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Why Your Employees Need Travel Safety Training

Your sales director just boarded a flight to São Paulo. She’s closing a big deal, but it’s her first international business trip. She knows her pitch inside and out, but does she know what to do when the taxi driver at the airport takes a “shortcut” through a rough neighborhood? Or when someone starts a conversation with her at the hotel bar who’s asking too many questions about her company?

Millions of employees venture overseas on business annually. Most come back with nothing worse than jet lag and expense accounts. But some run into things they never expected – ranging from petty street scams to serious safety threats.

The Reality of Business Travel

Here’s what companies keep forgetting: business travelers are prey. They carry valuable equipment, stay in predictable locations, and are likely to stand out as foreigners. A scam artist in Istanbul knows exactly how to identify an American businessman. A pickpocket in Barcelona can identify a tourist from three blocks away.

They might be wizards in the boardroom, but that does not automatically equate to understanding how to handle a corrupt border official or when they are being overcharged 400%.

What Good Training Actually Teaches

Forget generic “be careful” advice. Real-world travel safety training imparts specific skills:

How to conduct your destination research appropriately. Which websites alert you to political instability now, which neighborhoods aren’t safe at night, and what are the latest scams.  

Cultural awareness that goes beyond “don’t wear shorts to a business meeting.” In some countries, it’s an insult to display the sole of your shoe. In others, refusing a drink can end a business relationship.

Practical security measures. How to use hotel safes correctly (hint: the standard code is not secure). Why you should never charge your phone at airport USB charging points. How to know if you’re being tailed.

Control in a crisis. When to trust the local police and when to contact your embassy. How to report to HQ when the phones are out. What to do during civil disturbance.

Training That Works

The most effective programs are conducted by people who’ve worked and lived overseas themselves. Ex-diplomats, security specialists, and seasoned business travelers who can share first-hand anecdotes and provide practical advice.

Trainers must not seek to alarm people. They must acknowledge that most business trips are incident-free while still equipping the employees for the minority that aren’t.

They focus on situational awareness, cultural awareness, and decision-making under duress. They teach people to trust their instincts and equip them with tools to resolve problems before they escalate.

Your people are your best asset. When you send them overseas, their safety becomes your responsibility. A few hours of training before they go can save weeks of problems down the line.

Intelligent firms invest in travel safety training not in anticipation of the worst but in order to avoid it.

Business Travel Courses


When employees travel for business, there are many dangers that can face them. Business travel courses can brief people in a company before they travel, so they have the skills and knowledge to protect themselves when abroad. From general, everyday occurrences such as robbery or scamming, to the dangers posed by hostile environments, travel safety courses can cover a range of scenarios.

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