Nearly 7 in 10 (69 percent) U.S. travel buyers believe that female travelers generally face greater risk when traveling for business, according to new research by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). Additionally, 61 percent feel it is very important to consider female safety when implementing risk management programs.
Travel to certain countries/cities, sexual harassment and assault or kidnapping were reported as the top safety concerns for women travelers.
“While this research revealed travel buyers are concerned about female business traveler safety, only 18 percent of travel policies specifically address female safety,” said Christle Johnson, GBTA president. “As an industry we need to do more to ensure the safety of our female road warriors, especially as women make up an ever-increasing amount of our business traveler population.”
Lodging Safety
Most travel buyers (61 percent) believe it is important to consider female safety when selecting lodging providers. In fact, 63 percent believe the location of lodging is a concern when women travel for business and 54 percent say the type of lodging is also a concern. Despite this, less than half (44 percent) say their companies recommend female-friendly lodging rooms (i.e. double locks, 3rd floor or higher and 24-hour security).
Duty of Care Fast Facts
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Almost 3 in 5 (57 percent) travel buyers say they have a very good ability to communicate with travelers at all times, rating their ability 8 or higher on a 10-point scale.
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Two-thirds (66 percent) of travel programs offer safety/security resources through a third-party firm.
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One out of five (18 percent) travel buyers say their company does not offer an assistance hotline, a key resource for female travelers.
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Three out of five (61 percent) travel programs “rarely” or “never” provide chauffeured transportation to female travelers.
