Just as there is no single travel risk management approach that will work for every company, risk management needs also vary from traveler to traveler.<\/p>\n
Women need to consider precautions their male counterparts might take for granted. In some regions, travelers of certain races and religions might face discrimination they do not deal with at home. LGBTQ travelers might have to travel to countries where same-sex relations have dire social or legal consequences.<\/p>\n
Even so, adjusting a travel risk management program to accommodate the unique needs of specific travelers presents a challenge. To avoid running afoul of discrimination laws, employers must make sure advice is equitable across the board. Additionally, companies may not know which travelers have which needs, such as an LGBTQ employee who prefers to stay in the closet at work.<\/p>\n
As such, companies sometimes default to ignoring those needs altogether, said Saul Shanagher, director of travel safety training firm beTravelwise. “The benchmark seems to be the straight, middle-aged, white guy, who generally is the least at risk,” he said. “So we have policies and procedures geared to those who have the least risk, and those who are at the most risk aren’t getting the training they need.”<\/p>\n