No longer relegated to film noir roles, real-life baddies are constantly looking for new and sinister ways to disrupt world trade. Main objectives? Transport, energy, commerce and capital. The reality check for business travel management is that the government can no longer provide comprehensive protections for the traveling public.
Results? Business travel management is forced to enter into a sobering rethinking of priorities, including tracking staff, assessing political risks in international travel, refining travel insurance risks, and even incorporating of training programs and corporate security to improve skills and responses to threats.
Yes, money issues and corporate travel management policies will constantly focus on discounts and spending control. But what has changed is that monetary factors have now waned in the context of the September 11 attacks in the United States, the London Underground bombings, the Bali nightclub bombings, the attacks with train bombs in Spain and even more gruesome examples in which organized society faces off against independent non-state terrorist militias. and suicidal fanatics.
Corporate travel management specialists for The new World – Safety and intelligence in travel. Security, employee training, business traveler tracking, and more are carried out through centralized, technology-enabled corporate travel management companies. Business travel management is no longer simply searching for group travel discounts and frequent flyer miles programs. Lives are in danger.
Learning The New Ropes – Business Travel Seminars. Seminars are regularly used by companies to teach the latest techniques in travel safety. For example, Westerners are taught to avoid putting identification stickers on luggage or to wear clothing with logos that can easily be identified as American or British. Discreet anonymity equals lower risk business travel.
What Happens When Terrorists Strike: Surviving Captivity. What about being caught by terrorists? Travel management professionals now regularly pass on detailed guidelines for surviving captivity, how to cope, what to expect, what to say, understanding the political and ideological motivations of terrorists.
Travel Intelligence: access to employee tracking data in real time. Business travel management experts emphasize access to real-time data, starting with meticulously planned and documented business travel plans … providing hour-by-hour movement details in advance … along with contact access information hotel and meeting place, cell phones, customer contact names and more.
Pre-flight advice: advice on handheld equipment. Check to verify with your travel management advisers, but you will soon be restricted to carrying basic equipment. Cell phones, laptops, food, drinks, backpacks and even books may be banned as permitted handheld equipment, following attempts in August by Pakistani and British terrorists to plant IEDs (improvised explosive devices) on 10 flights departing for the USA
Pre-flight notice: advice on parking at the airport. Do not leave anything to chance. Security delays, busy flights, and limited onboard services mean business and leisure travelers should pre-book airport parking needs at least several days before scheduled departure. Get your business travel management experts to secure reservations for airport parking, car rentals, and related needs throughout your travel itinerary.
Pre-flight tips: tips on airport hotels. Airport security restrictions plus limited carry-on allowance mean significant “downtime”. You will need to identify technology-enabled airport hotels that offer you high-speed web access to your Webex business files, emails, and video conferences so that you can communicate with customers, central office, prepare reports and presentations, as well to stay in touch with the family.