Corporate travel policies not addressing safety concerns

airport-travellers

SAFETY concerns during business travel are not being adequately addressed by corporate travel policies, according to a recent study by ACTE and Business Traveller Magazine in association with American Express Global Business Travel.

The research finds that only 25 per cent of companies have changed destination policy as a result of a terrorist act or threat, even though 56 per cent of travellers have changed their attitude about visiting the destinations.

It is also apparent concerns are not being addressed with 67 per cent of respondents stating that there is a psychological effect on them or their families when travelling to a region where they may not feel safe.

Only 10 per cent of business travellers say they are “utterly fearless” regarding terrorism while 25 per cent say they have “very little fear”.

Meanwhile, 65 per cent of business travellers indicate that they have varied fears, including being stranded in a security lockdown, in-flight terror incidents, and the threat of medical health risks.

However, a majority of business travellers fear mugging and traffic accidents while on the road more than the possibility of a terrorist attack.

Also significant is the finding that travel managers have a higher estimation of their policy’s effectiveness in addressing risk as compared to more skeptical business travellers.

Specifically, travellers wanted more access to up-to-date risk management tools and specific safety briefings for various destinations.

Compounding on the issue is the response of 31 per cent of travellers in the sample saying they worry that a reluctance to travel could hurt their careers.

The study, whose results were revealed during ACTE’s global conference held in Dallas earlier this week, is gathered from a poll of 605 business travellers and 270 corporate travel executives over a two-month period, prior to the attacks in Belgium.

Sponsored Post