Bex Deadman

Creating a Travel Risk Management Policy A comprehensive Travel Risk Management (TRM) policy should include several key elements to effectively mitigate risks, ensure traveller safety, and meet duty of care obligations. Below are the critical components that a TRM policy should include: Purpose and Scope * Define the purpose of the TRM policy and who it applies to (e.g., all employees, contractors, guests etc.) * Outline the scope, including all travel types (domestic, international, high-risk regions, etc.) and the activities covered (business trips, conferences, maintenance etc.) Risk Assessment and Travel Approval Process * Establish a clear process for assessing the risks of a travel destination, considering factors like security threats, health risks, political stability, and environmental concerns. * Detail a pre-travel approval process that evaluates the necessity of travel, the travellers own preparedness, and specific security measures for high-risk destinations. Duty of Care Obligations * Highlight the organisations legal and ethical duty of care responsibilities to ensure the health, safety, and security of its travellers. * Include guidelines for employees to follow during travel, covering expected behaviours and personal responsibilities. Roles and Responsibilities * Define the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders involved in travel risk management, such as HR, security teams, travel managers, and travellers. * Identify the team who is responsible for monitoring risk levels, communicating with travellers, and managing emergency responses. Traveller Education and Training * Specify the training required for travellers, including pre-trip briefings on health, safety, security, and cultural awareness specific to the destination. * Include resources such as travel safety tips, medical advice, and emergency contacts. Emergency Response and Crisis Management Plan * Provide clear protocols for responding to travel-related emergencies, including medical incidents, security threats, and natural disasters. *Outline communication procedures and designate emergency contacts both at the company and locally, including any third parties. Include evacuation /shelter in place plans and insurance details. Health, Safety, and Security Measures * Establish standards for safe accommodation and transport options, ensuring they meet health, safety, and security criteria. * Provide guidance on managing personal health during travel, including vaccinations, medications, and travel insurance coverage. Traveller Tracking and Communication * Implement a system to track travellers during their trips, ensuring real-time monitoring of their locations. * Include protocols for regular check-ins and emergency communications to maintain contact with travellers. Incident Reporting and Post-Trip Debrief * Establish a process for reporting safety or security incidents during travel, including near misses and emergencies. * Require post-trip debriefing to identify any issues faced and capture feedback for improving future travel safety measures. Insurance Coverage * Detail the insurance policies available for travellers, including health, accident, repatriation, and travel disruption coverage. * Ensure that the policy aligns with local regulations and provides sufficient protection for high-risk or high-risk activity travel. Legal and Regulatory Compliance * Ensure that the TRM policy complies with relevant local, national, and international regulations, including health and safety laws, and aligns with ISO31030:2021 Travel Risk Management guidelines. * Include guidance on compliance with local laws and customs in the travel destination. Continuous Monitoring and Policy Review * Establish procedures for continuously monitoring travel risks and updating the policy as needed to reflect new risks or changes in travel environments. * Include a formal review process to assess the effectiveness of the policy and incorporate lessons learned from previous travel incidents or feedback. Traveller Well-being and Support * Address the well-being of travellers, including mental health support, stress management, and maintaining work-life balance while travelling. * Provide access to resources like employee assistance programmes (EAPs) or assistance services during travel. At the Travel Risk Academy, we offer a multitude of resources and good practices to help guide you on your journey to protecting your travellers effectively.  We align with the practices set out in ISO31030 and work with a myriad of experts across the widest scope of TRM. Find out more about our services here; membership has additional benefits, and we look forward to welcoming you to our diverse community soon.

Top 10 Tips For Building Safer Accommodation Programmes We understand that building accommodation programmes is tough; there is so much to consider and the need to integrate robust measures around safety and security are more prevalent than ever; as well as the challenges of managing and maintaining these measures across so many vendors, including hotels, serviced apartments and more. “Traveler safety and well-being is the top priority for U.S. travel managers at small and midsized programs, while cost is their biggest pain point, according to a survey of 299 travel stakeholders at U.S. SMEs conducted by Corporate Traveler and the Global Business Travel Association. The survey—conducted from June 17 through June 20 with participants from companies with between $200,000 and $10 million in annual travel spending—showed 40 percent named traveler safety as their No. 1 priority, and an additional 29 percent said it was their second- or third-highest priority. It ranked it as a higher priority than cost savings, which was named a top three priority by 57 percent of respondents, split about evenly in ranking it first, second or third, according to the survey. Companies with less than $1 million in annual spending were more likely to rank cost savings as their top priority.” Michael B Baker – BTN With the RFP season upon many organisations, the TRA has got together with our friends at mysa to put together our top 10 considerations when planning your next accommodation RFP. The Travel Risk Academy launched the Accommodation Conformity Focus Group in April 2024 to determine what would constitute ‘best practice’ amongst programme managers, risk experts and accommodation providers the world over.  Following a number of workshops, we are delighted to advise that the prototype, developed by mysa, is now ready to release to industry experts.  If you are a programme manager across travel, mobility, security, or HR and would like to get involved please contact us below. Build by mysa empowers programme managers to take control of their accommodation programmes by combining direct procurement with evidence-based property safety and security intelligence to create a tailor-made programme.  For serviced accommodation, it also provides 100% online booking.