Building a Travel Risk Management Program From Scratch

For any company with employees who travel for work, ensuring their safety and well-being is not just a matter of good practice; it's a fundamental legal and moral obligation known as Duty of Care. In an increasingly unpredictable world, a company can no longer afford to be reactive when it comes to traveler safety. You need a proactive, systematic, and well-documented plan for identifying, mitigating, and responding to the risks associated with business travel. This is what a Travel Risk Management (TRM) program is all about.

For a company that has never had a formal program, the task of building one from scratch can seem overwhelming. Where do you even begin? The good news is that you don't have to be a global security expert to build an effective TRM program. By following a structured, step-by-step approach and by partnering with the right technology and service providers, any company can create a robust program that protects its people and its business.

This guide provides a comprehensive framework for building a Travel Risk Management program from scratch.

The Foundation: Why a TRM Program is Non-Negotiable

A TRM program is your operational framework for fulfilling your Duty of Care. A failure to have a reasonable program in place can have severe consequences:

Legal Liability: In the event of an incident, a company that is found to be negligent in its Duty of Care can face significant legal action.
Financial Costs: The cost of a single unmanaged medical emergency or security evacuation can be catastrophic, often running into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Reputational Damage: A high-profile failure to support a traveling employee can do lasting damage to a company's brand and its ability to attract and retain talent.
Human Cost: Most importantly, a lack of preparation can lead to tragic but preventable harm to your most valuable asset your employees.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your TRM Program

Step 1: Secure Leadership Buy-In and Form a Team

A TRM program must be supported from the top.

Action: The first step is to educate your leadership team on the legal and financial risks of not having a formal TRM program. Frame it as a critical business continuity and risk mitigation strategy, not just an HR policy.
Action: Once you have buy-in, form a cross-functional Crisis Management Team (CMT). This team is responsible for overseeing the program and for managing the company's response in a crisis. The CMT should include representatives from:
- HR: For people-related issues and family communication.
- Legal: To advise on liability.
- Security (if you have it): To lead the security response.
- Travel Management: To coordinate with travel providers.
- Executive Leadership: To make key decisions.

Step 2: Implement a Centralized Travel Booking Platform

This is the single most important technical requirement. You cannot protect your travelers if you do not know where they are.

Action: Your company must implement and mandate the use of a single travel management software for all travel bookings. This is non-negotiable.
Why it's essential: This creates a single source of truth for all traveler itineraries. This data is the fuel that powers every other component of your TRM program, especially traveler tracking. A company like Routespring provides this centralized platform as the core of its offering.

Step 3: Partner with a Professional Assistance Provider

You are not expected to be a global medical or security expert. You need to partner with a company that is.

Action: Sign a contract with a global medical and security assistance provider (e.g., International SOS, Healix, Crisis24).
What they do: These are the emergency services for your traveling workforce. They provide:
- A 24/7 Emergency Hotline: A single number for your travelers to call for any emergency, from a lost passport to a major medical issue.
- Medical Assistance: A global network of doctors, clinics, and air ambulances to provide medical advice and on-the-ground care.
- Security Assistance: A team of security experts who can provide advice, on-the-ground security support, and evacuation services in a crisis.
Why it's essential: This is your operational response capability. They are the ones who actually manage the crisis on the ground.

Step 4: Integrate a Risk Intelligence Feed

Your TRM program should be proactive, not just reactive.

Action: Your travel management platform should be integrated with a risk intelligence feed from a provider like the ones mentioned above.
How it works: This feed constantly monitors global events. When a risk is identified (e.g., a planned protest, a transportation strike, a weather warning), the system automatically identifies any of your travelers who might be impacted and sends them a real-time alert via SMS or email. This gives them the information they need to stay safe.

Step 5: Develop and Document Your Travel Risk Policy

Your TRM program needs to be formalized in a clear, written policy. This should be a part of your overall corporate travel policy.

Action: Create a policy that outlines:
- The requirement to book all travel on the official platform.
- The 24/7 emergency assistance number and when to call it.
- A clear approval process for travel to high-risk destinations. (You can define "high-risk" based on the ratings from your assistance provider).
- The company's policy on traveler training.

Step 6: Train Your Travelers and Your Crisis Team

A plan is useless if no one knows what it is.

Action:
- Traveler Training: All employees who travel should complete a basic travel safety and security training course (often provided as an e-learning module by your assistance partner). They must be trained on the emergency procedures and who to call for help.
- CMT Training: Your internal Crisis Management Team should conduct regular tabletop exercises and drills to practice your emergency response plan.

Putting It All Together: The TRM Ecosystem

When you complete these steps, you will have created a robust TRM ecosystem:

Your travel management platform centralizes all booking data.
This data powers your traveler tracking capabilities.
Your risk intelligence feed monitors for threats and sends proactive alerts.
Your travelers are trained on how to stay safe and what to do in a crisis.
Your 24/7 assistance partner provides immediate, professional support for any on-the-ground emergency.
Your internal Crisis Management Team oversees the entire process.

Building a Travel Risk Management program from scratch is a significant undertaking, but it is one of the most important responsibilities a company has. By following this structured, step-by-step approach, you can move from a state of high risk and uncertainty to one of control, preparedness, and confidence, ensuring that your company can support its people, no matter where in the world their business takes them.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. We are a small business with only a few international travelers. Do we really need all of this? Yes. Your legal and moral Duty of Care applies regardless of your company's size. While you may not need a complex, customized program, you still need the core components: a centralized booking platform for traveler tracking, and a partnership with an assistance provider for emergency support. Many modern travel platforms offer these features at a very affordable price point for small businesses.

2. What is the difference between travel insurance and a medical/security assistance service? This is a critical distinction. Travel insurance is a financial product that reimburses costs after an incident. An assistance service is an operational service that provides the actual on-the-ground help during an incident. You need both. The assistance provider gets your employee to the right hospital; the insurance policy pays the bill.

3. How do we get our employees to comply with booking on the mandated platform? You need a combination of clear policy, leadership mandate, and a great user experience. Communicate that booking on the platform is a mandatory part of the company's safety program. Have senior leadership champion this message. And most importantly, choose a travel platform that is so easy and intuitive to use that employees have no incentive to book elsewhere.

4. How much does a travel risk management program cost? The technology components (like traveler tracking) are often included as part of a modern travel management platform's fee. The main additional cost is the membership fee for your medical and security assistance provider. This is typically charged on a per-traveler, per-year basis and can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per traveler, depending on the level of service and your company's risk profile. This cost is minimal compared to the potential cost of a single unmanaged emergency.

5. Who should "own" the TRM program within our company? TRM is a cross-functional responsibility. It typically requires a partnership between several departments. The Travel Manager or Head of Operations often "owns" the day-to-day management of the travel platform. HR is typically responsible for the people-related aspects, such as traveler well-being and family communication. The company's Head of Security (if one exists) or a senior leader is responsible for the overall risk strategy and crisis management decisions.