. Lock all windows and access areas, especially if the room is on the ground level or second floor, and while sleeping or away from the room.

11. Always use the peephole

If someone you don’t know is at the door, keep it closed and locked and do not shout at them through the door. Simply ignore the knocks and they will likely go away. If someone is trying to force their way in, call the front desk immediately and notify them of the situation. 

12. Know the emergency exits

When arriving at any business stay accommodations, you and your team should familiarize yourself with the emergency exits. In case of a fire or need for evacuation, you and your team should be well-versed in how to exit the building safely.

13. Understand local ground transportation options

Transportation from the airport to the hotel should be established ahead of time. Not all cities have Uber. Most, however, will have taxis and car rentals. Arranging for transportation before arrival can save on cost and confusion, and keep travel plans running on schedule. Getting from the hotel to a conference center, office, meeting location, or downtown should also be considered ahead of time, with correct payment options available to employees if using taxis or public transport like the bus.

14. Be smart if you’re renting a vehicle

Depending on the trip, you or your staff may be required to drive. Get familiar with the areas you’ll be driving ahead of time and plan your route on a map. Make sure everyone in the vehicle is wearing their seatbelts and drive with the doors locked. Know where the bad parts of town are and where not to stop for gas. Always lock and alarm the vehicle when it is parked and keep valuables or any loose items out of sight and stored in the trunk to help prevent break-ins.

15. Try not to stand out

Despite the fact that you are a visitor in a foreign country, try not to look like it. If you and your team arrive in overly flashy jewelry, clothing, shoes, and expensive bags, you may stand out and become a prime target for inflated prices, robbery , pickpockets, or physical harm. 

16. Know where you need to go 

Beyond simply looking lost, the act of actually getting lost can be incredibly dangerous in a foreign land. Taking a wrong turn can put you and your colleagues in a very risky situation. Stick to well-lit areas, avoid large crowds (where pickpockets thrive), and make sure you get clear directions before leaving the airport or hotel. Use the GPS on your phone but also consider printing out a road map or writing down the directions to have a hard copy backup in case your phone battery dies.

17. Eat and drink wisely

Corporate travel isn’t all about business. You and your team still need to eat and drink, after all. Food and water safety is something to consider when planning corporate travel, as many countries do not have the same hygiene standards as North America. Try to avoid street food and tap water, which may contain harmful bacteria. Instead, opt for cooked meals at established restaurants, drink bottled water, and always wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before eating.

18. Know how to avoid illness

Health threats may be a risk when travelling abroad, including stomach upset, altitude sickness, heat exposure, and more. Understand these risks, how to avoid them, and how to treat them should they occur.  

19. Keep your team safe during a pandemic

Your team’s personal health is extremely important while travelling internationally. COVID-19 health-related considerations should absolutely be taken into account while abroad. Ensure your team is fully vaccinated, following all social distancing and mask requirements, and frequently washing their hands or using hand sanitizer. 

20. Consider hiring a security team 

To better prepare you for the unknown, it is recommended that you refer to a security and risk consultant to assess the risks and to provide awareness to you and your employees prior to travelling.

If corporate travel safety is a top priority for your business, hiring a security team might be the best approach when travelling abroad.  A reliable travel risk management program can enhance your travel protection.  Additional security measures can be arranged to keep your employees safe but at a minimum, most companies will at least conduct formal or informal security training before departure.

When planning business travel for you and your team, follow these corporate travel safety guidelines to ensure your employees’ safety and security at your destination. If you’re looking to increase your company’s security at home, Paladin provides a range of specialized security services for companies and events across the country. Contact us for a quote to learn more. To obtain more information on how to mitigate travel risk, contact Paladin Risk Solutions

For more Safety Tips around the security industry, make sure to read these helpful articles !

At Paladin, we will take the time to understand the security challenges you face and help you develop an integrated program customized to address your individual situation, needs and budget. Contact us today for a free, no obligation consultation.

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The complete guide to corporate travel policies

A guide to corporate travel policies, how to improve travel policy compliance with travelperk, what is a travel policy.

• Booking procedure and approved corporate travel company
• Allowable cost of booking (hotels, airfare, ground transportation)
• Special exceptions or rules for more expensive cities or routes
• Preferred company vendors
• Approval process for trips that exceed typical limitations
• Reimbursement process
• Permitted and not permitted expenses
• Travel debriefing process
• Travel insurance carrier
• Duty of care vendor or procedures

Why create a business travel policy?

Benefits for travelers.

• Flexibility and autonomy to book their own travel within guidelines
• Safety first! (Travelers’ whereabouts are tracked)
• Reduce confusion and hassle with travel booking

Benefits for the company

• Reduce spikes in travel spend and gain control
• Reduce friction and frustration over expenses and reimbursements
• Reduce total costs on business travel and optimize your company's budget
• Increase fairness and foster a positive company culture

What should be included in a corporate travel policy?

Start writing your own corporate travel policy with our comprehensive template

Lodging policy guidelines, travel and entertainment policy guidelines.

• Spending limits for meal expenses (either on a per meal or per day basis)
• Rules on what is allowed when employees are entertaining clients (meals, alcoholic beverages, etc)
• Clear instructions regarding situations where alcohol can and cannot be expensed , and a maximum amount that can be spent on alcohol per head
• List of unallowable personal expenses, such as laundry services, mini-bar charges, and personal phone call charges
• Instructions on information, original receipts, and other documentation required in order to process reimbursements

Air travel policy for employees guidelines

Guidelines for business class bookings, guidelines on using business frequent flyer miles for personal use, common challenges with travel policies.

• Travel policies are difficult to understand
• No one reads them or remembers them
• Travel policies are not enforced using technology
• Travel policies come across as overly bureaucratic

How to market your corporate travel policy

Make sure that your corporate travel policy is visible and accessible, create a comprehensive faq, encourage employee feedback, travel policy problems by the numbers.

• 64% of millennials understand their company’s travel policy but still book outside of it.
• 72% of businesses haven’t met their desired level of travel policy compliance.
• 50% or more of hotel bookings are outside of corporate policy.

How to bake your policy into the booking process

• How to write a travel policy
• Best practices for travel policies
• A travel policy template
• How to improve policy compliance
• How you can automate a travel policy

Achieving 100% travel policy compliance has never been so easy

What to consider when creating a business travel policy for startups, “bleisure” travel, younger employees may prefer to self-book travel, alternative lodging options.

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Corporate Travel Safety & Wellbeing 101

Prioritizing business traveler wellbeing

Duty of care has traditionally been defined as the legal responsibility for the safety of corporate travelers. But in today’s world, duty of care has expanded to include the additional facets of business risk and traveler wellbeing. Employees need to feel confident that the travel risk of their business trips is minimal and that they’re fully — and authentically — supported from the time they start planning and booking to their return home.

Because of the shift in the corporate travel industry, the scope of a company’s travel risk management program has also widened. Companies need to show genuine empathy and concern for their employees’ wellbeing, which means considering new factors beyond just basic corporate travel safety to give their travelers peace of mind.

Another area that has broadened with this shift is the role of the travel manager. Where travel managers typically focused on optimizing value and maximizing savings, they now need to be working in partnership with executives, human resources, and security to create systematic ways to reduce travel risk and increase traveler wellbeing.

This organizational change starts with  defining essential business travel , updating guidelines, and implementing a revised travel policy that is ultimately rolled out through process integration and employee communication.

Egencia is here to help you navigate this new landscape. Here’s the path to optimizing your travelers’ wellbeing.

Consider — and counter — travel risks

The first step in addressing any situation is to gather all the facts. Identify how you want to uphold your company’s travel security standards. Understand any risks involved to make sure travelers are getting what they need to feel confident and prepared. The best way to do this is to conduct a risk assessment .

A risk assessment leads travel managers through the steps they need to take to pinpoint potential risks and safety concerns. They can then address those risks and adjust portions of their travel policy accordingly while also looking for opportunities to enhance the overall wellbeing of travelers. These types of risks and counter measures can include:

Natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes and record rain or snowfall.

Stay informed with up-to-date alerts. The Egencia crisis communications team is constantly monitoring global events to help travel managers keep their travelers up to date on emerging situations. If a natural disaster is imminent, the team creates Global Customer Impact reports. This powerful combination of monitoring and messaging helps travel managers and business travelers proactively reroute or alter travel plans before chaos ensues.

Health safety in areas where food and/or water-borne illnesses are a concern.

Create content with travel tips on how to stay safe if a destination’s food or water supply is a concern to your travelers. Some suggestions could be to only eat hot food, use disposable utensils (or bring your own kit), and stick to canned or bottled beverages. Travel managers can distribute this information to travelers as they’re planning their trip.

Physical risk in areas with high crime rates or potential gang activity.

Help your travelers decrease their travel risk with your travel policy. Approve additional measures like flights that arrive during daylight hours and let your travelers choose private cars over public transportation. These are simple changes that can improve a sense of travel security and deliver peace of mind.

Government travel alerts and advisories are necessary due to political unrest, disease outbreaks, quarantine measures and other issues specific to a particular area.

