Frank Harrison is regional security director for the UK and North America at World Travel Protection
The days of grabbing your passport and a carry-on bag, breezing through airport security and meeting up with colleagues in the boarding area are over, at least for the moment. But that’s not the only thing Covid-19 has changed for travel.
Travellers flying in the next few months will be among the first visitors to many countries after a year of Covid lockdowns. There may be some confusion for these early pioneers concerning both the rules of travelling and locally enforced legislation, but a less obvious – and equally important – consequence of Covid are changes to a destination’s socio-economic profile.
Traveller safety – has the world changed?
Business travellers visiting new destinations – or returning to old haunts – could be faced with heightened risk considerations, particularly in the ‘Global South’. One concern is a high unemployment rate among local populations and therefore a rise in criminal acts stemming from desperation.
With fewer tourists, the likelihood of business travellers becoming targets of opportunistic criminal acts has increased. In jurisdictions where law enforcement effectiveness is less disciplined, officials can be susceptible to corruption too.
It is not enough for travellers to understand the local law; they also need to be aware of the ‘spirit’ applied to rules by local law enforcement and government security forces in conflict-prone destinations, whether culturally motivated or the specific targeting of minorities.
Those countries that have been badly affected by Covid may be less inclined to forgive a traveller if they are slow to adapt to local rules, or even resent the presence of a foreign traveller during a security lockdown. Worse still, international NGOs and media organisations have documented government security force actions that could be considered human rights violations in some destinations, with reported incidences of murder and physical assaults under the guise of Covid police controls.
Crime is immune to Covid
Travel restrictions and closed borders have not limited organised criminal activity; one could say crime has been immune to Covid. Shuttered borders and travel restrictions have allowed criminals to find new opportunities while security forces concentrate on lockdowns.
The emergence in Nicaragua of the MS 13 gang distributing aid and medical support in areas void of government security is an example of criminals using the pandemic to extend their control. In Mexico, drug cartels have expanded their presence to control some popular resort destinations by exploiting the high numbers of unemployed tourism workers.
Cybercrime has also increased significantly over the last year, capitalising on Covid confusion. Criminals have been producing official-looking websites, messages and emails designed to procure personal data. Travellers will need to protect their information and confirm a request’s legitimacy.
For example, many jurisdictions require travellers to accept a pandemic tracking app using a QR code. They should only receive this during arrival at a border entry point or registering at a trusted venue such as a hotel. Scanning a false QR code can compromise a device and personal data.
Adaptability and flexibility
Travel will always be an essential part of NGO programme delivery, academic life, and general business activity for many organisations. They all have a duty of care to educate their business travellers about changes to their destination before they travel, to be able to locate them at all times, to monitor and act on global events as they occur, and to communicate regularly to inform them of any risks.
More than ever before, travellers need to be resilient. Organisations need to ensure proper screening protocols are in place before, during and after trips to support the traveller’s physical and mental wellbeing.
As vaccination programmes gain momentum, restrictions ease and more travel bubbles are established, we expect to see a steady increase in travel. While countries will still be reeling from the economic impacts of Covid, security and border forces will be adjusting to new regulatory landscapes, and local communities will be coping with the aftermath of loss and uncertainty.
While organisations consider the resumption of business trips, they should be mindful of the fact that it is not normally the journey that presents the biggest risk, but the destination itself.