Without putting you on the spot, how much do you really know about what's going on in the countries or regions to which you organise travel?
If you're involved in travel management in any way, do you have reliable up-to-date information being regularly fed through to you on the potential threats and risks your people could face when travelling to or doing business in specific destinations?
The risk landscape is dynamic and can change on a daily or even hourly basis. Even countries or regions officially deemed low risk can fall prey to unforeseen threats such as man-made attacks or natural catastrophes with scant notice.
Duty of care and health and safety legislation means that it's not enough to put the onus on your travellers to take a view on the complex global risk landscape, armed only with the company travel policy and a list of approved safe areas. Organisations have both a legal and moral duty to ensure relevant due diligence is taken to mitigate risk prior to and during travel, whatever the destination.
Getting 'destination intelligence' from a reliable source that can cut through the noise and provide the necessary expert insight and analysis is a vital part of this. In-house security teams and travel risk management providers will do this standardly but how do you even start to approach this important task if you're not privy to such resources?
Intelligence gathering may conjure images of furtive operatives trawling the dark web and communicating covertly but there's a certain amount of information that you can gather yourself using open (and far less surreptitious) sources.
Following these nine steps to obtain a sensible level of information and a greater understanding of the potential threats and risks your travellers might encounter in specific destinations.
1 Consult official information sitesSites such as the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) can be a useful source of information for organisations arranging business travel or overseas assignments. (Many insurance companies will also refer to the FCO advice to determine if a claim falls within the scope of cover so ensuring that you are aware of FCO advice and the standing of your insurer is vital.)
2 Gather information from additional third-party sourcesEven sites such as the FCO openly recommend that their advice should not be relied upon as the sole source of information and should be supplemented with additional detail wherever possible. Consider sources such as major news outlets and social media channels for information on major events, emerging incidents and potential threats. Be mindful though of the accuracy of uncorroborated reports, especially with breaking news.
Also consider monitoring more local news channels because not all 'local' incidents will be deemed worthy of mainstream global coverage but could still pose a significant threat to your travellers.
The more sources of information you have available to you, the better you'll be able to corroborate or discount single sources and therefore understand the true picture. This is a key part of turning information into valuable, actionable intelligence to inform your decision-making.
3 Seek local advice from your in-country contactsThe detail provided by many official sources will not extend to individual streets or neighbourhoods so first-hand local information and advice can be invaluable. In-country suppliers or other trusted contacts should be able to provide more specific insight into their area. Even countries that are generally deemed safe for travel are likely to have neighbourhoods that your travellers should avoid, particularly at night. Local contacts should also be able to warn you of any imminent events which may change the typical dynamic of the area. Ask them about forthcoming holiday celebrations, local elections, anniversaries of previous civil unrest, etc. which could potentially cause disruption or disturbances while your travellers are in situ.
4 Refer to your internal stakeholdersLiaise with your legal and HR departments to ensure that you (and your travellers) are aware of any destination-based regulations. Behaviour that is deemed perfectly within legal or social boundaries in your home country may be against the law or social conventions in others. Also consider connecting travellers with other colleagues who may have recently visited the area in question. Are there any nuances that other travellers may have picked up on or found unusual? Although in- country contacts are obviously a great source of local insight, they may be less likely to see things from an outsider's perspective.
5 Check your insurance policies carefullyIdentify which regions, if any, your insurance states that your employees can and cannot travel to. For example, your policy may not provide cover if travel is arranged to a country where the FCO advises against all but essential travel. A business trip, however important, is unlikely to be classed as 'essential'. Also, confirm that your policy includes the necessary cover for different scenarios such as travellers' driving in specific countries, participating in leisure activities while on a business trip or extending their stay for non-business reasons.
6 Don't forget health and medical considerations
A medical issue which occurs during a business trip can have a significant impact on both the individual and, in turn, your organisation. Information and advice on travel-related risks and disease including vaccine recommendations can be obtained from health professionals and, if possible,
travellers should have a consultation at least four to six weeks before travel. You can also check the country information and advice on sites such as Fit for Travel.
Also consider the availability of general and more specialised medical resources and facilities. Should travellers find themselves in need of assistance, will this help will be easily accessible?
Check carefully whether there are any special requirements or considerations for personnel with pre-existing medical conditions. For instance, some medication prescribed in the UK may contain drugs illegal in other countries. Travellers carrying them could be fined or even jailed, regardless of whether they have a valid prescription or not. If in any doubt, check with a medical professional and refer to the embassy of the country in question before travel.
7 Contextualise the information
It's important to consider exactly how the information gathered could affect your organisation and its people. Could the nature of your business or the partners that you deal with potentially place your organisation or your employees at greater risk?
Also consider the individual traveller. Different risk levels may apply to different types of traveller. Some travellers may know the place they're travelling to very well and blend in with the locals with ease although beware of complacency ¡ª it's often the travellers who think they are unlikely to encounter any issues who then find themselves unexpectedly at risk. Some people may be at greater risk in some areas ¡ª for example people of different gender, ethnic background or sexuality. It's important to be aware of local customs, beliefs and attitudes and instil upon travellers the importance of respecting these views, whatever their own beliefs.
8 Constantly review the information gathered
Even in regions deemed low risk, situations can change in an instant. Although sites such as the FCO update their advice several times a day in a developing crisis, there is always a potential time delay in the information being published, and they will only tend to cover major incidents. It's therefore important to not only monitor such sites vigilantly but to also keep a close watchful eye on all your other information sources. The information that you gathered pre-trip can become outdated incredibly quickly.
9 Subscribe to a dedicated risk service
When you consider the number of destinations that your personnel may travel to and how quickly situations can change, keeping on top of all the information is a huge ask. If you don't have an in- house security team, a professional risk management company would be able to prove you with the relevant real-time information. It will be able to consolidate and analyse the most credible risk information for all global countries and major cities and be able to map this against your organisation's own content such as your own foreign travel advice, in-country support contacts, in- country assets and the location of your people.
Threats themselves may be out of your control but having up-to-date destination intelligence can help you avoid potential threats and ensuing risks. Should avoidance be impossible, this awareness can significantly help in knowing how to prepare both your organisation and your travellers and provide you with the ability to decide on the most appropriate course of action.
Destination intelligence gathering should form a central part of any pre-trip preparations.