As domestic and international travel has increased over the past decade, so have the risks business and leisure travelers face. Travelers, expatriates, and executives are prime targets for kidnappings because of socioeconomic divides across the globe and the spread of radicalization.
According to the United Nations (UN) Office of Crime and Drugs, terrorist groups have taken to using kidnapping and ransom to help fund their operations. The UN found that between 2008 and 2014, al Qaeda and its direct affiliates made at least $125 million in revenue from kidnappings.