New global travel hotspots
Six months is a long time in the quickly changing world of international politics, global events and travel security.
At the start of 2019 FCM Travel Solutions correctly identified the travel hot spots to watch, with a number of new areas of concern having emerged more recently – and in some of the most unexpected places.
FCM’s original list of places to avoid altogether, or to travel with extreme caution, was spot on with Venezuela continuing to decline into political and economic chaos and Egypt sadly experiencing more terrorist attacks.
However in June, the thriving city of Hong Kong was thrown into the spotlight following weeks of protests over proposed extradition laws to Mainland China. As a semiautonomous and ‘special administrative region’ of China, Hong Kong has become increasingly concerned about China’s influence over the government.
The initially peaceful protests have continued for over ten weeks, with disruptions becoming more widespread and violent. Recent protests saw demonstrators break through police barricades and cause extensive damage to government buildings, with police using tear gas, pepper spray and force to control crowds.
While travellers to Hong Kong have generally been unaffected, activists are now using different tactics which are impacting on the ability to move through the city. The protesters are frequently moving between locations, staging protests without warning, temporarily blocking roads and subway stations and also staging sit-ins at the airport, which have seen flights both in and out suspended.
Experts believe that overall the city remains safe for travellers, but the situation is unpredictable and more caution should be taken. Travellers should stay vigilant by reading local news each morning, avoiding government buildings, if possible and be aware of notifications provided by their travel management company.
In April, Sri Lanka was rocked by the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks on churches and prominent luxury hotels, at a time when the risk of terrorism was considered relatively low. Now the Australian government considers the country a Level 2 risk, advising travellers to exercise a high degree of caution and since the attacks a State of Emergency remains in place meaning night-time curfews can be imposed at short notice.
Thailand is also a place to exercise a high degree of caution with a series of explosions occurring in August in public areas throughout Bangkok, including near Chong Nonsi BTS station and outside several Thai Government buildings.
Other countries to hit the headlines since the beginning of the year include North Korea - where an Australian citizen was detained in July, Papua New Guinea - with unrest near mine sites in Bougainville and tribal violence in the highlands, New Zealand - with the terrorist attack in Christchurch and even Osaka in Japan with demonstrations around the G20 Summit in July.
In light of these recent events it’s clear that no one can unequivocally predict where the next crisis will occur. However travel and risk mitigation experts can help companies prepare for any scenario by providing good risk management advice, travel intelligence, multiple traveller communication channels and the ability to quickly locate travellers in an emergency.
FCM Secure, which is part of the FCM Connect suite of solutions, provides a unique combination of service, support, technology and intelligence to deliver an exceptional travel risk management program for businesses.
For more information on protecting your organisation’s business travellers, contact your FCM Travel Solutions account manager.
Another useful source of travel advisory updates is the Australian Government’s smart traveller website - https://smartraveller.gov.au