Make sure you’re aware of every government alert and advisory . It’s important to be proactive and stay informed throughout the cycle of what is happening.

Government-issued travel alerts generally involve short-term immediate risks, like an expected worker’s strike, or can be abrupt but have longer-term impacts, like natural disasters. Travel advisories are frequently issued, whether it’s a short-term impact or an extended risk involved in traveling to an area, like ongoing political unrest. We’ve pulled together information on four ways you can use travel advisory data to help your travelers.

For emerging situations, Egencia proactively posts daily alerts for travel managers on the Egencia homepage and in Travel News. This allows travel managers to update their travel policy in near real-time to keep travelers informed of any changes. Egencia also pushes detailed alerts to travelers on the Egencia mobile app within an hour of when an event has happened or is expected to occur.

For ongoing risk, travel managers have the ability to flag certain regions or destinations as out of policy, which we’ll talk more about below.

And then there are novel situations like the COVID-19 pandemic, where the risk is complex, and highly fluid. Egencia® Travel Advisor gives travelers, arrangers and travel managers on-demand access to up-to-date information on regulations and requirements for travel based on origin, destination and country issue of passport so travelers can make informed decisions in the moment.

International travel considerations that may impact business travelers’ wellbeing.

Trips to foreign countries can bring a whole host of additional factors regarding business travelers’ wellbeing. Considerations around cultural norms (like behavior and dress), views of gender roles and sexual orientation, and language barriers all come in to play, along with practical considerations like jet lag.

Travel managers can help to educate and inform their travelers by creating regional guides about cultural norms and expectations. One way to easily distribute this information is through customized messages in the booking experience.

Travel managers can also consider easing travelers’ stress by amending their travel policy to allow for a higher class of travel on long-haul flights, for example, or extend a trip to include a day off to recover from trips with flights over a certain distance or time threshold. Your policy could also include reimbursement for any health screening or testing mandated before departure or upon return.

Build a strategy and processes to enhance wellbeing

Once a risk assessment has been done, it’s time to update your travel policy to reflect the findings. Travel risk management best practices include maintaining the traditional elements of duty of care — practices that help keep travelers safe and accounted for — and additional measures related to traveler wellbeing as a whole.

According to a poll conducted by Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), 56% of travel buyers have revised their travel policy to better reflect the needs of this new era. This includes 53% adding new rules about pre-trip approval, 35% providing more detailed pre-trip communications, and 22% changing rules about ticket credits.

But that same poll also uncovered the fact that discomfort — in the form of poor internet service, flying economy for long-haul flights, and the inconvenience of indirect flights, for instance — ranked as top stressors for frequent business travelers . So, the importance of addressing the softer elements of traveler wellbeing as a factor in reducing travelers’ stress and anxiety shouldn’t be overlooked.

Here’s how you can build wellbeing into your travel policy:

Balance flexibility with oversight. Empowered travelers are happier travelers . While flexibility and policy compliance are sometimes seen as mutually exclusive, travel managers can accomplish both. Consider setting overall travel and security policy guidelines and using traveler group and exception settings to allow for more comfort in certain situations.

For example, adding a cabin class exception based on flight duration or specific routes will reduce the stress of long-haul flights. And increasing hotel rate cap — either overall or based on season or region — will allow travelers to factor additional variables into their choice, like health and hygiene practices or free high-speed Wi-Fi. These types of adjustments reinforce that you’re looking out for your travelers’ best interests.

Build traveler safety, security, and comfort into every step of the journey. Business travel isn’t only about being on the road. It’s about the entire experience from planning and booking travel and understanding advisories for your trip to being supported on the road and enabling a smooth return home. Here are ways to make your travelers feel cared for every step of the way:

Pre-travel — empowering traveling employees with knowledge and guidance during the booking process

• Intuitive booking experience across devices. Asking travelers to use a variety of clunky apps to book travel or to go through lengthy offline processes can be frustrating. A familiar, intuitive experience, on the other hand, alleviates stress. Egencia booking works in the same way that people book vacations, with a seamless experience across devices.
• Traveler-centric search results. It’s a hassle — and a waste of time — to scroll through pages of search results when trying to book a trip. With Egencia Smart Mix technology, search results are prioritized based on intelligent weighting of variables like layover time and bag costs. It uses machine learning , based on travelers’ previous choices — and their colleagues — to continuously improve what travelers see. With Smart Mix, our customers skip the scroll and, on average, book hotels within four minutes and flights, trains, and car rental in less than five minutes.
• Built-in policy guidance. The last thing travelers need (or want) is to have to memorize a lengthy set of travel policies. What’s more, situations are so fluid these days that travel policy is — or should be — continually updated. Having a travel solution that allows travel managers to quickly and easily update policy settings, and that flags out of policy choices in the search results, will help travelers make smarter, more compliant choices without additional time or effort on their part.
• Streamlined approval processes. Travel risk management programs are meant to support travelers, but a lengthy or complicated approval process can add unneeded hassle. Egencia offers plenty of flexibility for setting your approval requirements, from granular trip-level approval and project- or group-level approval to out-of-policy only approval. For instance, if a traveler wants to book a trip to a destination flagged as out of policy, travel managers can choose settings that will trigger an approval request and ask for a reason for travel. Simplifying things even more, trips can be approved on any device.
• Up-to-date travel information. It’s important for travelers to feel well-informed if they’re going to feel confident about travel. When they’re booking, they’ll see personalized, relevant alerts and advisories. And they have on-demand access to the Egencia® Travel Advisor to see all current information on requirements, restrictions, and guidelines concerning COVID-19 related and other advisories for their destination. To get what they need to know, travelers simply enter their origin and destination. Travel Advisor also makes it easier for travel managers to bolster their duty of care programs and travel policies. And travelers can still check for pertinent travel alerts on the Egencia homepage.
• Relevant hotel and supplier updates. Another way to empower travelers is by giving them access to supplier-specific information regarding health and hygiene practices right in the search results. Having this level of transparency built right into the booking process makes it easier for travelers to make informed choices they feel comfortable with.

On the road — keeping travelers feeling safe, secure, and cared for while traveling

• Let travelers manage their itinerary. When situations are fluid , whether due to global concerns or individual plans, giving travelers the ability to cancel and rebook quickly and easily on their own is an important way to alleviate stress. Egencia enables travelers to cancel or change their airline, hotel, and rail reservations right on the website, mobile app or chat and logs credit for unused flights for later use.
• Empower travelers on their mobile devices. According to data from Spend Journal, over 70% of travelers in the U.S. always use their mobile phones while traveling . This means travelers should have full access to their trip at their fingertips.  The Egencia mobile app allows travelers to access all the information about their itinerary in one place, make changes to their itinerary, receive travel alerts, and even make smart decisions about ground travel. Our mobile app will show how long it takes to get from one point to another for several different modes of transport — train, bus, walking or Uber — so travelers have the flexibility to make the best choice.
• Taking care of details behind the scenes. When a traveler is delayed en route, the last thing they want to do is have to deal with rerouting a connecting flight or rebooking a hotel. Egencia travel experts are constantly monitoring travel disruptions and proactively adjust itineraries for travelers on the road.
• Provide real-time travel alerts. When crisis strikes or is on the horizon, it’s important travelers are immediately informed. Our crisis communications team keeps travel managers and travelers abreast of any disruptions to an itinerary through instant messaging on their phones and in the mobile app.
• Make it easy to get in-person help. No matter how robust the technology, there are still times when travelers want the reassurance of speaking to a human being . With Egencia, it’s as easy as tapping the AssistMe button in the mobile app for help 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year in more than 60 countries in over 30 languages.
• On-demand support with Egencia chat. Our AI-powered virtual agent empowers travelers to quickly amend their reservations, including past and cancelled bookings. Chat can help increase your travelers’ confidence with proactive virtual agent notifications of trip-related advisories. Travelers can also transfer their online chat to a live chat with an Egencia travel consultant.
• Be able to contact travelers in the event of an emergency. In case of crisis, it’s crucial that you have the ability to identify travelers whose trips may be disrupted or are at risk. With Egencia Traveler Tracker , travel managers can search bookings by country, city or region. Expanded data filtering capabilities include the ability to search by name and bookings made on one or several airlines using marketing and code share information. You can download the reports for easy analysis, send emails or emergency push notifications to travelers, and get read receipts.

Upon return — removing the stress post-trip

• Give travelers the ability to freely share feedback. One important element to traveler wellbeing, especially in today’s world, is making sure travelers feel heard. Putting a post-travel survey into practice will provide a venue for travelers to share their thoughts on how to make the entire travel process a smoother, safer one.  Maybe they felt unsafe having to take mass transit and would prefer a larger per diem that would allow for taxis or private cars. Or maybe they would feel more comfortable booking a flight with an airline that’s blocking middle seats. This type of real-world data will help inform travel policy decisions so travel managers can be sure they’re serving travelers’ needs.
• Streamline expense reporting. One of the biggest headaches travelers face upon return is expense reporting . With Egencia, trip expenses incurred when booking on our platform are in one place to greatly reduce time and hassle when it comes to expense reporting.
• Easily access travel data. Traveler Tracker allows travel managers to identify where travelers are in real-time. You can view current bookings and up to 30 days of prior travel information. This helps to inform your risk reporting and contact tracing, if that’s needed. Traveler Tracker also lets travel managers look at trips planned for a specific date range or for any future 30-day time period.
• Make it easy to apply airline waivers and unused tickets. When travelers have to change or cancel a flight, they shouldn’t have to go through the hassle of managing vouchers or jumping through tedious hoops to recoup unused tickets. Egencia makes it easy to apply credit from unused tickets to new bookings, displaying credits right in the search results.

