In the current political climate, members of staff are facing new risks when travelling and reaching their destinations abroad. Here, Charles Langlands Pearse discusses how business travellers can protect themselves and reduce potential threats.
With Western governments issuing continual warnings about the risk from terrorism while travelling, all business moguls visiting overseas offices have come to expect stepped up and stricter security measures.

That said, until the worst occurs most adopt the attitude: "It won't happen to me". Business travellers should, however, bear in mind that they have control over other aspects of travel – the weather, road conditions and pickpockets, etc – so they should do their level best to familiarise themselves with the basic principles of self-protection.

Over the past couple of years the spate of terrorist incidents has been on the increase culminating with the bombings in Bali, Saudi Arabia and Morocco. Business travellers are particularly at risk in these regions due to limited or ineffective law enforcement capabilities, porous borders and the regionalism of Islamic extremism.

The targets selected can generally be described as "soft", enabling the terrorist to strike a significant psychological blow irrespective of the physical outcome. While attacks are focused primarily on western targets, the threat extends to any country that has been involved in the fight against terrorism. Even so, the business traveller is more at risk from criminal theft, muggings or assault than from the terrorist bomb.

Be low key... and be aware
However seasoned the business traveller, most are still obvious in a foreign country and need to be aware of the surroundings into which they are travelling. Security awareness begins with four basic principles: be low key, be aware, be unpredictable and maintain good, effective communications at all times.

There are, of course, areas of the world that are known to pose obvious risks to business travellers, among them Algeria, Azerbaijan, Angola, parts of the CIS and Eastern Europe (as well as Israel and Southern Africa).

In Algeria, for instance, the crime rate is high and business travellers should take certain precautions to protect themselves. Theft from parked cars occurs frequently, as does theft of valuables left behind in hotel rooms and theft on trains and buses.

The potential for violence in Israel is high with attacks taking place in shopping areas frequented by tourists and pedestrians, on public buses and at bus stops. Business travellers in Israel and on the West Bank are advised to keep a low profile, and to avoid large crowds and political demonstrations. If a demonstration or an altercation seems to be developing, vacate that area immediately.

However, terror attacks are not the greatest danger to life in Israel. A combination of crowded roads and aggressive driving mean that the greater risk to safety is from traffic accidents. Since the foundation of the state in 1948, more people have been killed on the roads than in all the wars and terrorist campaigns waged on Israeli soil or in which Israel has fought.

Farther east in Indonesia, many of the nationals are poor by western standards and unemployment is a significant domestic issue. Foreign visitors are often perceived as wealthy and, therefore, as targets for criminal activity. Business travellers should be alert at all times and exercise the same awareness that they would when in any large city. Avoid attracting attention. Don't wear expensive jewellery. Do not carry an excessive amount of currency.

Theft of computers has been prevalent in recent years feeding a growing black market in stolen computer parts. Note that the business data laptops contain may prove to be even more valuable and costly to replace so encryption of information is a sensible move.

It's in the best interests of business travellers to learn as much as they can about a country that they intend visiting, and then rehearsing what they will do in an emergency.

Some basic tips? Use inconspicuous luggage. Label with your name but not the address. Place a contact address inside the luggage. Also, avoid using airport porters, which necessarily means you must be able to carry all of your luggage yourself.

Be wary of individuals posing as taxi drivers. If in doubt, seek help from the airport information desk. Be alert to what's going on around you as bogus cabbies, pickpockets and thieves actively target the airport environment. At no time take any photographs.

What to do at your hotel

  • Avoid ground floor rooms or those to which access is easily gained from outside.
  • Keep your luggage in sight when checking into the hotel. Do not leave it even for a minute.
  • Place all valuables in the hotel safe deposit box (preferably when you check in).
  • Close the door of your room when you are leaving, even for a short period of time. Then try to open the door to check that it's locked.
  • Keep your door locked at all times while you are in your room.
  • Lock your luggage when not in use and place it in a safe cupboard.
  • Notify the manager of any unusual occurrences such as persons loitering in the corridor, repeated phone calls from persons who do not identify themselves, knocking on your door by persons unknown to you or finding no-one there when you answer.
  • Never allow anyone into your room with unsolicited deliveries.
  • When travelling in taxis or cars always lock the doors and close the windows.
  • Always carry the telephone number of the police, your hotel, your country's nearest embassy, a street map and the correct tokens or coins for public telephones.

