25 October 2018
We wrote about a report in December 2014 looking into four major trends set to impact and ultimately define travel management budgets in 2015. Priority looked at the expected trends and explained what it meant for companies and travel buyers covering the below topics:
1. “Budgets will remain restrained but there are signs of growth”:
2. “Accountability will be crucial in 2015 and big data will help support cost savings”:
3. “Added value is not just a focus, it is expected”:
4. “Financial planning is more difficult than ever”:
With 2019 just around the corner we wanted to see what trends will appear next year, in this three-part report we look at six trends that we expect to help shape business travel in 2019, starting with female traveller safety.
1. Female traveller’s safety will become a major agenda point.
Women business traveller numbers are growing and are now close to 50%, whilst away women can face additional risks and companies will need to start addressing these in the very near future.
Most companies that have business travellers will have a policy covering issues like data security, food and health risks, natural disasters and terrorist events, however women travellers are more likely to face added risks, harassment, assault, and theft to name a few.
These risks can affect well-being and productivity just like any other, however many companies are still behind when incorporating solutions into their corporate travel policy.
With the growing number of female travellers’, companies will need to start addressing their concerns and put safety measure in place within their travel policies. So far, only 18% of companies (GBTA) cover these concerns, does your ‘Duty of Care’ policy include female traveller safety? With 71% of female travellers (GBTA) believing that they face greater risks when travelling, maybe it should.
Like most risks, prevention is the best solution and although we can’t eradicate all hazards, we can minimise them with additional policy measures and by providing solutions and clear protocols should the worst happen. Do your travellers know what procedures to follow should an incident happen and how quickly can they be located? Are you part of the 43% of companies (GBTA) who are able to locate and contact all of their travellers in a matter of minutes/hours, or are you part of the 34% (GBTA) who have no idea how long it may take to locate their colleagues?
Even something as simple as making sure their mobile phone is charged could be a life saver and simple advice like being able to press the power button five times on an iPhone to prompt an SOS message can give piece of mind (Android have a similar feature) Making sure colleagues arrive in a new country in daylight with a complete itinerary covering all their travel needs will make a huge difference in safety and their well-being.
…and remember as a traveller it’s always worthwhile understanding the religious and cultural restrictions of your destinations as well as educating yourself on the companies’ ‘Duty of Care’ policy and have a clear understanding of its content and procedures.
Keep an eye out for our next two reports and should you require any advice or policy assistance please get in touch
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