Additional wellness support. What are the other ways you can support your employees in this new era of business travel? Travel managers can consider sending a company-wide poll asking employees to rank, according to priority of importance, a list of potential ways for enhancing their personal safety and wellbeing. Here are some options:

• Free Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits. If hygiene and health are a high concern to your travelers, consider offering them free PPE kits before they travel. Kits can include hand sanitizer, at least three disposable face masks, sanitizing wipes, and a pre-travel safety checklist. Many companies are considering these kits as standard issue as laptops these days.
• Free testing. If a traveler returns from a trip concerned that they may have been exposed, consider offering reimbursement for COVID-19 testing .
• Bleisure. Business travelers often lament that they’ve been to a destination for back-to-back meetings, but never really experienced the place. Allowing travelers to add additional vacation days or a weekend stay to a business trip will give them the chance to enjoy where they are and alleviate overall stress.
• Wellness apps. In a GBTA study, poor diet and lack of exercise ranked high in stressors travelers feel. We’ve compiled some tips to help keep your business travelers healthy on the road and recommend compiling a list of recommended wellness apps for travelers and reimbursing any premium costs.

Communicate your risk management program

We’ve built communication loops into several of the suggestions above, which is crucial when it comes to serving travelers because travel managers need to know what travelers want so that they can deliver it to them.

But it’s also important to clearly and continually communicate all of the benefits already available to travelers through your travel program.

Here are key messages to get across to travelers to make sure they’re aware of all that’s available to them:

Travel safety tips. Give travelers a pre-trip checklist for how to stay safe on the road. Here are examples of reminders to include:

• Make sure your phone is approved for international roaming
• Turn on notifications in the Egencia mobile app
• Pack hand sanitizers, masks, and disinfectant wipes or the PPE kit you’ve been provided
• For travel when infection is a concern, the CDC recommended following these basic guidelines: - Wear a mask in all public settings like airports, train stations and on public transportation - Keep six feet (about 2 arms’ length) away from others even when wearing a mask - Avoid crowds - Wash your hands often, and for at least 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer - Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

Mobile app. Our app puts the ability to book, manage and view business trips in the palm of travelers’ hands . Send travelers a prompt to download it on their mobile phones (available on Apple and Android ), along with a reminder of all they can do with it, including:

• Access itineraries, receipts and get assistance. Easily change or cancel your travel plans with personalized searches, easy filtering and a clear display of available amenities.
• Compare ground transport options and find the best way to get where you need to go.
• Get better value for a lower price with special hotel rates — up to 70% less — and additional amenities available exclusively on the mobile app.
• View and streamline payments with mobile expense reporting and receipt management.
• Get fast access to a travel consultant — anywhere at any time, just by tapping the AssistMe button in the mobile app.

Personal safety and security. Some travel destinations could have a higher level of crime like pickpocketing. Provide guidelines to protect your business travelers by advising them how to guard their belongings or how they can avoid unsecure internet connections.

Lean into your TMC. We’re here to support travel managers with communication toolkits, helpful travel program relaunch tips, and a full suite of business travel solutions to keep your travelers engaged and satisfied.

Partner with the right travel management company

Your travel management company (TMC) is a big part of your corporate traveler wellbeing strategy. A TMC that’s simply a booking app will miss the mark when personal help and reassurance is needed. A legacy TMC without robust digital capabilities means travelers aren’t as empowered as they should be.

Egencia is a trusted source for both sides of the equation, and beyond. The combination of world-class people, partners, and a global travel management platform is why International Data Corporation (IDC) — the leader in market intelligence for the IT, telecommunications, and consumer technology fields — named Egencia a leader in the field of cloud-enabled corporate travel booking applications.

Now, more than ever, equipping travelers with cutting-edge digital capabilities backed by world-class support is key to optimizing travelers’ wellbeing, making them feel in control, knowledgeable, and cared for every step of the way.

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The comeback of corporate travel: How should companies be planning?

It seems that, finally, the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel is in sight—at least in some parts of the world. In 2020, total global business travel expenses contracted by 52 percent, while managed corporate-travel spending in the United States plummeted 71 percent, or $94 billion. Last year, when we reported  on the impact of COVID-19 on corporate travel, we projected that the road to recovery would be a long and uneven one.

Much has changed since then, thanks largely to progress on the vaccination front. Even though there’s much debate  surrounding the timing of herd immunity in the United States, it’s indisputable that vaccination rates are on the rise across the country. At the time of writing, more than 40 percent of the US population has been fully vaccinated , with more than 50 percent having received at least one dose. Companies are starting to bring employees back to offices. Corporate executives are planning in-person meetings and gatherings with customers and colleagues.

In light of new developments, to what extent will videoconferencing replace business trips? How should corporations prepare for the next phase of business travel? While our insights from last year still hold, we’ve sharpened our understanding of how business leaders could be thinking about the postpandemic role of corporate travel. In this article, we identify four categories of business travelers—the “never left,” the “never returning,” the “fear of missing out” (FOMO), and the “wait and see” segments—and provide recommendations for how key players in the corporate-travel ecosystem can make effective plans in this context.

What’s changed: Increased vaccination is expanding flexible work arrangements

The most significant change shaping our thinking about the return of corporate travel is the rising vaccination rates in the United States and Europe. We project that the United States and the United Kingdom will slowly transition toward normalcy in mid-2021, with the rest of the European Union following shortly after (Exhibit 1).

Notwithstanding the risks presented by new virus strains and limited visibility into the duration of vaccine immunity, rising vaccination rates are ameliorating some of the travel anxiety. Many organizations are now proactively figuring out the future of work —which includes the role of business travel.

For many companies, COVID-19 has proven that more workplace flexibility is possible . Around 70 percent of executives said their companies will employ more temporary workers than before the pandemic, and 72 percent of executives report that their companies have started to adopt permanent remote-working arrangements for a subset of their employees. Nearly 40 percent of the workforce in the United States has the potential to work from anywhere. These signals and others suggest that many organizations are reevaluating working and organizational arrangements , including when, why, and how their employees should hit the road.

There’s no consensus, however, among business leaders about what to do with this newfound flexibility, and many organizations have not yet clearly communicated a vision for postpandemic work: around 30 percent of executives in a recent survey  say they have not heard about specific plans for corporate travel after the pandemic, while another 28 percent described their companies’ plans as vague.

Four key segments in the return of corporate travel

Breaking down corporate trips into different segments can help travel planners and suppliers plan for the return of corporate travel. We’ve identified four different business-travel profiles, each sitting at a different point on the travel-resilience spectrum. Three indicators were used to define each archetype and determine its position on the spectrum: sector, travel purpose, and whether the trip was domestic or international. For travel purpose, if in-person interactions remain critical for a company, then the more resilient such business trips are. Some assumptions were made on how likely it was that some forms of corporate travel would recover rather than be substituted by videoconference technology.

The profile mix varies from company to company, and it’s possible for all four to coexist within the same organization, although some might feature more prominently in some companies and less in others.

• The “never left” segment. On one end of the spectrum, employees for whom travel is deemed essential for conducting business resumed their trips as soon as lockdowns eased. This category accounted for around 15 percent of all corporate travel expenses in 2019 and includes managers in manufacturing companies with a wide distribution of factories and plants and field-operation workers. Those who were reluctant to fly opted for rail and private cars instead.
• The “never returning” segment . On the other end, business travelers that contributed to one-fifth of business travel spending in 2019 present an enticing opportunity for corporations to permanently slash their corporate-travel budgets. Digital adopters who are able to maintain high levels of effectiveness while working remotely may never return to corporate travel. Furthermore, advances made in digital technologies that enhance oversight of outposts have paved the way for corporate travel to be further reduced. For instance, many chain restaurants found ways to minimize corporate travel by replacing in-person visits with virtual alternatives, as well as establishing more local oversight systems. They are likely to want to keep these significant cost savings; although a certain number of business trips will continue after the pandemic even in this segment, they will do so at much lower levels than before.
• The “fear of missing out” (FOMO) segment. The bulk of business travel (60 percent of business-travel expenditure in 2019)—which will likely drive the rebound of corporate travel—will be fueled by the FOMO segment: those traveling to cultivate important client relationships. Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) will likely increase corporate travel at much faster rates, as they are not subject to the heightened approval process that large enterprises have to follow. SMEs are likely to trigger a domino effect where one company’s resumption of business trips will catalyze its rivals’ return to work-related travel. Faced with intense competition, different players in the company (leadership, management, staff) coalesce to reinstate corporate travel at scale to seize a first-mover advantage over rival businesses. An April Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) member survey reported that more than 50 percent of respondents are developing or plan to develop a timeline for resuming travel, updated travel policies, or new safety resources and information for travelers.
• The “wait and see” segment. This segment consists of workers in relatively noncompetitive industries and roles; it contributed 5 percent of total business-travel spending in 2019. These corporate travelers tend to come from the public sector, professional associations, and nonprofits. During the pandemic, many professional associations were able to hold virtual events to replace in-person conferences and will likely be more cautious in their return to travel.