    Planning guidelines for the trip

  • Check any visa requirements, medical precautions or prohibited items.
  • Take photocopies of the details page of your passport, visa and tickets and keep them separate from your wallet or purse.
  • Take a small amount of local currency to avoid changing money at the arrival airport.
  • Make sure you have the numbers needed to cancel credit cards or travellers' cheques in the event of loss.

    In general, you shouldn't be looking to carry large sums of money (and remember never to resist a mugger). Report any incident to the police to support your insurance claim. Don't carry all your credit cards, business travellers' cheques and money with you. Divide them up.

    Business travellers should also take note of 'safe havens' on the route to their destination (ie police stations, hotels, hospitals, shopping malls) and, if involved in an accident, don't stop as the accident may have been 'staged'.

    Setting out on foot

  • Use a local street map to plan your route before setting out.
  • Avoid walking alone, especially after dark. If unavoidable use well lit, busy streets. Identify and avoid deprived areas.
  • Avoid disputes or large gatherings and groups of people loitering in the street.
  • If approached by a stranger who attempts to start a conversation you should keep walking and pretend not to understand the language.
  • Be alert to what is happening around you. If suspicious, window shop, cross the road, retrace your steps or enter a shop.
  • Make yourself aware of any common scams that happen in the cities you are visiting, and plan how to react if approached.

    Learn to be safer in the air
    In the current climate of global political conflict and tension, companies must take into consideration new risks when employees travel by air for business purposes, writes consultant Thomas Clayton.

    There's a set of basic tactics for anyone using international air travel for business that must be considered before boarding the plane. Performing these precautionary tasks can't guarantee your safety, but they can dramatically enhance your odds of avoiding some kind of crisis scenario.

    Share your itinerary
    Before leaving, give your office and spouse a complete itinerary of your flights and hotels. If you have to change your itinerary during your travels always make sure you inform your office and family of these changes.

    Further useful tips are as follows:

  • Genericize your baggage When travelling abroad, especially in high risk regions, your luggage should never call attention to your position, company or affiliations. Baggage tags should bear only your name and telephone number and not your company's logo.

    Files and binders with company logos should be discarded and replaced with unmarked files, blank manila envelopes or airline-provided folders.

  • Lock your bags Pack and lock each item of luggage you bring and know all the contents. Once packed, keep your bags locked and never let them out of your custody until you check them in at the airport. Bear in mind that checked bags often have to remain unlocked due to new air travel regulations.

  • Mind your own bags Never take any baggage or parcels from someone else – either to be carried on the flight or to be checked.

  • Be up to date with the flight schedule Call your airline three hours prior to departing for the airport to determine if the plane is on schedule. This helps to eliminate unnecessary and extended waits at the airport. It also enables you to calmly and efficiently observe your surroundings instead of frantically scrambling to find a new flight.

  • Be bland: wear inconspicuous clothing Avoid expensive jewellery or any other trappings of status.

  • Take advantage of kerbside check-in Whenever possible, check your luggage at kerbside rather than at the airline ticket counter. This means your luggage will be handled by airport employees from the moment you're dropped off at the terminal, significantly reducing the odds of your baggage being tampered with by strangers at the airline ticket counter.

  • Wait strategically Always await boarding in a secured area. When at your departure gate, look for the best place to sit. Avoid large expanses of glass, unattended luggage of any kind, telephone booths, vendor carts, waste containers and any other places where a bomb could be hidden.

    Keep your distance from those who don't blend in, and always avoid people receiving special attention from the airline.

