ONE QUARTER OF ORGANISATIONS DO NOT HAVE A TRAVELLER RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

Despite a year where terrorism, tragedy and natural disasters adversely affected business travellers globally, a quarter of organisations still do not have a traveller risk management strategy in place and nearly half of those (11 per cent) don’t intend to introduce one in the foreseeable future.

However, despite this, 91 per cent of travel managers say they see the duty of care of travellers as part of their role and 89 per cent work with their TMCs (travel management companies) to ensure their travel programmes are responsible.

These are some of the results from a survey carried out by the Business Travel Show, Europe’s leading exhibition and conference for travel buyers and managers, which takes place 25-26 February 2015 at Olympia Grand in London. The survey also highlighted that, out of the top 20 issues facing buyers this year, traveller safety hobbled in at number five, behind challenges associated with cost cutting and compliance. 

The survey of 179 European travel buyers also asked buyers about their programmes’ sustainability credentials. 40 per cent do not have sustainable travel programmes, though half of these claimed that is because they achieve sustainability targets through other areas within the business. 43 per cent of programmes are sustainable and 17 per cent are planning to make them sustainable.  Comparative results from the last five years are below.

Is your travel programme sustainable	2014	2013	2012	2011	2010
Yes	43	62	37	33	42
No - we focus on sustainability in other areas of the company	20
No - not economical	6	10	9	12	12
No - not priority	14	21	32	36	25
No - planning to though	17	8	23	19	21

Fewer organisations are using travel alternatives, such as video conferencing. Just 52 per cent are using them more frequently, compared to 60 per cent last year and 64 per cent in 2013.

How much are you using travel alternatives?	2014 v 2013	2013 v 2012	2012 v 2011	2011 v 2010	2010 b 2009
More	52	60	64	44	46
Less	8	4	14	4	2
Same	40	36	23	11	52

There’s no denying it’s a good thing that 75 per cent of travel managers are operating responsible programmes but, in this day and age, when there are so many very real threats to traveller safety all over the world, it’s equally shocking that one quarter of organisations do not. Traveller security and risk management should be at the top of the agenda for buyers this year with good reason, and that’s why we address these issues throughout the 2015 conference programme.

This  post was written by David Chapple, event director, Business Travel Show. To register for a free pass for the show, which takes place 25-26 February 2015, please visit www.businesstravelshow.com/register.