Taken together, the trajectories of the four travel categories confirm our earlier projection of an uneven recovery for corporate travel. Overall, we can expect a 20 percent reduction in corporate travel spending by 2023.

In addition, it’s worth noting that even within these segments, business-travel recovery will vary depending on the purpose and distance of the business trips (Exhibit 2). For instance, even for firms in the “never left” segment, overseas travel to attend international conferences has not returned because of government-imposed restrictions due to public-health concerns. Furthermore, given the uneven rollout of COVID-19 vaccines internationally, the return of international travel may be further suspended in regions with limited or delayed access to vaccines due to sustained public-health restrictions and/or disease outbreaks. On the flip side, “never returning” business travelers may still make exceptions for key events that are held regionally.

In the United States, a comparison of a multinational conglomerate’s internal and external travel spend and that of a private health insurer provides an example of how the recovery trajectory may differ from business to business (Exhibit 3). Internal travel encompasses trips taken for intracompany purposes, where employees participate in activities such as training, team building, or inspection of field operations. External travel, on the other hand, refers to trips employees take for engagements outside the company, including in-person meetings with clients and suppliers, trade conferences, and customer sales calls.

The multinational conglomerate we examined, a manufacturer of building products, had a total travel spend in 2019 of around $80 million. As a customer-driven business, the company spends the majority of its travel expenses on external travel. Much of this falls into the FOMO segment, which is already recovering at a faster pace this year relative to internal travel even though the overall travel expenditure remains depressed. The bulk of its internal travel was for the purposes of internal collaboration in 2019, a third of which is expected to be permanently eliminated, while the rest should gradually return over the rest of this year and 2022.

A McKinsey Live event on 'Returning to corporate travel: How do we get it right?'

Approaching the future of corporate travel: Four steps

Charting a safe and effective road map for future corporate travel requires all players to collaborate. Key players in the ecosystem—suppliers (including airlines, hotels, car-rental and rideshare companies), corporate-travel planners, travel intermediaries such as online travel agencies (OTAs), global-distribution-system (GDS) providers, and travelers themselves—need to master four critical skills: leveraging real-time data, planning with agility, aiming for comfort and safety, and communicating with clarity.

Leverage real-time data

Planning for the future can feel like flying through a fog of uncertainty, which makes it even more important for players to leverage real-time data to inform their decision making. Organizations could invest in data capabilities to identify and monitor the first signs of an acceleration in business travel.

Planning for the future can feel like flying through a fog of uncertainty, which makes it even more important for players to leverage real-time data to inform their decision making.

OTAs and GDS providers may be worth exploring as new data sources. Travel intermediaries such as these are uniquely situated to provide aggregate data for each industry. For instance, they can inform a corporate-travel planner how many seats are being booked by the rest of the company’s sector, signaling whether the company is ahead of or behind the curve. Many corporate-travel planners are also concerned about the fluctuations in the cost and availability of tickets, given the volatility of flight schedules during this time. Intermediaries can provide data that suggest which flights are more likely to stay on an airline’s schedule, helping clients build more agility into their decision making. Intermediaries may be able to create a new revenue stream from these data.

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Real-time data also help suppliers of corporate travel, such as air carriers and hotels, become more agile. As corporate travel returns, these suppliers will need to deploy the right resources in real time to match demand, which may shift abruptly. For example, one airline made a costly mistake by being unprepared for the sudden spike in demand for leisure flights over the recent Easter holiday. As recovery will likely be uneven, airlines will have to figure out how to have aircraft, pilots, and crew on standby so they can increase capacity quickly whenever there’s a need. Organizations can meet regularly to discuss data-driven insights and align on next steps.

Embed agility into planning

It pays to have a detailed plan and strategy for different recovery scenarios in place. When demand picks up, many firms may find that they don’t have the time to pause and think through their strategies.

When it comes to organizing business trips for employees, corporate-travel planners will need to take into account four considerations:

• First, the factors that affect whether corporate travel should increase: for example, local and regional infection levels, customer demand, and competitive actions.
• Second, the relevant data sources used to evaluate these factors: these could include public-health indicators, customer surveys, data from travel partners on industry trends and competitor behavior, and real-time pricing from GDSs consistent with typical corporate agreements, even as airline-fare classes go through realignments.
• Third, company policies on business travel: What distance-based policies should staff adhere to? Should they use rental cars, rideshares, taxis, or flights? When should they wear masks or engage in group gatherings? How (and should) companies distinguish between what activities vaccinated and unvaccinated employees can participate in?
• Fourth, information needed by travelers: this includes websites, travel help desks, and messaging.

A US health-products wholesaler and manufacturer provides an example of how these considerations work together. Currently, the company’s factories are open, while corporate offices remain closed and corporate travel is at a standstill. The company recently decided to stage-gate the resumption of corporate travel, starting with executives. Critical sales meetings and conferences will be in the next wave of business trips, followed by general sales and internal corporate activities, and finally, internal training and events. The level of corporate travel varies by state, based on local infection and vaccination rates. The company also set up tracking codes in its customer-relationship-management system to monitor when sales are won or lost due to competitive travel, which involved working with its corporate travel agent to get data on corporate-travel bookings.

The company instituted different policies for each level, including when masks must be worn, the permitted group size for indoor gatherings, and what lodging choices should be made (for example, home shares are avoided for safety and sanitation reasons). The company is developing internal brochures and a communications plan to keep its employees informed.

Personalize experiences based on safety and comfort

Safety and comfort are crucial elements in the travel experience, and they can sometimes pull in opposite directions. More can be done to bridge this gap. Both employers and travel companies could find ways to give passengers peace of mind and improve comfort and convenience. The guiding principle here is giving the traveler greater control over decisions that affect their sense of comfort and security.

For instance, airlines can personalize flight experiences by improving the functionality of their mobile apps to allow passengers to preorder their meals and snacks or make special requests. Hotels may let guests decide on the frequency and timing of housekeeping. They might consider offering initiatives that improve guests’ physical and mental well-being, for example, by offering virtual trainers to guide meditation or fitness practices. Suppliers could also consider offering radically transparent flexibility policies and allow customers a greater range of options with different associated fees for cancellations and changes.

Communicate with clarity

Even the most seasoned travelers have to accept that traveling has changed. Masks have become ubiquitous, and border restrictions, boarding procedures, and hygiene requirements seem to be ever changing. It’s critical that organizations communicate clearly what their corporate-travel policies are at any given moment in time, for every stage of the journey—from pre- to post-trip.

It helps for organizations to be extra proactive in communicating any type of change, whether regarding company-wide strategic policies or more granular details such as the company’s preferred rideshare or car-rental options for corporate travel. When changes in operations are made, companies can take special care to ensure the availability of amenities. Leadership can play a prominent role in modeling how to travel in this new reality by clearly reiterating company policies. Information websites, travel help desks, and easily digestible infographics could all be used to get the message across. Keep channels of communication open and allow employees to give feedback and raise concerns as and when they arise.

Employees, too, will go through an adjustment period as they resume their business trips. Leadership can communicate that it’s OK for them to take it slowly and that they should raise concerns if they ever feel unsafe.

Some corporate travelers will find they have to adapt quickly to the many changes in business travel, while others will have the luxury of easing themselves in over a longer period. Unpredictability will continue to be a fact of life, but one thing is certain: if everyone plays their part well (and smartly, by leveraging the technologies and processes at our disposal), the resumption of corporate travel is possible.

Jenna Benefield is a consultant in McKinsey’s Philadelphia office, Vik Krishnan is a partner in the San Francisco office, Esteban Ramirez is the capabilities and insights team leader in the San Jose office, and Matthew Straus is an associate partner in the Chicago office.

The authors wish to thank Guenter Fuchs, Jennifer Heller, and Jillian Tellez for their contributions to this article.

This article was edited by Jason Li, a senior editor in the Shanghai office.

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Planning to Combine Business and Leisure Travel? You’re Not Alone.

As employees increasingly add leisure time to their business trips, companies are trying to figure out where their duty of care obligations begin and end.

Credit... Aart-Jan Venema

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By Amy Zipkin

• April 7, 2024

On a Sunday in late January, Melinda Buchmann, who lives in Florida and supervises client relations for RevShoppe, a 30-person remote company advising organizations on sales techniques and strategies, arrived in Banff, Alberta, to help set up a four-day company meeting.

The last day of the event, her husband, Josh, a director of strategic partnerships for the delivery company DoorDash , who also works remotely, joined her. They spent two leisurely days hiking in Banff National Park and visiting Lake Louise.

“I take advantage, because I don’t know when I’m going to return,” Ms. Buchmann said of the decision to combine downtime with a business trip.

