Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) found that while more than one-third (37%) of European travelers are concerned about safety and security, their counterparts from other regions tend to worry more.
In its newly conducted research, CWT travelers from the Americas express that nearly half (47%) of the time they worry about safety and security, while Asia Pacific travelers worry the most (56%). However, travelers are not necessarily as worried about terrorism as they are about other, more common occurrences.
“Despite recent terrorist attacks, business travelers say they’re more worried about other things—and that’s surprising,” said Simon Nowroz, CWT’s chief marketing officer. “We found that, yes, the world seems scarier at times—but travelers believe they have more tools at their disposal to keep them informed and safe.”
Terrorism only ranks fifth (35%) among safety concerns, despite the high visibility of terrorist attacks. “Forgetting something needed for work” ranked higher (40%), as did “losing something important” (38%), “being robbed or attacked” (37%)—and even “weather conditions” (37%).
The CWT Connected Traveler survey of more than 1,900 individuals found that two-thirds (67%) of business travelers believe travel is safer today than in the past as they have more tools to mitigate safety concerns. Seven out of ten travelers use at least one of their employer’s security protocols, such as traveler tracking or emergency contact profiles. And more than two-thirds (68%) buy travel insurance.
According to CWT, its study did reveal several findings of concern that should be considered by travel managers. For example, one in five travelers have canceled a trip due to concerns about their safety and security. And 30% say they are worried about their health and well-being when it comes to traveling.
The study revealed some intriguing regional differences between the Americas, Asia Pacific (APAC), and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). APAC travelers are more likely to sign up for notifications of real-time risks (41%). Only 33% do in the Americas, while only 29% do from EMEA. APAC travelers were also more likely to know ahead of time about local medical or security services providers. More than a third (35%) of APAC travelers planned for these services ahead of time, versus 25% in the Americas and 20% in EMEA.
“Today’s travelers are sophisticated,” Nowroz said. “They’re signing up for alerts, they’re paying attention to the news and they use the available tools … they’re taking steps to stay safe.”
About the Survey
The CWT Connected Traveler Study was created by Carlson Wagonlit Travel and conducted through Artemis Strategy Group March 30-April 24, 2017. Survey data was collected from more than 1,900 business travelers between the ages of 25-65 from the Americas (Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico and the United States), EMEA (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) and APAC (Australia, China, India, Japan and Singapore). To participate in the study, business travelers were required to have made more than four business trips within the past 12 months. The purpose of this study was to understand how travelers stayed connected.
