Discover how top travel risk management companies go above and beyond traditional travel insurance providers to help support corporate travellers and expatriates.
No matter the field of business or study, when it comes to corporate travel, there are a number of moving parts and variables to manage, which heightens the chance of things going wrong. It doesn’t matter if it’s a migraine or stomach bug, a delayed or cancelled flight, or a terrorist attack or natural disaster, a number of unforeseen issues can derail even the most well-planned business trip.
For companies or institutions with a culture that goes beyond basic duty of care, corporate travel risk management companies help provide vital support for their business travellers, expatriates and employees.
Offering services and care that go beyond traditional business travel insurance policies – which often only cover costs should something go wrong – travel risk management companies take on the responsibility of foreseeing where incidents may occur in addition to providing medical, travel and security assistance in case of an emergency.
Skip ahead to read why it’s beneficial for a business to receive:
- Access to important destination travel advice pre-trip
- Training to help prepare business travellers for the unexpected
- Real-time alerts about changing global conditions
- Access to real-time tracking of global travellers
- Help with dealing with incidents
- Efficient, top-level care
- Access to cost-saving measures
How travel risk management companies help keep travellers safe
Organisations with frequent or continuous travelling personnel not only have a duty of care to their employees or students, but they’re also required to manage a 24/7, 365-day a year risk map of activity. For corporate risk managers and individuals without external support, this can be a daunting task.
Travel risk management companies help reduce stress for both risk managers and travellers by supporting them pre-, during and post-travel. Thanks to their industry expertise, cutting edge risk mitigation technology and 24/7 global support, their global travel risk management capabilities and solutions are extensive.
Unsure if your organisation requires travel risk management support? Here are a number of key benefits of professional risk managers, which help provide business travellers and those responsible for them with extra peace of mind:
#1. Get access to important destination travel advice pre-trip
When planning a business trip, corporate travellers with access to travel insurance only are often required to conduct their own initial research; they need to check out how safe a country is and understand whether there are any customs, rules or regulations worth noting on their own time.
Business travellers supported by a travel risk management company can access this important, in-depth information without the need to search for it. This helps travellers and their corporate risk managers to make well-informed decisions about whether to travel to certain countries and what risks are involved.
“At World Travel Protection, our information and intelligence on a country, city or specific risk at a particular destination plays a huge role in an organisation’s assessment of whether its people should travel to a place, and if they can, what preparation is needed,” says Adrian Leach, World Travel Protection’s CEO.
Our World Travel Protection clients are given access to in-depth and current information about countries their travelling personnel plan on travelling to so they can make smarter and safer choices, including details on culture, immunisations, crime, terrorism, and natural hazards.
#2. Receive training to help prepare business travellers for the unexpected
Even the most careful corporate traveller can’t prepare for every potential risk while away from home. However, having the right knowledge and skills to deal with unforeseen situations as they arise could mean the difference between life and death for some.
Top travel risk management companies provide business travellers with the relevant intel and skills to prepare them for potential incidents, which helps limit the severity of an emergency situation.
Our World Travel Protection teams can educate and train businesses with travelling personnel to learn how to mitigate risks before their employees have even departed for their destination.
“We run various kinds of awareness training so people travel more safely in general, and we can train or brief travellers to handle specific trips and the challenges those journeys might present,” explains Leach.
“Our client’s corporate travellers can also access preventative training tools and materials before departure via our World Travel Protection Travel Assist App.”
#3. Receive real-time alerts about changing global conditions
If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that situations around the world can change drastically in a short amount of time. Receiving up-to-date information about changing conditions around the world is paramount to ensuring traveller safety, and travel risk management companies can provide this intel when it matters most.
“At World Travel Protection, we can help travellers and their risk managers make wise and confident decisions,” says Leach.
“Our 24-hour Command Centres continually assesses international threats and alert travellers of any potential risks as they arise based on their uploaded itinerary and geo-location feeds.
“This then helps them make informed decisions about whether to continue with their trip or adjust their itinerary, allowing them to travel safely.”
