Business Travel News March 2023 -Volume 2

LESSONS FROM THE IMPACT OF THE UKRAINE-RUSSIA CONFLICT ON TRAVEL

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has had significant impacts on regional and international travel. The conflict caused a downturn in travel, with some commercial airlines avoiding flying over Ukraine and Russia imposing higher tariffs on certain airlines. The tourism sector contracted, and companies remain reluctant to return business travelers to the region due to the perceived risk.

“When these ‘global shock’ events unfold, their impact on the security environment can immediately drive near-global changes that are either permanent or extremely long-lasting. Think changes to airline security after 9/11 or the rapid proliferation of weapons after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. While this kind of impact is predictable with effective intelligence assessment and planning, the secondary effects can be a lot harder to foresee, creating uncertainty in their own right,” says Global Security Services GM, Rodger Cook .

Read the full Forbes Australia ARTICLE HERE>>

REVITALISE YOUR TRAVELS: 7 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR HYDRATION ON THE GO

Feeling thirsty? The importance of staying hydrated during travel.

Whether you’re hopping on and off planes, conducting site inspections in exotic cities, skiing the Alps or setting off on a famous trek like the Inca Trail, staying hydrated is vital to making the most of a trip. It’s easy to forget to drink enough water, especially if you have a busy schedule or are consumed by the thrill of adventure.

Here are seven helpful tips to stay hydrated while travelling>>

TRAVEL INSIDER TIP>> As academic institutions resume their travel abroad and exchange programs, new challenges arise in ensuring the safety of students and staff in 2023. From an uptick in mental health incidents to a shifting geo-political landscape and a rise in petty crime, a multitude of factors must be considered to protect your students.

As organisations resume travel, they must be prepared to navigate what are effectively new environments, and past experiences may no longer be relevant. Additionally, the pandemic has affected how students react to travelling abroad, with an increased number of incidents related to deteriorating mental health,” says Intelligence and Security Lead Paul T. .

Get the full The Educator ARTICLE HERE>>?

The latest travel-based insights from Intelligence and Security Lead Paul Trotter at World Travel Protection.

SECURITY TIP>> Regular posts to social media while travelling can expose students to becoming targets of scams, hacking and even theft.

Sharing personal travel updates on social media can expose travellers to various risks, including targeted scams, hacking, and theft. Cybercriminals can use the information shared on social media to conduct social engineering attacks, phishing scams, or even track individuals to target them for theft. To mitigate these risks, travellers should be mindful of the information they share on social media, avoid posting too much personal information, location updates, or pictures of valuable items.

“A lot of students in particular love to post their entire lives on social media. Where they’re going, what they’re doing, when they’ll be there – this is all valuable information to a criminal for targeting purposes. Similarly, students and academics are often quite eager to put their opinions on social media which can leave them vulnerable to falling afoul of local government laws,” says Intelligence and Security Lead Paul T. .

INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY LEAD PAUL TROTTER

With a diverse background in emergency, intelligence and security risk-management planning, Paul Trotter joined the World Travel Protection team in May 2021.?

Paul is a former intelligence operator with over 16 years’ experience in complex operating environments. He got his start in the Australian Defence Force and spent years providing security and intelligence support to diplomatic missions, and oil and gas clients in hostile environments abroad. Using his background in intelligence collection and assessment, Paul supports World Travel Protection's direction, collection, and assessment of information used to inform the operations team and support clients.

Check out our podcast "NAVIGATE" to learn Common Traveller Safety Mistakes

In this episode of NAVIGATE, we talk all things traveller safety. From common safety mistakes to new pandemic concerns, security risk management professional Molly Sweeney shares common misconceptions business and leisure travellers make about their safety when travelling internationally. Molly is no stranger to travelling in high-threat environments, oftentimes as a solo female traveller, and knows what it takes to stay safe in environments where security needs to be a top priority.

Did you know?

Did you know that travel risk management is essential for keeping employees safe while they are on the road? At World Travel Protection, innovative technology is used to help travellers and their risk managers identify, assess, and mitigate risks that may occur during travel. Help can be accessed via the Travel Assist Management Portal, Travel Assist App or by calling the 24/7 support line.?

Learn more about travel technology here>>?

ABOUT US:

For 30 years,?World Travel Protection ?has taken care of corporate and leisure travellers across the globe by providing access to 24-hour emergency assistance.

In addition to support services for medical, travel, and security emergencies, World Travel Protection – part of the Zurich Insurance Group – educates and trains businesses to mitigate exposure to inherent risks associated with travelling abroad. Emergency assistance encompasses medical case management, evacuation and repatriation together with providing access to virtual care services (telehealth) and security intelligence.

A key foundational component of a leading assistance provider is its global network. World Travel Protection’s GlobalCare Network ensures our customers have access to over 85,000 providers worldwide.

Millions of travellers place their trust in World Travel Protection each year for assistance across 200 countries. For more information, visit?www.worldtravelprotection.com .