5 Tips for Business Travel Safety
Your employees expect you to put their health and well-being first when you send them on business trips. With an ongoing global pandemic, it’s vital to address any questions staff might have about business travel safety. Fortunately, some modest research can help you and your organization plan business-critical trips without unwelcome surprises. Consider these five tips as you schedule and budget for upcoming travel.
1. Learn Cultural Norms and Values To Enhance Business Travel Safety
Business travelers can save themselves trouble and potential embarrassment by understanding the values and perspectives of the diverse people they meet when traveling abroad. The world is a big place, and customs vary widely from one region to the next. Here are some areas of conduct in which you can expect to encounter cultural differences:
- Greetings and personal space
- Dining etiquette
- Tipping service workers
- Taboo gestures or words
- Standards of dress
You can avoid unfortunate misunderstandings that jeopardize business travel safety by studying the basics of a location’s culture before departing.
2. Research the Destination’s COVID-19 Protocols
Before sending employees on trips, make sure you understand the situation on the ground with respect to COVID-19. Although the worst days of the pandemic may be behind us, hotspots continue to flare up. Nations experiencing high caseloads may unexpectedly bring back stricter protocols for anyone entering and leaving the area. Check the relevant health authorities to learn about keeping your employees as safe as possible, and always be prepared to reschedule if necessary.
3. Look Into Ground Transport Options for Business Travel Safety
Safety concerns don’t end once business travelers reach their destinations. Employees will probably need to get around the region by means other than foot. However, there are often many local transportation options, and some are riskier or more expensive than others. Learn about the options ahead of time and present your employees with the safest and most cost-effective means of transportation. Utilize services offered by companies that specialize in reducing costs without sacrificing safety. Rocketrip can reduce travel costs by 20% on average, and employees report a satisfactory experience with the platform.
4. Watch the Weather
Nothing can upend travel plans like severe weather, particularly in the winter. You can maximize business travel safety by monitoring the forecast at your employees’ destinations. Additionally, remember that certain areas of the world present risks you may not be aware of, from earthquakes and tsunamis to volcanic eruptions. Prepare employees for these risks with timely information and updates.
5. Monitor Local and Regional Politics
Before finalizing travel arrangements, determine whether the destination is experiencing political turmoil that could endanger visitors. The US State Department publishes travel advisories whenever an area becomes a hotspot for violence or is otherwise dangerous to travelers. If you’re in charge of trip planning for your organization, keep tabs on these advisories, pay attention to world news, and have a general sense of the political mood in regions where your organization might send employees.
Ultimately, business travel safety is a team effort. Travel managers equip their employees with knowledge and practical advice, and then employees put what they’ve learned into practice. Contact us at Rocketrip to see how you can streamline the planning process and deliver a great experience for your employees.
