Know Before You Go: It's More Than a Catchy Phrase

By Joe Gleason

Ticket purchased. Bags packed. Laptop charged to work on the plane. Another business trip and you’re ready to go. Well, almost ready: Do you know which crimes impact business travelers in your destination? How about common medical issues? And how significant is the risk of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, natural disaster….the list could go on and on. Ensuring travelers understand the risks in their destinations (and along the way) is a key component of an organization’s duty of care obligations. Knowing the risk environment helps travelers make appropriate decisions, and more broadly these risks shape the appropriate mitigation measures and emergency response systems.

Through the media we’re inundated with news about Zika, terrorism, civil unrest, natural disasters, coups --- and that’s just in the past couple of months. Beyond these headline grabbing risks, crime, road traffic accidents, illness and a host of other issues are potential risks for global travelers. Of course risk is uneven -- Nepal has a higher incidence of severe earthquakes than western Europe and in many countries the risk of road traffic accidents is greater in rural areas than in large cities. Awareness of location specific risk is essential.

A range of sources are available to understand location-specific risks for global travelers. Some are more general while others can dive into specific, detailed information. There’s no single, authoritative source so it’s important to have a range of options including...

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Joe Gleason is Director, Risk Management Services at AHT Insurance* where he provides guidance and assistance to international development and private sector clients by helping them evaluate risk and maximize the effectiveness of mitigation and response measures in an increasingly complex global operating environment.

*Disclosure: AHT Insurance is an INSSA Corporate Supporter. Any views and opinions expressed are those of AHT Insurance and do not necessarily reflect those of INSSA and should not be construed as an endorsement by INSSA, its staff, or its members.