  • Don't be overly patriotic Especially during time of war, it's wise not to wave the flag of patriotism while travelling abroad. Clothing boasting "Great Britain", "Made in the USA" or the names of British or American cities or sports teams is not a good idea! When travelling, blandness is a short road to safety.

  • Sit strategically on the plane Whenever given an option, choose to sit on the aircraft near a wing emergency exit. If flying first or business class, select a window seat as close as possible to an emergency exit. Don't choose aisle seats or seats near boarding entrances.

  • Keep your personal information to yourself Prior to and during your flight, do not discuss personal details such as your identity and business position with other passengers.

    Observe suspicious characters. Upon arrival, watch for anyone who appears to be scoping the area or paying close attention to baggage tags in order to identify a target. Take a moment to stand back and survey the surrounding area.

    Know your first contact. If being met at the airport, again watch for anyone who may be monitoring your movements. Know in advance the names of those who are meeting you and get a rough physical description.

    Know what to do in a possible risk scenario. Locate the nearest emergency exits. If evacuated in a group, take position in the centre of the group with as many people around you as possible. Don't take the lead or straggle behind.

    International political and security risks: the 2004 scenario

    International Business Risk
    consultancy Control Risks Group has published its RiskMap 2004, a security risk ratings forecast which identifies trouble spots around the globe and rates them as an extreme, high, medium, low or insignificant risk in two categories: security and political. Here, we detail the extreme-to-medium risk areas from the political and security aspects. Extreme political risk
    Conditions are hostile to (or untenable for) business. There’s little or no investment in security. The following conditions may apply: economic collapse, law and order broken down and state bodies ceasing to function, state of war or civil war or the state in question is actively hostile to foreign business. Country: Somalia. Extreme security risk
    The severity of risk to assets or personnel is likely to make business untenable. No law and order, so conditions may verge on war or civil war and companies may strongly consider withdrawal from such regions. Countries: Burundi, Somalia and Liberia. High political risk
    Business is possible but conditions are difficult or likely to be so in the near future. Political institutions effectively don’t function. Regulatory framework is poor and judicial decisions arbitrary. There’s little or no security for investment. Economic and political conditions may become rapidly unstable. International sanctions are possible. The risk of contract repudiation or renegotiation by the state is also a possibility. Countries: Burundi, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea (Conakry), Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Haiti, Venezuela, Afghanistan, North Korea, the Philippines, Belarus, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Georgia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Iraq. High security risk
    There is a probability that foreign companies will face security problems. Special measures are required. Assets and personnel are at constant risk from violence and theft by state or non-state activists, or there’s a high risk of collateral damage from terrorism or other violence. State protection is very limited. Countries: Congo (DRC), Guinea (Conakry), Guinea-Bissau, Zimbabwe, Colombia, Haiti, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Georgia, Tajikistan, Algeria, Iraq and the Yemen. Medium political risk
    Foreign business is likely to face some disruption from state/non-state activists or long-term security cannot be guaranteed. There’s a risk of business exposure to some of the following: corruption, strong and hostile lobbies, an absence of adequate legal guarantees, restrictions on imports or exports, weak political institutions, capricious policy making and maybe a latent threat of military or other illegal intervention. Countries: Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Congo (DRC), Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Sao Tome e Principe, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Thailand, Togo, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia. Medium security risk
    In this scenario, there’ll be a reasonable possibility of security problems affecting companies, but no sustained threat directed specifically against them. Targeted crime or violence poses some risk to foreign assets and personnel, or they may be at risk from violence by terrorists or unrest. State security can best be described as inadequate. Countries: Albania, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Israel and Gaza/West Bank, Jamaica, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Sao Tome e Principe, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Soloman Islands, South Africa, Suriname, Swaziland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, UAE, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela.

    • Source

    SMT

    Postscript

    Charles Langlands Pearse is security director for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the CIS at International SOS

    Thomas Clayton is the president and founder of Thomas Clayton Consultants and an expert in crisis management