As postpandemic work life has changed, and arrangements now include full-time office attendance as well as hybrid and remote work, so, too, has business travel. The phenomenon known as bleisure, or blended business and leisure travel, was initially embraced largely by digital nomads . But such combined travel is now also popular with people outside that group . Allied Market Research, a subsidiary of Allied Analytics, based in Portland, Ore., estimated that the bleisure travel market was $315.3 billion in 2022 and would reach $731.4 billion by 2032.

As employees increasingly add leisure time to their business trips, companies are struggling to determine where their legal obligation to protect employees from harm — their so-called duty of care — begins and ends. And workers may think that because their trip started with business, they will get all the help they need if something goes wrong on the leisure end. Instead, they should generally consider the leisure part of a trip as a regular vacation where they cover all expenses and contingencies.

Companies are responsible for knowing where their employees are during a business trip, covering expenses if an accident or emergency occurs, securing new lodging if a hotel is damaged, even swapping out a broken down rental car. Still, it’s not entirely clear if that coverage ends completely after the conference or the last client meeting.

Companies recognize that threats are increasing, said Robert Cole, senior research analyst focusing on lodging and leisure travel at Phocuswright, a market research company. They are trying to figure out how to take care of a valuable company resource, the employee, without leaving themselves open to financial risk or potential litigation.

“Crafting a comprehensive policy that balances business objectives, employee well-being and legal considerations can be challenging,” Nikolaos Gkolfinopoulos, head of tourism at ICF, a consulting and technology services company in Reston, Va., wrote in an email.

Employees may be on their own without realizing it and may be surprised by out-of-pocket expenses if they require hospital care abroad or evacuation, said Suzanne Morrow, chief executive of InsureMyTrip , an online insurance travel comparison site in Warwick, R.I.

Ms. Morrow said medical coverage provided by a company “is generally only for the dates of the actual business trip abroad.” If travelers are extending the trip for personal travel, she added, “they would want to secure emergency medical coverage for that additional time abroad.”

Employers and employees are left to figure out when the business portion of the trip ends and the leisure segment begins, a significant detail if an employee has a medical emergency. “Where does the corporation liability end?” said Kathy Bedell, senior vice president at BCD Travel, a travel management company.

Companies have varying policies to deal with the new travel amalgam. The chief executive of RevShoppe, Patricia McLaren, based in Austin, Texas, said the company provided flexible travel options and allowed employees to work anywhere they choose.

Even so, there are constraints. The company requires all employees, including executives, to sign liability and insurance waivers when they are on a voluntary company-sponsored trip, such as an off-site meeting. Such waivers typically place responsibility on employees for their own well-being. And if they bring someone, they are responsible for that person’s expenses.

Employees are responsible for requesting the paid time off and notifying their managers of their whereabouts, although that part is not a requirement. Managers have to ensure adequate staffing, Ms. McLaren said.

Elsewhere, employees may not bother to mention the leisure portion of their trip. Eliot Lees, a vice president and managing director at ICF, said he had been on trips as a child with his parents when they combined business and leisure. His parents were academics, who would piggyback vacations onto conferences.

Now he does the same. “I don’t think I ever asked for approval,” he said. (ICF has no formal business-leisure travel policy. It’s allowed as part of personal time off.) After a conference in the Netherlands last year, he spent four days hiking in the northern part of the country.

“I go anywhere, and take more risks than I should,” he said. He said he didn’t carry personal travel or accident insurance.

Any nonchalance may quickly evaporate if a threat emerges. Security experts say even low-risk locations can become high-risk for a few days or weeks of the year.

“Companies are concerned about losing visibility into a traveler’s whereabouts if they booked flights and hotels outside their corporate travel management company,” Benjamin Thorne, senior intelligence manager in London for Crisis24, a subsidiary of GardaWorld, wrote in an email. “The company may think the traveler is in one city when, in reality, they could have booked a holiday package to another nearby city. This lack of visibility by the company makes it difficult to support travelers when a disaster occurs.”

He also raised the possibility that “a traveler with bleisure travel reservations and expectations may find their work trip canceled due to changes in the risk environment or company policy, disrupting their leisure plans.”

Will a company step in off hours if there’s a problem? “That depends on how you are booked,” Mr. Cole, the senior research analyst at Phocuswright, said. A rule of thumb is the further you get from corporate control, the greater the gray area gets.

Half of GoldSpring Consulting’s clients take the responsibility for the entire trip, said Will Tate, a partner at the consultancy based in Cross Roads, Texas, and a certified public accountant. They don’t want the reputational risk. The other half say: “The business trip ended Friday. That’s when we end our duty of care.”

Some companies are trying to define and narrow the gray area. “If you are clearly on personal time, there is no legal requirement for your employer to provide for you,” said Nicole Page, a lawyer whose practice includes employment law at Reavis Page Jump in New York.

Uber provides employees with advisories before a trip, travel assessments, safety tips while traveling and emergency travel assistance, including medical aid, airport travel support, urgent and emergency assistance, and lost or stolen personal property insurance whether they are on business or pleasure travel or a combination.

And at DoorDash, Chris Cherry, head of global safety and security, wrote in an email that “while personal travel is not something we track, we have received requests to extend our travel support capabilities to personal travel.” Mr. Cherry said in those cases, the company has manually added employee leisure itineraries to its travel risk management system and “provided the same level of overwatch that we do for regular business travel.”

The Buchmanns plan to travel this month to Barcelona, Spain, for the McDonald’s Worldwide Convention. DoorDash will have a booth, and Mr. Buchmann will work on the exhibit floor and also entertain clients.

Ms. Buchmann will accompany him. She plans to go sightseeing in the morning, and work in the afternoons and evenings Barcelona time. She will also take three days of paid time off and has shared her plans with Ms. McLaren, the RevShoppe chief executive.

They will stay a day after the conference and plan to visit the Dalí Theater and Museum in Figueres. “I’m sure there will be no shortage of tapas and window shopping along way,” Mr. Buchmann said. He expects to be back at work the next Monday.

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An unpredictable world: how business leaders can keep staff safe while traveling overseas.

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CEO, Healix International .

You’ll no doubt have realised that the news is saturated with stories about the impact of extreme weather events and continuous political unrest on real people going about their daily or working lives. As business leaders, we need to be thinking about what measures we can put in place to protect our employees from risks outside of our control—especially while they’re traveling for work. No matter the size of your organization or where it operates in the world, we need to ensure that those with a responsibility of care have the support they need to identify, plan and mitigate these risks.

As the CEO of a company that provides international risk management services (including for travel), I’ve witnessed firsthand how this duty of care is constantly changing. Globalization and increased business travel now calls for an in-depth understanding of the safety risks in all regions across the globe. In contrast, certain risks that could have previously been avoided by keeping staff close to home, such as flooding and extreme heat, may now occur on our doorstep thanks to climate change.

So, what steps can we take to support our teams and keep our employees safe, both while working overseas and at home?

Monitor Risk Across The Globe

Business leaders, and those responsible for staff safety, need to build knowledge of the cultural nuances and potential risks of the regions staff members are traveling to.

Every region is facing a unique set of circumstances, including ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), macroeconomic risk in Europe CIS, political unrest in the Americas, food insecurity in the Asia Pacific region or militant groups in Africa. I say this to illustrate that risk management is complex, with no one-size-fits-all solution.

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An important step we can take is to ensure that the environment our employees are traveling to, or working from, is being continuously monitored for risk. External analysts and suppliers can help to gather and analyze information should this be beyond an in-house team’s capabilities. Advancements in technology such as AI are worth exploring but should never be used in isolation.

Consider The Individual

It’s important that we can recognize that there are many factors that can impact the level of risk to an individual’s safety while they are traveling overseas. These risks are not only location-based but also specific to the individual. Before making plans to send someone abroad, we may need to consider aspects such as whether their gender affects the risks they may face, their travel experience and their knowledge of the language spoken in that country. Could some suitable training be put in place to better prepare them for the trip?

More sensitive personal information might be more difficult to glean. Being able to gather everything we need to fully understand how “at risk” an employee is depends in part on the trust they have in our organization to keep that information safe. We need to be transparent about how their information will be used and what steps are being put in place to store it securely.

We can also support our risk management teams by putting protective services in place in the countries our employees are traveling to, as well as creating individualized security plans that are scaled to accommodate the environment and someone’s personal information, ultimately helping them to feel safer while on their trip.

Expect The Unexpected

If a disaster does occur in a location where you have staff on the ground, it’s essential to have an evacuation and emergency response plan in place. To have the best chance of extracting employees safely from any situation, we need to consider ahead of time the equipment they might need, the infrastructure of the location, how we’ll define the “triggers” that will determine whether our plan needs to be escalated, the routes and ports of departure and any operational issues that could occur.

In summary, there’re no denying that protecting the safety of our staff is becoming an increasingly complex task, no matter which sector we’re in or where we’re located in the world. Threats to safety can be sudden and unexpected, requiring real-time navigation. But we can be proactive about mitigating risks before they happen, protecting our people and assets as much as possible, wherever they are in the world.

