Travelling for business comes with more risks than it used to say over half (54%) of business travellers in a new Opinium* survey, conducted on behalf of World Travel Protection, a global leader in travel risk management. The risks cited include being caught up in a natural disaster, climate extremes or a terrorist attack.

This feeling is stronger amongst younger generations with 62% of under 54s agreeing with this, compared to only 23% of over 55s.

Four in 10 (44%) business travellers say work travel is becoming increasingly unpredictable and volatile, and a similar amount (40%) are worried about being personally exposed to more risk in 2024.

Being harassed or disrespected because of their gender or sexuality is particularly worrying for women (52%) compared to men (33%), as well as the fear of being sexually assaulted (52% of women compared to 34% of men).

More than half (52%) of business travellers also worry they could be a target or the victim of crime, with the same number concerned about a cybersecurity attack.

Top Travel Concerns in 2024 According to the Survey
Travel disruption and delays (61%)
Geopolitical threats, such as war, terrorist acts or tension between countries (54%)
Contracting a virus/infectious disease that requires quarantining (53%)
Losing my phone/laptop/passport (53%)
Being a target/the victim of crime (52%)
Being hacked/the victim of a cybersecurity attack (52%)
Experiencing a medical emergency (48%)
My mental health (46%)
Being sexually assaulted (43%) (34% men & 52% women)
Being caught in a political protest or crowd (43%)

Kate Fitzpatrick, Regional Security Director, EMEA, at World Travel Protection, said: “Travellers are always going to be targets for opportunistic crime, but they can also be targets for premeditated attacks depending on their line of work. Risk today means not only leaving your expensive watch at home, it may also mean lowering your social media presence or removing specific apps, for example dating apps, from your phone which may not be allowed in certain territories. It also means limiting company IP on devices to stop data potentially being accessed in unsecure public places.

“As a travel risk organisation, we see many examples of businesses considering risk too late. For example, briefing clients who are travelling to dangerous, out-of-the-way territories is an essential part of my job, but there is also risk in more traditionally ‘safe’ destinations. Travelling by hire car from Brussels to Paris could seem quite low risk compared to other journeys, but what if it crashes late at night in a rural area? A risk assessment should cover all eventualities from beginning to end. It’s about preparation and planning to mitigate risk at the outset, considering the traveller, their experience and what they’re doing. Planning and preparation give knowledge, and knowledge is power when it comes to understanding risk.”