Travel Risk Management

The key elements of an effective TRM programme are identifying foreseeable risks and putting in place proportionate ways to manage them; establishing contingencies to remove a traveller to safety, if necessary; ensuring that two-ways communications are available at all times to pass and receive information about changing risks, and, finally, learning from what goes well and less well to keep the programme effective and efficient.

An effective TRM programme requires a clear commitment from the top of the organisation that travellers’ safety is a key goal, then ‘making it happen’. This involves ensuring adequate resources, competent people, and ensuring that all departments or people with a locus in travel risk (including HR, occupational health, legal, procurement, and others) work together on identifying and managing the risks for the traveller and the organisation.   Gaining the co-operation of travellers to follow guidance, briefing and training can be a big challenge, hence the significance of leadership to set the tone, support delivery, and ensure adherence to reasonable advice and direction.

A lot depends on the type of organisation but usually clear policy, effective education/training, and engaged management will achieve high levels of good adherence. In serious cases of non-adherence, however, organisations should be prepared to invoke sanctions where reasonable travel risk policies are ignored or circumvented.

Duty of care refers to the legal and ethical obligation of an employer to provide a safe working environment for their employees and workers. This includes taking reasonable steps to maintain the safety, security, and well-being of employees during business travel according to foreseeable risks they face. It should be noted that employees have a reciprocal duty to act in the best interests of their organisation, and that would include following travel-related training and instructions.

Internal audits of arrangements and obtaining traveller and other stakeholder feedback can often be helpful, as is designing and monitoring relevant indicators that will identify changing patterns and risks. However, periodic independent assessment of arrangements will identify whether arrangements are proportionate to the travel risks, are adequately resourced, and keeping pace with international good practice. GSA supports a global forum of travel risk professionals from a wide range of organisations who regularly share good practice about managing fast-evolving international travel risks.

An international guidance standard providing good practice on corporate travel risk management and duty of care.

A guidance standard for managing travel risk in youth and educational travel contexts.

Corporations, NGOs, government departments, schools, universities, and any organisation sending people abroad for business purposes.