Every corporate trip presents a new layer of complexity. Whether it’s an emerging health concern or a simple flight delay, global mobility isn't getting any simpler. Successfully managing a business travel programme in today’s uncertain climate means being prepared for anything.
But what does "prepared" actually look like? ISO 31030 provides the blueprint. This international standard gives you a practical and structured approach to travel risk management, allowing you to move from chaos to control.
In this guide, we’ll outline how business travel managers can leverage ISO 31030 to implement a more efficient travel programme that puts your employees' safety first.
As the first international standard dedicated to travel risk management, ISO 31030 acts as your universal playbook for managing the wide range of risks that business travellers face today.
Published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO 31030 offers a comprehensive and flexible framework to guide organisations (regardless of size, industry, and travel locations) in managing all aspects of travel-related risks.
Drawn from the principles of the ISO 31000 standard, ISO 31030 provides best-practice guidance for building, implementing, and reviewing a travel risk management policy. It addresses every phase of a business trip, from pre-travel planning and assessment to real-time monitoring and post-trip follow-up.
With ISO 31030, business travel managers can stop waiting for the next issue and start anticipating them. It allows you to formalise existing travel policies, shifting to a forward-looking approach.
By adopting this standard, you can:
The ISO 31030 travel risk management framework is built on a series of core principles that guide organisations in holistically managing travel risk.
This principle is the foundation of the standard, requiring thorough pre-trip assessments. It evaluates risks like political instability, crime, health threats, and environmental hazards while taking into account the individual traveller's profile. For example, you would assess an employee with a pre-existing medical condition visiting a region with limited healthcare access differently than a seasoned veteran travelling to a low-risk city, allowing you to develop tailored mitigation strategies.
ISO 31030 expands the concept of duty of care to cover a traveller's full wellbeing, both physical and mental. This human-centric approach ensures access to critical support, such as a 24/7 telehealth service for a minor illness or psychological support for a traveller who experiences a traumatic event. The goal is to provide a comprehensive support system that helps employees feel secure and confident throughout their entire trip, not just safe from physical threats.
The standard mandates clear and well-defined emergency procedures, which means having a real-time, coordinated plan. This includes automatically sending alerts and requiring safety check-ins during an event like a natural disaster. For serious incidents, the plan would outline the chain of command for activating immediate medical support or security evacuations, allowing you to act quickly and maintain business continuity.
Embracing the ISO 31030 standard delivers tangible benefits that extend beyond mere compliance. It fundamentally changes how you manage travel for the better.
By implementing a programme aligned with a globally recognised standard, you send a powerful message to your employees: their safety is a priority, not an afterthought. This proactive approach builds a culture of trust and confidence, which can increase morale, retention, and productivity. When employees feel secure, they can focus on the actual purpose of their trip, rather than worrying about potential risks.
In the event of an incident, your organisation's legal and financial exposure becomes a major concern. Aligning with ISO 31030 gives you a clear, documented framework for fulfilling your duty of care obligations. This internationally recognised standard acts as a strong defense, demonstrating that the company took all reasonable steps to protect its employees. It can even lead to more favourable terms with insurance providers.
The standard provides a common language and methodology for travel risk management, allowing for greater consistency across departments and locations. It helps eliminate fragmented approaches and ensures that all stakeholders, like HR and travel managers, are working from the same playbook. This standardisation leads to more efficient and effective processes, ultimately strengthening the entire travel programme.
While the benefits are clear, effectively implementing the standard isn’t without its challenges.
Many organisations struggle with a lack of centralised, real-time data on their travellers. Information may be spread across different systems, including travel agency portals, booking tools, and expense reports. This fragmentation makes it difficult to have a single, accurate view of who is travelling, where they are, and what risks they may be facing.
A key challenge is ensuring that new policies and procedures, while compliant with the standard, do not create an overly burdensome or negative experience for the traveller. Striking the right balance between robust security measures and a seamless, user-friendly process is essential for achieving buy-in and maintaining traveller satisfaction.
Smaller organisations, in particular, may lack the internal resources or expertise to fully implement the standard. Developing a comprehensive travel risk management programme requires dedicated time and training for travel managers and other stakeholders. Overcoming these resource constraints often requires leveraging technology or partnering with external experts.
Modern technology is a critical enabler for overcoming implementation challenges and achieving ISO 31030 compliance.
Technology platforms can provide a centralised view of all travelling employees, enabling real-time tracking and location monitoring. This allows managers to quickly identify and locate travellers who may be in a high-risk area. Automated, real-time alerts can notify travellers of emerging threats, from natural disasters to civil unrest, empowering them with the information they need to stay safe.
Technology can streamline the entire pre-trip process. Integrated dashboards can manage pre-travel authorisation, automatically flag trips that fall outside of policy, and provide risk ratings for specific destinations. This level of automation ensures that risk assessments are consistently applied and that the travel programme remains compliant with the organisation’s established policies.
Leading travel technology platforms are now integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into their services. For example, they can offer data on the carbon footprint of trips or provide insights into a destination's safety and wellbeing resources. By tracking these metrics, organisations can meet their ESG objectives while demonstrating a holistic commitment to traveller wellbeing, a key component of ISO 31030.
So, how do you overcome the challenge of fragmented data and resource constraints, especially when it comes to extended stays? This is where technology-driven solutions come in. Platforms like AltoVita help you bridge the gap between policy and practice.
Our platform directly addresses these challenges by providing:
We remove the guesswork from booking. Our platform gives you access to a global network of high-quality extended stay accommodation options. Every property is vetted for health, safety, and security standards, ensuring your housing choices are always compliant and fit for purpose. This directly supports your duty of care obligations under ISO 31030.
Our data and analytics reporting tool, AltoInsights, gives you a single, real-time view of your entire global housing programme. You can track compliance with your travel risk policies, manage budgets, and monitor key metrics with ease. This visibility is crucial for demonstrating alignment with ISO 31030 and making informed decisions.
Quality housing is a major contributor to a traveller's well-being. Our focus on high-standard, vetted accommodations directly reduces stress and enhances the overall employee experience. By providing safe and comfortable housing, we help your team feel secure and supported while away from home.
The world of business travel is constantly changing. Staying ahead of new standards, regulations, and best practices is essential for any travel manager.
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