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Key benefits of travel medical insurance

• Travel medical insurance coverage
• Who needs medical travel insurance?

Choosing the right travel medical insurance

How to use travel medical insurance, is travel medical insurance right for your next trip, travel medical insurance: essential coverage for health and safety abroad.

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

• Travel medical insurance covers unexpected emergency medical expenses while traveling.
• Travelers off to foreign countries or remote areas should strongly consider travel medical insurance.
• If you have to use your travel medical insurance, keep all documents related to your treatment.

Of all the delights associated with travel to far-flung locales, getting sick or injured while away from home is low on the savvy traveler's list. Beyond gut-wrenching anxiety, seeking medical treatment in a foreign country can be exceedingly inconvenient and expensive.

The peace of mind that comes with travel insurance for the many things that could ail you while abroad is priceless. As options for travel-related insurance abound, it's essential to research, read the fine print, and act according to the specifics of your itinerary, pocketbook, and other needs.

Travel insurance reimburses you for any unexpected medical expenses incurred while traveling. On domestic trips, travel medical insurance usually take a backseat to your health insurance. However, when traveling to a foreign country, where your primary health insurance can't cover you, travel medical insurance takes the wheel. This can be especially helpful in countries with high medical care costs, such as Scandinavian countries.

Emergency medical evacuation insurance

Another benefit that often comes with travel medical insurance, emergency medical evacuation insurance covers you for any costs to transport you to an adequately equipped medical center. Emergency medical evacuation insurance is often paired with repatriation insurance, which covers costs associated with returning your remains to your home country if the worst happens. 

These benefits are for worst-case scenarios, but they might be more necessary depending on the type of trips you take. Emergency medical evacuation insurance is helpful if you're planning on traveling to a remote location or if you're traveling on a cruise as sea to land evacuations can be costly. Some of the best travel insurance companies also offer non-medical evacuations as part of an adventure sports insurance package.

It's also worth mentioning that emergency medical evacuation insurance is required for international students studying in the US on a J Visa. 

Types of coverage offered by travel medical insurance

The exact terms of your coverage will vary depending on your insurer, but you can expect most travel medical insurance policies to offer the following coverages.

• Hospital room and board
• Inpatient/outpatient hospital services
• Prescription Drugs
• COVID-19 treatment
• Emergency room services
• Urgent care visits
• Local ambulance
• Acute onset of pre-existing conditions
• Dental coverage (accident/sudden relief of pain)
• Medical care due to terrorist attack
• Emergency medical evacuation 
• Repatriation of mortal remains
• Accidental death and dismemberment

Travel medical insurance and pre-existing conditions

Many travel insurance providers will cover pre-existing conditions as long as certain conditions are met. For one, travelers need to purchase their travel insurance within a certain time frame from when they placed a deposit on their trip, usually two to three weeks. 

Additionally, travel insurance companies usually only cover stable medical conditions, which are conditions that don't need additional medical treatment, diagnosis, or medications.

Who needs travel medical insurance?

Even the best-laid travel plans can go awry. As such, it pays to consider your potential healthcare needs before taking off, even if you are generally healthy. Even if well-managed, preexisting conditions like diabetes or asthma can make a medical backup plan even more vital.

Having what you need to refill prescriptions or get other care if you get stuck somewhere other than home could be essential to your health and well-being. That's without counting all the accidents and illnesses that can hit us when away from home.

Individuals traveling for extended periods (more than six months) or engaging in high-risk activities (think scuba diving or parasailing) should also consider a solid medical travel plan. Both scenarios increase the likelihood that medical attention, whether routine or emergency, could be needed.

In the case of travel via the friendly seas, it's also worth considering cruise trip medical travel insurance . Routine care will be available onboard. But anything beyond that will require transportation to the nearest land mass (and could quickly become extremely expensive, especially if you're in another country).

Like other types of insurance, medical travel insurance rates are calculated based on various factors. Failing to disclose a preexisting health condition could result in a lapse of coverage right when you need it, as insurers can cancel your policy if you withhold material information. So honesty is always the best policy.

Even the best-laid travel plans can go awry. As such, it pays to consider your potential healthcare needs before taking off, even if you are generally healthy. Making the right choice when shopping for travel medical insurance can mean the difference between a minor hiccup in your travels and a financial nightmare. 

When a travel insurance company comes up with a quote for your policy, they take a few factors into consideration, such as your age, your destination, and the duration of your trip. You should do the same when assessing a travel insurance company. 

For example, older travelers who are more susceptible to injury may benefit from travel medical insurance (though your premiums will be higher). If you're traveling for extended periods throughout one calendar year, you should look into an annual travel medical insurance plan . If you're engaging in high-risk activities (think scuba diving or parasailing), you should seek a plan that includes coverage for injuries sustained in adventure sports.

Travel medical insurance isn't just for peace of mind. If you travel often enough, there's a good chance you'll eventually experience an incident where medical treatment is necessary.

Before you submit your claim, you should take some time to understand your policy. Your travel medical insurance is either primary (you can submit claims directly to your travel medical insurance provider) or secondary (you must first submit claims to your primary insurance provider). In the case of secondary travel medical insurance, a refusal notice from your primary insurance provider, even if it does not cover medical claims outside the US, is often required as evidence of protocol.

On that note, you should be sure to document every step of your medical treatment. You should keep any receipts for filled prescriptions, hospital bills, and anything else documenting your medical emergency.

As many people have found out the hard way, reading the fine print is vital. Most travel insurance policies will reimburse your prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if you fall ill with a severe condition, including illnesses like COVID-19. 

Still on the fence about whether or not medical travel insurance is worth it ? It's worth noting that many travel insurance plans also include medical protections, so you can also protect against trip cancellations and other unexpected developments while obtaining travel medical insurance.

While short, domestic trips may not warrant travel medical insurance, it may be a good idea to insure longer, international trips. You should also consider travel medical insurance for trips to remote areas, where a medical evacuation may be expensive, and more physically tasking trips.

While shopping for travel medical insurance may not be fun, a little advance leg work can let you relax on your trip and give you peace of mind. After all, that is the point of a vacation. 

Medical travel insurance frequently asked questions

Trip insurance covers any unexpected financial losses while traveling, such as the cost of replacing lost luggage, trip interruptions, and unexpected medical expenses. Travel medical insurance just covers those medical expenses without the trip interruption or cancellation insurance.

Travel insurance companies usually offer adventure sports as add-on coverage or a separate plan entirely. You'll likely pay more for a policy with adventure sports coverage. 

Many travel medical insurance policies now include coverage for COVID-19 related medical expenses and treat it like any other illness. However, you should double-check your policy to ensure that is the case.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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Is It Safe in Moscow?

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When you visit Moscow , Russia, you’re seeing one of the world’s largest, and most expensive, capital cities . While there is a history of violent crime against foreign journalists and aid personnel in Russia, a trip to Moscow is usually safe for mainstream travelers. Most tourists in Moscow only face potential issues with petty crime, though terrorism is also a concern. Visitors should stick to the principal tourist areas and abide by the local security advice.

Travel Advisories

• The U.S. Department of State urges travelers to avoid travel to Russia because of COVID-19 and to "exercise increased caution due to terrorism, harassment, and the arbitrary enforcement of local laws."  
• Anyone exploring more of Russia should avoid "The North Caucasus, including Chechnya and Mount Elbrus, due to terrorism, kidnapping,   and   risk of civil unrest." Also, travelers should stay away from "Crimea due to Russia’s occupation of the Ukrainian territory   and   abuses by its occupying authorities."  
• Canada states travelers should use a high degree of caution in Russia due to the threat of terrorism and crime.  

Is Moscow Dangerous?

The Moscow city center is typically safe. In general, the closer you are to the Kremlin , the better. Travelers mainly need to be aware of their surroundings and look out for petty crime. Be especially careful in tourist areas such as Arbat Street and crowded places like the Moscow Metro transit system. The suburbs are also generally fine, though it is advised to stay away from Maryino and Perovo districts.

Terrorism has occurred in the Moscow area, leading authorities to increase security measures. Be more careful at tourist and transportation hubs, places of worship, government buildings, schools, airports, crowds, open markets, and additional tourist sites.

Pickpockets and purse snatching happen often in Russia, perpetrated by groups of children and teenagers who distract tourists to get their wallets and credit cards. Beware of people asking you for help, who then trick you into their scheme. Don’t expect a backpack to be a safe bag bet; instead, invest in something that you can clutch close to your body or purchase a money belt . Always diversify, storing some money in a separate location so that if you are pickpocketed, you'll have cash elsewhere. Keep an eye out for thieves in public transportation, underground walkways, tourist spots, restaurants, hotel rooms and homes, restaurants, and markets.

Is Moscow Safe for Solo Travelers?

Large cities like Moscow in Russia are overall fairly safe if you are traveling alone, and the Moscow Metro public transit is a secure and easy way to get around. But it is still a good idea to follow basic precautions as in any destination. Avoid exploring alone at night, especially in bad areas. You may want to learn some basic Russian phrases or bring a dictionary, as many locals don't speak English. However, in case you need any help, there are tourist police that speak English. Also, exploring with other trusted travelers and locals or on professional tours is often a good way to feel safe.

