Five business travel risk categories to consider in 2026 and beyond

FCM Global HW Five business travel risk categories to consider in 2026 and beyond

Managing risk is a vital part of any managed travel programme. The problem with risk is that it changes all the time based on geopolitical factors, economic conditions, technology, weather patterns, and even culture.

Even when risks don’t change, sometimes corporate priorities do. Tracking and managing travel risk can feel like watching the latest music charts. What’s trending upward? What are the fast movers? What’s on the decline? The reality for 2026 is that most risk profiles are on the rise, fighting for top priority.

Let’s examine the top five risk management priorities currently shaping managed travel. 

1. Geopolitical risk and instability (trending upward)

Geopolitical instability is always a high priority for travel and meetings programmes, and it’s no surprise that it’s an even higher priority right now. International SOS reports in their Risk Outlook 2026 publication that 159 state-based conflicts were identified in 2025. This is more than any year since the 1940s. Locations previously considered "low risk" are seeing security ratings fluctuate due to unrest and shifting border policies. Traditional travel warnings are being updated at a pace that traditional risk planning cycles can't fully absorb. For instance, in January, 2026, the U.S. State Department issued 22 “Do Not Travel” advisories for countries around the world. 

Where to begin: Make geopolitical unrest a central part of your risk management programme. This may involve proactive, real-time intelligence from trusted sources, and dynamic, responsive duty of care policies. 

2. Deepfake danger: How do we know what’s real anymore? (rising fast):

As generative artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more capable and accessible, the line between what’s reality and what’s digital misinformation is getting harder to spot. 

Deepfakes take numerous forms. Fake or misleading news about public health or civil unrest could negatively impact travel and meetings in terms of unnecessary spending, traveller risk, and even employee stress. 

Deepfake images and videos of executives, politicians, and government officials could create security and privacy vulnerabilities for your business and its people, exposing your business to financial and legal threats. Security and intelligence firm Control Risks reported that deepfakes are rapidly becoming a standard tool for fraudsters, using deepfake video and audio to impersonate senior executives on live calls leading to unauthorised transfers of millions of dollars at multinational firms. 

The World Economic Forum views misinformation as a top emerging threat, yet studies show that most risk managers seem to underestimate its impact. As International SOS puts it, we're "navigating a global health crisis with a compass whose dial no longer points to the truth."

Where to begin: Traditional "trust your eyes" instincts may no longer work. Organisations must have robust processes to assess information quality, with trusted sources and expert advisers to separate signal from noise.

3. Cybersecurity 2.0 (trending upward and evolving)

Cyber-crime is another factor driving risk uncertainty this year. Ransomware has evolved from just locking up data, into elaborate extortion campaigns where attackers steal data, threaten its release, and even blackmail executives.

In the modern workplace, employees can work from virtually anywhere in the world. That’s a wonderful employee benefit, but it increases the chance for exploits and vulnerabilities to enter your systems. Travellers with mobile devices can also be prime targets for sophisticated state and non-state actors. 

Where to begin: Review workforce access to apps that could expose new vulnerabilities. Educate employees on how to be diligent when it comes to minimising cybersecurity risks. 

4. Extreme weather & climate change (trending upward)

Does it seem to you like severe weather events and natural catastrophes are getting worse and more widespread? The data confirms it. In 2025 alone, record-breaking heatwaves, damaging wildfires, devastating floods, Category 5 hurricanes, and debilitating snowstorms impacted locations across the world.

Events like these create safety risks as well as global instability and economic challenges that can both directly and indirectly impact business travel. 

Where to begin: It’s tough to predict the weather, even for the experts, but businesses must implement policies to address changing climates, as well as enact plans to assess and adapt to weather risk.

5. Mental wellbeing (trending downward)

Mental health is more important than ever, and yet a focus on employee wellbeing has declined in priority for some organisations. Though issues like anxiety, stress, fatigue, and burnout remain real problems that can impact both people and the businesses that they work and travel for, mental wellbeing tends to take a backseat in priority during times of economic uncertainty. 

Where to begin: Mental wellbeing is personal, and the reality is that it can be more significant than many of the external risks on this list. A recent study by Berkley Accident and Health reported that 87% of business travellers surveyed said access to mental health services while travelling is important. Half of the respondents needed such services on a trip. Don’t lose focus on the wellbeing of your company’s most valuable resource: your people. Neglecting this now could lead to significant outcomes later.

Address risks now, before they become crises

The window of opportunity to react to crises may be getting smaller. International SOS found that 57% of risk managers surveyed reported that new threats emerge faster than they can be addressed.

Effective and adaptive crisis management takes more than a static policy. “While we have seen some companies rise to these challenges by running simulations to updating protocols, others remain dangerously reliant on vague policies”, says Jo Lloyd, Head of Account Management & Consulting at FCM Consulting, “which often means, in a crisis, minutes are lost, clarity evaporates, and employees are left to figure it out alone.”

Partnering with a trusted intelligence expert can help you navigate the risk landscape, anticipating, prioritising, and responding quickly to threats. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that your business travellers are looked after, no matter what risk tops the charts.

FCM Consulting works with organisations just like yours to build resilient travel programmes backed by verified intelligence. With risk shifting this quickly, you need a source you can trust and rely on for expert support. Contact our team today to get started. 

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