What Do Business Travelers Want? More Security Guidance

Business travelers are taking proactive steps to keep themselves safe abroad, but they still want more support from their employers, especially for women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and younger employees, according to a new survey from World Travel Protection and Opinium.

More than two-thirds of the 2,000 business travelers surveyed said they would decline trips if safety were not prioritized. The majority said they wanted more proactive engagement, clearer guidance, and regular reassurance from their employers while traveling. But 7 percent of U.S. and 14 percent of Canadian respondents said they received no support at all, TravelMarketReport wrote.

Instead, business travelers are taking their security seriously, adding their own proactive safety measures. Respondents reported checking in with family and colleagues (31 percent), researching risks (27 percent), concealing valuables (26 percent), taking extra precautions after dark (26 percent), and carrying self-defense items (20 percent).

Some traveler groups feel less safe than others, though.

The study found that 67 percent of international business travelers believe it is less safe for women to travel for work than men, but only 16 percent reported receiving pre-travel briefings or guidance about women’s rights and safety considerations. A quarter of the women surveyed said they feel uncomfortable traveling to countries where women’s rights are not well protected, compared to 14 percent of men.

Earlier this year, another World Travel Protection survey found that 31 percent of women would not want to go out on their own at night while traveling for work, and 12 percent have experienced a negative incident while traveling, such as a minor theft or assault.

LGBTQ+ employee travel is perceived as riskier, too. More than half of survey respondents said business travel is less safe for LGBTQ+ individuals, and 15 percent reported witnessing or experiencing sexuality-based harassment during work trips. But only 13 percent of respondents said their organization provides information on LGBTQ+ rights and safety in destination countries.

A previous World Travel Protection report found that only one in eight UK business travelers receive LGBTQ+ rights and safety information from their employers before traveling internationally, including to any of the more than 70 countries that criminalize same-sex relationships.

Younger travelers are also more conscious of security. More than half of travelers under 34 years old believe they are a target for crime while abroad, compared to 33 percent of those over 55. Younger travelers are also more critical of employer support—62 percent said their company could do more to ensure their safety, according to the International Travel and Health Insurance Journal.

But despite their interest in security support, younger travelers are more likely to engage in some riskier activities during travel that they wouldn’t do at home. They are more likely to get into a car with a new friend or stranger; ignore health precautions, like drinking tap water or eating at street food vendors; and engage in risky recreational activities like gambling or taking illicit substances. Only 15 percent of global business travelers under 34 years old said they don’t do anything differently when traveling for work than at home, compared to 42 percent of those over 55.

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

For more insights into travel security and travel risk management, revisit Security Technology's articles from April 2025, including “Don’t Wait for a Tragedy to Implement Proactive Executive Travel Security,” “How to Design an Entrepreneur Travel Risk Management Framework in the Face of the Current VUCA World,” and more.