For almost 2 years the world and society has been affected significantly by a global pandemic. However, as the light at the end of the tunnel slowly starts to appear and the need to resume travel becomes reality, it is important to remember that those travel risks faced pre-pandemic are still abundant, and in most cases more dangerous than ever.

For the return of safe travel assessing the risk is key - encompassing all risks not just Covid-19 based which can include increased criminality, cybercrime, unrest and natural disasters. Once a risk assessment has been completed to identify the risks, measures can be taken to reduce the impact and likelihood. This can include contingency planning, training, journey management and secure transportation plus 24/7 response. In addition to this, it is also extremely important to understand the culture and local laws which can be incorporated in a pre-deployment brief so the traveller gets a full understanding of the visiting nations protocols and culture. It is paramount to empower the traveller.

Inherent risks following the Covid-19 pandemic have changed and also increased due to the global economical downturn, unemployment, social unrest and increased cybercrime. Lack of internal investment in infrastructure will see an increase in accidents, outages and other related incidents. Those countries that experience natural disasters (due to climate change, the frequency and severity is increasing) on a catastrophic scale and will continue to see a lack of investment in regeneration strategies, this will also trigger increased criminality, kidnap and unrest.

Peregrines top 5 tips for Business Travellers:

1. Conduct a thorough pre-travel risk assessment using a platform such as Foresight from Peregrine Risk Management
   
   
2. Consider all risks not just Covid-19 related risks: criminality, protests, kidnap and ransom, natural disasters to name a few
   
   
3. Following the risk assessment results deliver a comprehensive brief and training where required – empowering your traveller
   
   
4. Be vigilant and stay alert for increased theft and fraud
   
   
5. Get 24/7 travel tracking and response for peace of mind with live updates, information and assistance if required.

There is still a huge lack of understanding around crisis management, incident response, evacuation planning which through pre-travel risk assessments can be identified and addressed. Historically the pre-travel risk assessment has been a bureaucratic paper based, however there is new technology available on the market to aid organisations to streamline this process through technology and innovation.

Also, view our White Paper on Pre-travel Risk Assessments and why this is so important - View >