The 2022 GBTA Business Travel Index Outlook suggests the steady rise of business travel. In addition to increasing business travel spending, companies and startups are starting to allow non-essential business travel. However, they must update existing business travel policies to ensure the safety and security of employees traveling for work.
Many organizations ensure business traveler safety by implementing corporate travel safety plans. Likewise, most companies consider the duty-of-care solution as a key parameter while automating business travel management. They also implement business travel management software that keeps employees safe by delivering the latest travel information and providing real-time assistance.
But it is always important for business travelers like you to stay safe during domestic and international business trips by following some simple best practices. You can mitigate many risks and hazards by following these business travel safety measures while making business travel arrangements and spending time in the business travel destination. A business travel management software also ensures that you get expense reimbursement on time.
9 Travel Safety Measures You Must Follow While Engaging in Business Travel
1. Research the Travel Destination
Some of the cities are safer for foreigners than others. While planning an international business trip, you can mitigate common safety hazards by pre-assessing the travel destination elaborately. In addition to understanding the local political situation, you should consider the latest coronavirus counts and incidents of travel scams.
2. Book Safer Accommodation
Your choice of accommodation will directly impact your safety during business trips. While comparing and booking accommodation, you must opt for a hotel that is not located in one of the crime-prone areas in the city.
Also, you should not forget to check the measures implemented by the hotel to keep guests safe after the pandemic. It is also advisable to consider accommodations located near healthcare facilities.
3. Safeguard Crucial Documents
While engaging in international business trips, you have to carry crucial documents like a passport, visa, work clearance, contracts, memos, and IDs. You cannot perform your professional responsibilities during the work trip if any of these important documents are lost or stolen. You must store these important documents in digital format using a reliable file storage service like Google Drive. However, you should leave these documents in the hotel room most of the time.
4. Keep Your Personal Belongings Safe
Lost luggage is one of the reasons why work travelers experience stress. You can remain stress-free during the business trip only by keeping your personal belongings safe. It is always advisable to keep your personal belongings safe using a hotel safe. But you should consider investing in a tamper-proof day bag to carry personal belongings safely after leaving the hotel.
5. Divide up Your Money
Business travelers find it convenient to carry cash and cards together. But you can keep your money safe during business trips only by keeping cash and cards separated. You must distribute the foreign currency across carrying bags and suitcases.
Likewise, you should consider replacing physical credit cards with virtual credit cards. It is also a great idea to use local ATMs instead of carrying cash.
6. Share Your Travel Itinerary
You can stay safe and stress-free during business trips by sharing your travel itinerary with your manager, coworker, or family. This will ensure that they have the information required to assist you in case of emergencies. Also, the record of the travel itinerary will make it easier for your company to keep you safe by making the necessary arrangements.
7. Combat Cybercrimes
In addition to protecting your physical and mental health, you must focus extensively on keeping your personal and corporate data. You can access the data securely from remote locations by storing important files and documents in the cloud.
However, you must not access sensitive data over the internet using free Wi-Fi networks available in public places. Instead, you can prevent cybercrimes by accessing all types of data only over a secure virtual private network.
8. Consider Buying Travel Insurance
You can cover various risks associated with international business travel by buying single-trip or multi-trip insurance plans. Travel insurance plans differ from each other in many aspects, including risk coverage. You can cover more travel-related risks by buying an insurance plan that includes benefits like personal accidents, hospitalization, medical evacuation, trip delays, missed flights, and loss of checked-in baggage.
9. Learn How to Get Emergency Support
Most organizations these days ensure that work travelers get the required assistance or support without any hassles or delays. While planning the business trip, you must know how to get emergency support. You must remember the contact details of the person or agency that will provide emergency support at the travel destination. However, you should not forget to write down the emergency service providers in a foreign country.
Conclusion
In addition to increasing business travel spending, companies have been focusing on optimizing business travel safety after the pandemic. You can manage travel risks and mitigate safety hazards using the tools and facilities provided by your company. But you must follow a slew of business travel safety measures to stay safe while traveling alone for work.