Is Moscow Safe for Female Travelers?

Catcalling and street harassment are infrequent in Moscow and the rest of Russia and females traveling alone don't usually have problems. There are plenty of police officers on the streets as well. Still, it serves to stick to Moscow's well-lit, public areas, avoid solo night walks, and use your instincts. Women frequenting bars may take receive some friendly attention. Females can wear whatever they want, but those entering Orthodox churches will be required to cover up. Though women in Russia are independent, domestic violence and other inequality issues take place regularly.

Safety Tips for LGBTQ+ Travelers

Russia is not known as a gay-friendly country. However, Moscow is one of the more welcoming cities with a blooming LGBTQ+ community and many friendly restaurants, bars, clubs, and other venues. Hate crimes in Russia have increased since the 2013 anti-gay propaganda law. Openly LGBTQ+ tourists in this conservative country may experience homophobic remarks, discrimination, or even violence, especially if traveling with a partner. Also, while women hold hands or hug publicly—whether romantically involved or not—men should avoid public displays of affection to prevent being insulted or other issues.

Safety Tips for BIPOC Travelers

Moscow  and other big cities in Russia have sizable populations of various cultures, so discrimination against BIPOC travelers is rarer than in other parts of the country where it can become dangerous. Some people living in Russia who are Black, Asian, Jewish, and from other backgrounds have experienced racial discrimination and violence. Tourists won't usually experience overt racism but may be the recipients of some stares. If anyone should bother you, be polite and resist being taunted into physically defending yourself.

Safety Tips for Travelers

Travelers should consider the following general tips when visiting:

• It's best not to drink the tap water. If you do, boil it before drinking, though showering is safe and the amount used to brush teeth is generally not harmful. Mineral water is widely drunk, especially at restaurants, and if you prefer not to have it carbonated ask for “ voda byez gaz” (water without gas).
• If you need emergency assistance in case of fire, terrorism, medical issues, or more, dial 112 in Russia for bilingual operators.
• Be judicious about taking photographs, especially of police or officials. This can potentially bring unwanted attention to yourself by members of law enforcement who won’t mind asking to see your passport. Also avoid snapping photos of official-looking buildings, such as embassies and government headquarters.
• Carry your passport in as secure a manner as possible. If you get stopped for any reason by the police, they can fine or arrest you if you don't have the document with you. Also, keep photocopies of your passport, the page on which your travel visa appears, and any other documents that relate to your stay in Russia.
• Use official taxis only and steer clear of illegal taxi companies, especially at night. Ask your hotel to call a reputable taxi company.

U.S. Department of State. " Russia Travel Advisory ." August 6, 2020.

Government of Canada. " Official Global Travel Advisories ." November 19, 2020.

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National Work Zone Awareness Week kick-off event in Midland

With our mild winter, orange cones and work zones have been in place all season. Now with spring in the air, road work will ramp up and more crews will mobilize to fix our roads and bridges. National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) starts this Monday with the message for every motorist, “Work zones are temporary. Actions behind the wheel can last forever.” An event this coming Monday will honor the workers, motorists, and families of those killed in work zones this past year and will feature speakers from public agencies and transportation organizations.

In Michigan in 2023, preliminary work zone crash statistics show there were:

• 7,237 work zone crashes
• 17 fatal work zone crashes
• Two were road workers
• 108 involved serious injuries

Safety experts throughout Michigan are coming to Dow Diamond in Midland, home of the Great Lakes Loons, to discuss challenges, best practices, and solutions for work zone safety. 

Officials from the Michigan State Police (MSP), the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA), the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), the Dow Chemical Co., the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), and the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA) will speak about worker and motorist safety, and the issues we all encounter in work zones.

• MDOT Director Brad Wieferich
• MSP Col. James F. Grady II 
• MIOSHA Division Director of Construction Safety and Health Lawrence Hidalgo, Jr.
• ATSSA Michigan Chapter President Brian Sarkella
• MITA Executive Vice President Rob Coppersmith
• Dow Chemical Global Segment Leader of Pavement Markings Carly Haller
• LEO Deputy Director Sean Egan

Background: As part of the nationwide Toward Zero Deaths safety campaign, a vision of eliminating fatalities on our nation's roads, NWZAW became a national event in 2000 and awareness has grown ever since. MDOT, along with numerous traffic safety partners across the country, supports NWZAW to raise awareness and further improve road safety for all workers, drivers and passengers.

This year's NWZAW national campaign theme is: "Work zones are temporary. Actions behind the wheel can last forever." Go orange on Wednesday, April 17! To create awareness and show your support for each work zone crew, wear orange that day. We can all make it home safely if we play our part and work together, so "Go Orange" at home or in the field and share a photo on social media of you or your team wearing orange using hashtags #Orange4Safety, #GoOrangeDay and #NWZAW.

For more facts, stats and information about Michigan work zone safety, visit www.Michigan.gov/WorkZoneSafety .

Dow Diamond 825 E Main St. Midland, MI 48640

Start: April 15, 2024 11:00 AM

End: April 15, 2024 12:00 PM

MDOT Grand Region Media Representative

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Is Moscow Safe? Crime Rates & Safety Report

On Feb. 24, 2022, Russia invaded its neighbor country Ukraine, starting a war between these two countries.

This act of invasion caused many Ukrainians to flee their country and seek shelter in places like Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, etc…

At this time, we recommend no travel to Russia or Ukraine, or any neighboring countries for your own safety.

Russia : Safety by City

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Moscow, the capital of Russia, is a political, scientific, historical, architectural and business center of this huge country.

It’s one of the most visited places in Russia, and for good reason.

The best-known parts of Russia are concentrated precisely in the urban areas and cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

Moscow’s history attracts the most tourists, as they are fascinated by it is a surreal and sometimes brutal but nevertheless thrilling and jaw-dropping national story.

In this city, visited by 17 million tourists annually, the history, told in its numerous museums, some of which are the world’s greatest, interacts with modernity.

For example, in the Garden of Fallen Monuments (Fallen Monument Park), you can see entire clusters of modern art contrasting with the very non-conceptual Communist monuments.

• Warnings & Dangers in Moscow

OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM

Generally speaking, Moscow today is safe as much as other cities in Europe, despite its problematic history with criminal activity in the 90s. However, if you’re planning on traveling to Moscow, keep in mind that you should always keep your guard up and remain aware of your surroundings, just in case.

TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW

Generally speaking, transportation in Moscow is safe, but you should bear in mind that kidnappings have been known to happen, mostly in unlicensed taxis, so be careful when hailing one on the streets. Keep in mind that the most dangerous areas where small crime tends to occur are the underground walkways, called “perekhods”. Only use official services like Yandex Taxi, Uber or Gett taxi.

PICKPOCKETS RISK: HIGH

Pickpocketing is very common in Moscow, and surprisingly it is mostly performed by groups of children. Pay attention to your belongings, don’t leave them in plain sight and be especially careful in crowded places like stations or near tourist attractions.

NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW

Moscow isn’t particularly susceptible to natural disasters. Some blizzards and snowstorms are possible during winter which can affect the traffic and delay your flights. During winter, be prepared to face the below-freezing temperatures.

MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM

The situation improved drastically when it comes to kidnappings and muggings. Generally, never accept free drinks or food when you’re in a club or a bar. Drink spiking and then attacking and robbing the victim have been reported on numerous occasions.

TERRORISM RISK: HIGH

After the recent terrorist attack in the subway in St. Petersburg the probability of this situation happening again in Moscow is very high.

SCAMS RISK: HIGH

There are many scams in Moscow, usually performed by children trying to distract you and then steal some money from you. Never talk to strange kids on the street. Also, you should avoid playing street gambling games.

WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW

Women are generally safe in Moscow, though you should avoid finding yourself alone in clubs or bars, and of course, apply all normal precaution measures like avoiding remote and poorly lit streets and areas.

• So... How Safe Is Moscow Really?

Moscow experienced a rise when it came to crime rates during the 1990s.

Violent crime, as well as petty crime and scams,  had increased, but the biggest part of the violence was within the criminal groups themselves, and it didn’t affect foreigners that much.

However, it decreased since the 90s, so right now, for tourists, Moscow isn’t more dangerous than any other European city, it’s even less so.

The crime rate in Moscow is fairly lower than one in New York, London or Paris, so you should feel safe here.

Also, you can count on the officials to be uncorrupted – don’t ever try to bribe them: you will be charged with bribery.

Bear in mind that if you are a member of the LGBT community, there is no reason to avoid Moscow altogether but you should refrain from any public displays of affection.

As of June 2013, “homosexual propaganda to minors” is prohibited, which means that any discussion of gay rights or homosexuality issues in the presence of minors is punishable by law.

While you walk around Moscow, you might encounter police officials that may demand to see your papers to check if you have been registered within 7 business days of your arrival into Moscow.

You shouldn’t have any problems with this, because if you stay in a hotel then you are automatically registered and will be handed a confirmation paper.

