Why you need to give your female business travelers more preparation

While solo travel by women has grown in volume year after year, 70% of corporate travel buyers agree that female business travelers today face higher travel safety risks. According to the experts that were sources in this NY Times article, "Adventurous. Alone. Attacked.," there’s no question that women face unique risks when traveling solo. Because most countries do not comprehensively track violence against female travelers, it is difficult to say whether there are any real trends.

But identifying who your travelers are, identifying the potential dangers for them and helping to effectively prepare them goes a long way to minimizing the risk. According to a recent study by GBTA & WWStay, "67% of women feel unsafe when traveling and over a third have experienced sexual harassment while traveling solo for work." 

This Drum Cussac post discusses the unique support that needs to be provided to female employees to prepare them for trips.

"To help keep female travellers safe when away on business, our security experts recommend the following safe travel tips:

• Do not accept drinks from strangers and do not leave your drink unattended
• When paying for your items do not show your purse or wallet full of money
• Leave a photocopy of all cashpoint cards/ID/passport at home
• Be aware of local attitudes toward women
• Dress conservatively
• Use organised or recommended transport
• Arrange to arrive in your location during daylight hours"

Do you have advice guides for vulnerable travelers?