Business travel is no longer defined by the question of when people will start traveling again. In 2026, the more important question is how organizations can help their people travel safely through an increasingly complex and unpredictable risk environment.
Geopolitical tensions, extreme weather, health threats, cyber incidents, transport disruption, and civil unrest can all affect a journey – sometimes with little warning. Research published by Zurich Insurance Group found that four in five international business travelers experienced disruption during 2025, while more than half encountered an emergency or serious incident abroad.
This does not make productive business travel impossible. It does, however, make preparation, reliable information, and accessible support more important than ever.
Travel safety begins before departure
Effective travel safety is not limited to responding after something has gone wrong. It begins with helping travelers understand the risks associated with their destination, itinerary, and individual circumstances.
Before departure, travelers should have access to relevant information about:
- Local security and medical risks
- Entry requirements and travel restrictions
- Cultural and legal considerations
- Transport or infrastructure disruption
- Nearby medical and assistance resources
- The organization’s emergency procedures
This proactive approach is consistent with ISO 31030, the international guidance standard for travel risk management. The standard provides organizations with a structured approach to policy development, threat identification, risk assessment, prevention, and mitigation.
Preparation should not stop once the journey begins. Conditions can change quickly, so organizations also need a way to identify emerging threats, understand who may be affected, and communicate with travelers as an incident unfolds.
Travelers need timely and relevant information
An alert is useful only when it reaches the right person, at the right time, with enough context to support a decision.
Modern travel safety technology can provide location-relevant notifications about nearby security incidents, severe weather, transport disruption, and other developments. Rather than expecting travelers to monitor multiple news sources or government websites, organizations can provide them with a more direct and consistent source of risk information.
The Safeture mobile application provides real-time alerts about nearby incidents as well as access to travel preparation tools, current travel information, medical resources and emergency support.
Travelers can also receive pre-travel advisories and notifications about flight delays, cancellations, and gate changes. This helps them prepare before departure and adjust their plans when disruptions occur.
Recent traveler research continues to highlight the importance of employer-provided safety resources. A BCD Travel study, based on responses from 1,284 business travelers worldwide, examined the resources they rely on, the incidents they encounter, and the gaps they see in organizational support.
Organizations need to know who may be affected
Traveler-facing information is only one part of travel safety. Security teams, travel managers, and assistance providers also need visibility into developing incidents and the people who could be exposed to them.
By combining risk intelligence with travel-booking and location data, an organization can identify:
- Travelers currently near an incident
- Employees scheduled to visit an affected destination
- People who may require targeted information or assistance
- Travelers who have confirmed that they are safe
- Individuals who have requested emergency support
Safeture’s Security Overview allows administrators to visualize alerts, travelers, facilities, and upcoming bookings on a shared map. Travel data can also be integrated through a travel management company, helping organizations identify travelers who may be affected by risks at airports, hotels, and other destinations.
This creates a more proactive response. Instead of sending the same message to everyone, teams can communicate directly with those most likely to be affected.
Two-way communication builds confidence
During an incident, simply sending an alert may not be enough. Organizations also need to know whether travelers have received the information, are safe, and require assistance.
For medium- and high-risk alerts, Safeture users can confirm their safety using the “I’m OK” function. Administrators can then focus on people who have not responded or who have activated emergency mode. Scheduled or manual check-ins can provide another way for travellers to report their status in line with their selected privacy settings.
This type of two-way communication gives travelers a clear connection to their organization while providing response teams with better information to prioritize their actions.
Emergency support must be easy to access
When someone needs urgent help, the process for requesting assistance should be simple and familiar.
The SOS function in the Safeture app can notify an organization’s administrators and an integrated security or medical assistance provider. It also communicates the traveler’s current location so that the appropriate response can begin quickly. When internet connectivity is unavailable, the traveler can initiate emergency mode and share their position through SMS.
Travelers can also access local emergency numbers and contact their organization’s assistance provider directly from the app.
Technology cannot replace experienced medical, security, or crisis-response professionals. It can, however, connect travelers with those professionals more quickly and give response teams the information they need to act.
My Location helps travelers control visibility when it matters
Location information can improve the speed and relevance of alerts, but organizations must also consider employee privacy and trust.
In the Safeture app, My Location lets users manage how their location is shared with the system. When Location Sharing is enabled, administrators can view the user’s location if support is needed. Users can also apply Location Masking, allowing them to share a less precise location, such as city, region/state, or, in some cases, country level.
With My Location enabled, alerts and check-ins are adjusted based on the selected privacy level.
Transparent privacy practices can support adoption and help employees understand that location information is being used for their safety rather than unnecessary monitoring.
Technology supports – but does not replace – Travel Risk Management
A travel safety app should not be treated as a complete travel risk management program on its own.
Strong programs combine technology with defined responsibilities, reliable risk intelligence, traveler education, assistance services, tested crisis procedures, and continuous review. This is also the broader principle behind ISO 31030: organizations should develop a structured and repeatable process rather than rely on improvised responses.
Safeture’s Risk Foresight 2026 similarly highlights the importance of combining real-time intelligence, expert guidance, and personal awareness as organizations respond to geopolitical shifts, climate hazards, health concerns, cyber threats, and civil unrest.
Give travelers the confidence to focus on their journey
Traveler confidence does not come from believing that nothing will go wrong. It comes from knowing that risks have been considered, relevant information will be available, and help can be reached when it is needed.
With accurate risk intelligence, targeted alerts, pre-trip preparation, two-way communication, and accessible emergency assistance, organizations can better protect their people throughout the journey.
Safeture brings risk information, traveler location, and communication together in one platform, helping organizations and their assistance partners make informed decisions and respond more effectively when circumstances change.