Do you know someone who lost his passport while on a trip? Or maybe it was their laptop or wallet. Was there anyone whose personal data was hacked while traveling? God forbid, has it ever happened to you?

There is always some risk associated with travel. The fact is almost everyone, even frequent travelers, have felt unsafe sometime or the other. So it makes perfect sense to be prepared before you embark on your next trip. When travel is for business, companies can also do a lot to make their employees feel safe. Yet, a lot depends on your own awareness and behaviour while on the road. Based on our experience as well as using inputs from few road warriors, here is a list of dos and don’ts to keep in mind during travel.

1. Know Your Destination

Read about the city you will be visiting. Get to know it’s crime rates and localities that are generally considered unsafe. Understand the local customs. And don’t forget to check up on the weather as well as any travel advisories or warnings issued by your government.

One of the best sources for information regarding international travel advisories is the US State Department travel advisory page. It is good if you have access to a travel management tool that gives personalized alerts and advisories for your destinations.

2. Secure Personal Items

When you are at the destination, unless absolutely required, do not carry any personal items or documents with you. Keep them locked in your hotel room safe. It is also a good idea to keep copies of important documents such as your passport. If you have valuables, ask the hotel reception for a deposit box.

Many of us are not aware of the typical storage options available at hotels. If you want to know, read this interesting article.

3. Be Careful About What You Eat And Drink

Sampling local cuisine is very much part of the joy of travel. But always find out what is on your plate before eating it. Ask someone if you are not sure. Drink responsibly. Alcohol not only impairs your judgment, too much of it can also make you vulnerable as a target for crime. Finally, always carry basic medicines with you, in case you unfortunately fall ill.

If you are wondering what medicines to carry on a travel, here is an advisory from the US CDC about how to pack smart for a healthy trip. And of course, ensure you have a suitable travel insurance.

4. Try To Blend In

Interact with the locals. Watch and learn how the locals do things. And don’t do stuff they consider offensive. Dress appropriately, but not necessarily in the local costumes. Try not to be too flashy, especially with jewelry.

Here are some fine pointers about how to blend in with the locals.

5. Carry Just What You Need

Do not carry too much money on your person. Take only what you may require. Everything else, keep locked up in your room safe. If you need to go to an ATM, use those located inside banks, shopping centers, hotel lobbies etc. Do it when there are people around. If you get mugged in spite of all precautions, don’t try to be a hero.

Read this fascinating article from Reader’s Digest on how muggers choose their targets and try to avoid those pitfalls.

6. Stay Connected

When you are traveling, it is important that you share your itinerary including hotel details with family, friends or colleagues and update them as often as you can. If you are traveling for work, always stay connected with the travel team in your company. Also ensure that you are familiar with the processes and tools to be used in case you need help during travel.

7. Be Cautious About How You Connect

Staying connected requires access to Internet. Always use trusted wi-fi networks like that of a workplace or your hotel. Avoid use of public wi-fi networks. If you have to, then be aware of the risks and try to use a VPN.

This article describes the risks of using a public wi-fi and how to stay safe if you have to use one.

Many companies do have robust travel risk management (TRM) programs to address traveler safety concerns. A TRM program is not just about policies, guidelines and awareness trainings. A robust TRM program also necessitates tools that provide travelers with contextual information & alerts. It requires capabilties that enable travel teams to understand where travelers are and to offer support when there is a need. The trip management feature in TCat is designed to do just that. If you want to know how, please do reach out to us.

Picture credit: Moshe Harosh from Pixabay

The world may be getting ready to ‘live with COVID’, but the journey is probably going to be a tricky one.

India resumed regular international flights from 27 March 2022 ending a two-year long suspension. Multiple countries, including most of the European ones, are now open for travel. More people are traveling on business, as evidenced by a surge in business travel bookings seen in recent weeks. Amidst all this growing optimism, we continue to see gathering clouds of uncertainty. Emergence of new COVID-19 variants, the ongoing outbreak in China and the war in Ukraine continue to affect travel recovery.

In this environment, if you are planning an international business travel in the near future, there are certain factors to keep in mind. Based on our experience over the past few weeks in helping our customers return to travel, here are the top four.

1. Air Fare

Even though restrictions on international flights have been lifted in India, airlines have not yet returned to their pre-COVID level capacities. It may take weeks for airlines to increase the number of flights and of course this will be driven by demand. In addition to this, there is the impact of prevailing oil prices and route restrictions triggered by the crisis in Ukraine. Hence be prepared for the fact that air fare, especially international, may continue to remain high for the near future. At the same time, try not to lock yourself into high-price, non-flexible fares unless the travel is urgent and immediate. Give yourself a chance, in case the situation improves and fares do come down.

2. Visa

For Indian travelers who require visas for their international travel, the situation remains challenging. Many countries, including the US, are yet to open for new business visa applications. There is also the huge backlog of existing applications waiting to be processed. All of this means that getting appointments for visa interviews can be very difficult and there are major processing delays even post that. Till these challenges get cleared, companies are better off trying to see how to optimally utilize the existing visas its employees may be holding.

3. Travel Checklists

Travel policies and checklists will remain dynamic and complex. Companies will need to continuously adapt to guidelines and restrictions imposed by various countries and situations, in order to ensure that their employees are able to travel safely, in compliance with prevalent rules. Companies are encouraged to leverage technology solutions and expert advice to ensure that they are always up to date with rules and regulations.

4. Longer Stays

Average hotel nightly rates in major business travel destinations are reported to be 20% to 30% lower compared to 2019. This coupled with the high air fares means that many companies are now planning for less frequent travels, but with longer stays at the destination. See if that works for you.

In summary, to navigate effectively through these short-term challenges, companies would need access to real-time travel information as well as support from experienced travel consultants. That means access to right technology solutions combined with appropriate human intervention. If you have questions on how this can be achieved cost effectively, please reach out to us.