#4. Get access to real-time tracking of global travellers
For companies and institutions with travelling employees or personnel, it’s incredibly important HR or risk managers know exactly where their travellers are at all times. If they don’t provide this duty of care, it’s hard for them to know if their travellers are in imminent danger should a security threat or natural disaster happen.
Our World Travel Protection geo-location technology is world-class and allows travel risk managers to know exactly where their travellers are at any given time. Using our Travel Assist Portal and Travel Assist App, risk managers and their travelling personnel can communicate with each other as well as our team to help ensure they receive the support they need.
“Our travel risk management portal allows risk managers to locate their travellers when and if they require, while our travel risk management app provides travellers on the ground with 24/7 access to our emergency assistance Command Centres and relevant travel alerts explains Leach.
“We are the first port of call for both travellers and those responsible for them, as we can help ensure duty of care and assistance is provided at speed.”
#5. Ensure incidents are dealt with properly and professionally
When a traveller has travel insurance, it’s often up to them to locate professional help in an emergency situation and/or make emergency alternate travel arrangements. Once the crisis situation is resolved, they then need to get in touch with their insurance company to claim compensation.
Travel risk management companies like World Travel Protection are with business and leisure travellers every step of the way on their journey – not only when they’re home safe and sound.
“For travellers, fatalities, severe illness and critical injuries can be extremely complex to manage, and the efficient communications and information flows are critical,” explains Leach.
When a traveller under the care of our World Travel Protection travel risk management services needs help, our medically trained team triage the initial first contact call, using medical best practice – followed by cost avoidance measures – to ensure they experience the right level of care in the right place as the right time.
“It’s almost impossible for a traveller to assess whether a local healthcare facility can treat the situation at hand or whether a medical movement is needed,” explains Leach. “These situations must be managed by people, and our travel risk management teams are equipped to do so.”
#6. Receive efficient, top-level care
While people usually have a team of medical professionals at home that they know and trust, this luxury isn’t available when they’re travelling abroad. When business or leisure travellers are supported by a top travel risk management company with a global provider network, travellers can rest easy and recover quickly knowing they’re receiving the best care available.
During our three decades within the travel risk management industry, our global World Travel Protection teams have built strong relationships with medical leaders around the world, which grants us access to a network of nearly 10,000 providers located on every continent.
Following an incident or emergency, our 24/7 emergency assistance Command Centres can work to immediately connect travellers in need with a suitable, quality medical professional near them.
“We can help manage a traveller’s treatment and understand if they’re in the right hospital,” adds Leach.
“If they’re in the wrong hospital, our World Travel Protection team will help move them to the right one and then ultimately back to their home. Our travel risk management support also includes ensuring there are no financial barriers, language barriers or miscommunication affecting the traveller’s care.”
Should the traveller require a family member to be flown to their location to support them, our World Travel Protection teams can also help make this happen.
“If the traveller is facing a security threat – instead of a medical emergency – our teams can also provide travellers with the immediate advice they need to stay safe as well as assist in the coordination of a plan of action for them to reach a safety point,” says Leach.
#7. Access to cost-saving measures
When things go wrong for travellers, the cost to receive expert help can quickly add up – especially if they’re in a foreign country. Expenses can also quickly skyrocket if the traveller doesn’t have the right support or know which providers to seek out.
Top travel risk management companies will have international connections and long-standing relationships with medical, security and travel professionals who can provide travellers with the care they need at a reasonable price.
“At World Travel Protection, we continuously strive to challenge, renegotiate and maximise the discounts provided by our global providers’ network,” says Leach
“We then pass on the vast majority of these cost savings onto our clients, resulting in significant cost savings for them, but without compromising on their travellers’ level of care.
“Additionally, while we always put medical considerations first, through our 30+ years of experience in travel risk management, we know many costs can be avoided with the right, well-timed decisions,” adds Leach.
Looking to lower the travel risks for your business or leisure travellers?
We value the safety of your travellers as much as you do, and we also understand how to support you in providing duty of care for travelling personnel.
To learn more about how our World Travel Protection team can help you manage travel risks and make your employees’ or customers’ safety a priority, schedule a demo of our Travel Risk Management Solutions today by filling out the form below.
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