Risky travel? It happens more often during business travel

Business travellers are putting their own personal safety – and their employers’ duty of care – under the spotlight, by engaging in risky behaviours when travelling which they wouldn’t consider when at home.

This is according to a recent survey from travel services provider World Travel Protection, which looked at travel sentiment among respondents in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia.

Findings showed that a significant majority of travellers surveyed – 79%, are engaging in risky behaviours they wouldn’t consider at home, raising concerns about personal safety on work trips and the responsibility of employers to uphold their duty of care.

Risky behaviours include gambling or using illicit substances (14%), getting into a car with a stranger (20%), and ignoring local safety advice, such as drinking tap water and eating food at questionable venues or from vendors on the street (15%).

Of those surveyed, a further 18% are also going out without informing others of their plans, while 16% say they are riding an electric scooter, motorbike or e-bike.

The data showed that younger employees – those aged between 18-24, were more likely to take risks when travelling. Only 20% of respondents say they behave in the same way on the road as they would at home.

World Travel Protection recommended that before they travel, employers should educate employees on local risks, help them plan ahead and make sure they’re prepared to make safe decisions while on the road.

Frank Harrison, regional security director, Americas at World Travel Protection said.“While engaging in these kinds of risky behaviours may seem fun at the time, they not only endanger the traveller but also place employers in a challenging position. This data is a reminder of companies’ legal and moral obligation to ensure the safety of travelling employees, or what we refer to as duty of care. Failing to uphold this obligation can carry serious legal consequences.”