• How Does Moscow Compare?
• Useful Information

Most countries do need a visa to enter Russia, and if you’re a U.S. citizen you must possess both a valid U.S. passport and a bona fide visa issued by a Russian Embassy or Consulate. None of the nationals that do need a visa can acquire one upon arrival, so make sure you apply for your visa in advance. If you are not sure about your visa status, visit www.doyouneedvisa.com which will let you know whether or not you need visa based on your nationality and the country you want to visit.

The Russian ruble is the official currency in Moscow. ATMs are widespread throughout the country and credit cards are accepted everywhere.

Moscow has a highly continental influenced climate characterized by warm to hot and dry summers and extremely cold, freezing winters with temperatures as low as -30°C – sometimes even lower, with heavy snowfall.

Sheremetyevo International Airport is the Russian busiest international airport. It is located in Molzhaninovsky District, Northern Administrative Okrug, in Moscow, about 29 km northwest of central Moscow.

Travel Insurance

Just like anywhere else, we advise getting travel insurance when traveling to Moscow, because it would cover not only medical problems but also theft and loss of valuables.

Moscow Weather Averages (Temperatures)

• Average High/Low Temperature

Russia - Safety by City

• Where to Next?

9 Reviews on Moscow

That's just not true.

The person who wrote the text obviously have never been in Moscow and in Russia at all. This is ridiculous. Even about pickpocketing, the risk at most is medium, mugging is zero in historical places but is pretty high in sleeping quarters

Your rating is only two stars for safety though? So I am confused. Are you rating the article to be in poor taste?

I went to Moscow in 2021. I enjoyed the trip. I felt there were “unsafe areas” so I avoided them. So long as you know where you are going and don’t insult the locals, you should be fine.

51% safe?! Is this out of date?

Moscow and Russia in general are MUCH SAFER than Paris or London, yet those latter are more than 15 points ahead?!

Hell, it’s even admitted in the above text: “Moscow isn’t more dangerous than any other European city, IT’S EVEN LESS SO.” Yeah, you bet! And then: “the crime rate in Moscow is fairly lower than one in New York, London or Paris, so you should feel safe here.” So why the low rating? I don’t get it.

Also, the latest terrorist attack in Moscow happened in 2010… so how can you honestly say that the risk is still “high”? Especially for the fact Russia is very much on the edge when it comes to fighting terrorism domestically and over the world.

Sure, it might not be ideal everywhere in Moscow, but it’s WAY SAFER than in Paris, especially at night. You just can’t go out in Paris after the evening anymore, in most areas (I got assaulted for no reason at Châtelet-les-Halles and taking the RER train at dark is becoming more and more risky)… while in Moscow, chances are that you’ll see girls in miniskirts walking home while quietly singing. Or maybe you’ll stumble upon some gorgeous lady asking you for a lighter and then giving you her number for a coffee the next day. So very dangerous!

I sense a serious bias, here. Is it because of that LGBT thing? Could you pick a more extreme case? Yeah, you can totally be gay in Russia, just be so in private. There even are transsexuals, but this is a traditional and respectable country, so you should respect their choice of not publicizing various sexual lifestyles.

Moscow and Saint Petersburg are safe

Moscow and Saint Petersburg are very safe in my opinion! I’ve been to both cities visiting family! There are so many people out on the streets and on public transportation- I felt very safe! You need to change your ratings!!

Any update on Covid-19 to visit Moscow

I visited 118 country and Moscow one of the safest city I have been, st Petersburg as well, I read this article hoping to find any update on covid-19 restrictions upon arrival, so if anyone can update I’m planning to visit Moscow again but I need to know if quarentain is required or mandatory, anyone can share, cheers.

In Russia nobody cares, masks off. I dont know if fiew thousands of infected per day are high for you though. I was never arrested for not wearing mask, but you have to have it on you. Sometimes cops ask to put mask, you just do that and everything ok, some shops can refuse to do service if you dont have mask. I assume they pressured by boss, so just put on mask, they can give you gloves and dont cause any problems.

Written by someone who never visited Russia

A veer biased review. Moscow or St. Petersburg for being such brilliant truly cosmopolitan cities are extremely safe. Pickpocketing in Russia?! By children?! Who wrote this? Clearly by someone who has never been to the great country of Russia.

Have never been there. But wish me well

Bias review, Moscow is much safer than that!

This review is so bias and just wrong! First of all apart from being a political, scientific and etc center, it is an absolutely beautiful city and a very culturally rich city. For tourists there’s a huge range of delicious food, amazing shopping, a lot of cultural activities, and all sorts of entertainment. I’ve travelled there in December 2019, and most of the time I spent walking around and exploring by myself, be it during day time or night, nothing happened to me once. I mostly used subways and sometimes taxi, both safe. Just have a common sense when it comes to safety and you’ll be fine. You need to travel there at least once in a lifetime, it’s a completely different experience and it’s a beautiful one, NOT a communistic terrorist epicenter as some describe it to be.

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Article Contents

• Moscow : Safety by City
• Overall Risk
• Transport & Taxis Risk
• Pickpockets Risk
• Natural Disasters Risk
• Mugging Risk
• Terrorism Risk
• Women Travelers Risk
• Weather Averages (Temperatures)
• User Reviews
• Share Your Experience

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Is it safe to fly during the solar eclipse? Here’s what experts have to say

Aviation officials are taking precautions ahead of the solar eclipse to ensure that flights run smoothly..

By Alexandra Skores

5:00 AM on Apr 2, 2024 CDT — Updated at 9:00 PM on Apr 2, 2024 CDT

Editor’s note: This story is part of The Dallas Morning News’ coverage of the 2024 total solar eclipse . For more, visit dallasnews.com/eclipse .

If you need to fly in the afternoon of April 8, you might want to grab a pair of solar eclipse glasses.

Related: What to know about the total solar eclipse in Dallas-Fort Worth on April 8

Airlines and government officials say it is safe to travel during the April 8 once-in-a-lifetime event. The Federal Aviation Administration is forecasting 47,137 flights to operate on April 8 .

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Health officials are warning eclipse viewers to wear protective eyewear, and that doesn’t rule out travelers. The sun’s intense brightness can damage eyes in seconds. It’ll be damaged even quicker at more than 30,000 feet in the air, said Eric Christian, a senior research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and an eclipse expert.

“The sun will be a little bit brighter, but you shouldn’t ever look at it except during totality without either approved eclipse glasses or in the correct pinhole camera,” Christian said. “Even the smallest little piece of the sun sticking out can actually damage your retina. Be very careful.”

Experts say travelers flying along the path of totality, from Mexico into the northeastern United States and Canada, may experience a longer eclipse from the clouds based on how much closer they are to the sun. Totality in Dallas will last just under 4 minutes, though the exact duration depends on location. Christian estimates travelers flying along the path of totality to receive roughly 10 minutes of totality and a longer partial eclipse.

Several airlines have announced and marketed “solar eclipse flights,” which are special flights flying along the path of totality that have the highest chances of a great view from the clouds. Among these airlines are Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Dallas’ JSX.

Related: Where to see the April 8 total solar eclipse in Dallas-Fort Worth and beyond

Christian recommended, when it comes to photographing the eclipse, that passengers leave it to the professionals.

“The eclipse is a really unique thing, and the best thing to do is to watch it during totality and let your eyes get accustomed to it,” he said.

According to Southwest, its operational teams — anyone from pilots, flight attendants, tech operations, ground operations and network operations control workers — are in full communication regarding the eclipse. Employees are all advised to wear protective eyewear. The FAA has also offered guidance to commercial planes and private aircraft ahead of flights.

“In advance of a solar eclipse, the FAA asks airlines and pilots flying under air traffic control to plan ahead and file a preferred route ,” the FAA said in an emailed statement. “Advanced planning will minimize route changes and help the FAA better manage the flow of traffic in busy airspace, resulting in fewer delays.”

The FAA is also advising pilots flying on April 8 that regular activities such as practice approaches and pilot training operations at airports in the eclipse path will be limited and possibly prohibited during the event.

All Southwest flights flying through the path of totality will have eclipse viewing glasses. Delta is providing solar eclipse glasses in a partnership with retailer Warby Parker for its two path-of-totality flights.

Southwest’s air traffic management team also has been meeting regularly with the Federal Aviation Administration and doesn’t anticipate any widespread effect on operations. However, the forecast isn’t looking very bright for the millions of people looking forward to the event. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth predicted North Texas would be “cloudier than normal.”

Christian said flights along the path of totality “won’t be able to avoid all the serious weather.” He said light fluffy, high-altitude clouds tend not to be very much of a problem, but it’s the low-lying heavy clouds that matter for viewing purposes.

All in all, Christian said it is safe to fly during the eclipse. Pilots, aviation officials and those involved with flights on April 8 won’t compromise safety to get the best views.

“Plane travel is very safe, and they’re not going to risk people’s lives to get a little more of the eclipse,” Christian said.

Alexandra Skores , Aviation Reporter . Alexandra Skores is the aviation writer for The Dallas Morning News, covering airlines, air travel and the aerospace industry. She's a graduate of the University of Iowa. Alexandra has previously worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Oregon and The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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