The holiday season is a time for celebration and joy, but for many business professionals, it often means extensive travel, navigating through crowded airports, unpredictable weather and other unforeseen challenges. However, with strategic planning and the right technology, you can turn your holiday business travel into a seamless experience.
Here are five essential tips to ensure your journey is smooth, stress-free and most importantly, safe.
1. Plan Ahead
By planning your travel well in advance, you not only ensure availability during the busy holiday season but also significantly reduce the risk of becoming stranded or facing vulnerability. Being unprepared in an unfamiliar location or facing accommodation challenges can not only disrupt your business plans but also impact your mental and physical well-being and leave you vulnerable to potential threats.
2. Check the Forecast
Vigilance regarding the weather forecast is paramount when planning your business travel, particularly during the winter months. Anticipate potential disruptions and carefully assess whether travelling might jeopardise your safety. Winter weather is known for its unpredictability and volatility. So, stay informed about the forecast for your destination and keep a watchful eye on any signs of severe weather conditions that could pose risks to your safety.
3. Assess the Risks
Whilst the festive season is often a joyous time of year, the risks do not disappear. When embarking on travels to unfamiliar destinations, it is paramount to assess the risks and adhere to any regulations or guidelines stipulated by government authorities. If you suspect that travelling to your chosen destination poses a potential threat to your safety, you may benefit from a threat and risk assessment. This will arm you with specific insight on crime, conflict, terrorism, infrastructure, natural disaster, health and political/social matters. At Securewest International, our reports include a ‘Threat Level’ ranging from low to extreme and we make recommendations on how you should proceed. Based on the severity and type of threat, we might recommend cancelling your trip to prioritise your safety.
4. Conduct Thorough Research
A crucial aspect of international travel is recognising that perspectives on the holiday season may differ across countries and conducting thorough research on this before you travel. Exercise cultural sensitivity and be mindful that not all nations share the same sentiments toward the festive period. Cultivating an awareness of diverse cultural nuances is instrumental in mitigating the potential for any inadvertent controversies during the course of your journey. At Securewest International, our Travel Risk Platform and App conduct comprehensive research on your behalf, providing country overviews that include risk summaries, alerts, advisories, as well as travel-related information such as visa details and cultural insights.
5. Embrace Technology with 24/7 Support
For a secure travel experience, leverage technology to receive alerts about potential risks. Utilising a Travel Risk Management Platform ensures you have immediate access to real-time information regarding potential hazards in your vicinity, along with global assistance available at any time and from anywhere. Our Global Response Centre operates around the clock, 365 days a year.
To recap, for seamless and safe business travel during the holiday season…
- Plan Ahead
- Check the Forecast
- Assess the Risks
- Conduct Thorough Research
- Embrace Technology with 24/7 Support
If you’re concerned about the risks that come with travel, Securewest International’s SPHERE Travel Risk Management Platform and App can help you to travel safely. This easy-to-use technology offers travellers and lone workers a range of features to ensure they are fully supported from the planning phase to safe arrival home.
SPHERE is just one part of our Travel Risk suite of services, which includes Planning & Advisory, Risk Intelligence, Training, 24/7 Global Response, Medical Assistance and In-country Security.
If you would like to learn more about SPHERE or any of our Travel Risk services, contact our team at info@securewest.com
We wish you a safe and secure journey.
Article by Amy Court Spooner