Global travel has always carried an element of uncertainty, but today’s environment is more volatile than ever. Natural disasters, geopolitical developments, and even personal emergencies can rapidly alter travel plans and place business travellers or assignees in vulnerable situations. When this happens, organisations may need to quickly relocate employees to a safer location.
For travel and mobility managers, responding to these moments requires agility and clear, empathetic communication. Behind every itinerary or assignment is a person whose safety and wellbeing must come first. This is where duty of care moves beyond policy and into action.
Recent developments in the Middle East have once again highlighted how quickly situations can evolve. Travel restrictions, airspace disruptions and security concerns can emerge overnight, leaving organisations with little time to react.
So what can travel and mobility managers do to ensure their people remain safe during an emergency? And what systems, partnerships, and processes should teams have in place to respond quickly and effectively when emergency relocations become necessary?
Emerging Relocation Trends in the Current Environment
In recent weeks, we have seen organisations take precautionary steps as the situation in parts of the Middle East continues to evolve. These decisions often vary by company risk policies, but several patterns have emerged:
- Travel suspended until further notice: In some locations, organisations have temporarily suspended travel or paused non-essential mobility activity. As a result, many existing accommodation bookings are being extended or transferred to safer properties. In certain cases, like UAE and Qatar, local authorities have also supported extensions for existing travellers who were unable to depart as planned.
- Travel restricted to business-critical only: Other destinations remain accessible but under tighter corporate travel policies, so planned trips are frequently being deferred until the situation stabilises.
- Short-notice changes and cancellations: Flexibility is critical, both in terms of flights and accommodation arrangements, as we’re noticing a growing number of instant trip cancellations, short-notice extensions and last-minute itinerary changes
- Safety-focused amenities: We have observed a shift in accommodation preferences through our amenity-based filters: an increase in relocation requests from high-rise buildings to lower-rise properties, as well as greater demand for accommodation with on-site shelters or hardened basements.
"Many of our partners have shared updated terms and increased flexibility in line with government legislation. For example, several partners have revised their cancellation policies, reviewed and extended bookings with more flexible terms and adjusted rates where needed. They have also taken additional steps to support guest safety and comfort, such as relocating guests to lower-floor units, setting up shelters within buildings, and moving guests to alternative locations when necessary." - Fatine El Khayyari, Hospitality Growth Manager, MENA
Crisis Tips: A Checklist for Travel & Mobility Managers
While crises cannot always be predicted, organisations can prepare for them. A structured approach to emergency planning allows travel and mobility teams to respond more effectively when circumstances change.
Before a Crisis
Preparation is the foundation of effective emergency relocation. Key actions include:
- Maintain accurate traveller tracking and visibility
- Ensure clear communication channels for employees abroad
- Identify safe accommodation options in advance
- Establish partnerships with trusted relocation and housing providers
- Define internal escalation procedures and decision-making frameworks
- Align with HR, security and risk management teams on duty of care protocols
Having these systems in place ensures organisations can act quickly without scrambling for information.
During an Emergency Relocation
When an emergency occurs, speed and clarity become critical. Travel and mobility teams should focus on:
- Communicating frequently and transparently with affected employees
- Prioritising safe transport routes and accommodation options
- Coordinating closely with HR, security and travel partners
- Providing clear instructions and reassurance to employees and their families
- Ensuring accommodation arrangements support both safety and wellbeing
Even small details, such as ensuring employees have reliable transport, groceries or local support, can help them cope better during a stressful situation.
After the Immediate Relocation
Once employees are safely relocated, the focus shifts to longer-term stability. Travel and mobility teams should:
- Continue monitoring employee wellbeing
- Review travel or assignment plans based on evolving circumstances
- Maintain communication with employees and stakeholders
- Conduct post-incident reviews to improve future response strategies
How AltoVita Supports Emergency Relocations
With extensive experience managing emergency relocations, AltoVita follows a structured global emergency management process that can be triggered by events such as airspace disruptions, travel restrictions, security escalations or natural disasters. Once an event is identified, several teams are mobilised simultaneously.
Real-Time Traveller Tracking
The Global Customer Success team first identifies impacted travellers through our platform. The Client Development team then communicates with clients to understand potential policy updates and collaboratively design an emergency response plan. At the same time, local teams provide live, 24/7 market monitoring, ensuring on-the-ground support and real-time insights throughout the emergency.
Our integration with International SOS allows organisations to align accommodation logistics with broader risk management and evacuation support systems.
Accommodation Sourcing & Extensions
From there, dedicated Supply Chain and Operations teams focus on securing booking extensions, sourcing alternative properties or coordinating relocations where necessary.This may often include mapping accommodation inventory in neighbouring countries when relocation beyond the immediate area becomes necessary.
With real-time visibility of available inventory, the teams can manage rapid extensions and emergency relocations efficiently, ensuring that employees are safely moved as fast as possible.
"When situations escalate, we stay in close contact with our partners and monitor developments in real time, including over weekends. We collaborate to develop alternative plans and contingency measures to support our clients and their travellers. We also align on updated terms when needed and keep each other informed on the latest government decisions to ensure we respond quickly and consistently." - Fatine El Khayyari, Hospitality Growth Manager, MENA
Guest Experience & Support
The Guest Experience team continuously monitors the situation, maintaining close contact with affected travellers and providing extra support. Depending on the situation, support may include transportation assistance, care and grocery packages, or family-friendly amenities.
Coordinated Communication Across the Ecosystem
All communication is conducted using trauma-informed practices, recognising that individuals affected by crises may be experiencing significant stress. Through our guest experience app, AltoStay, travellers have access to a centralised point of contact 24/7, giving them reassurance that support is always available.
At the same time, AltoVita teams work closely with each organisation’s broader ecosystem, including Relocation Management Companies (RMCs), Travel Management Companies (TMCs) to ensure a fully coordinated response throughout the emergency.
The current global environment has reinforced an important reality: disruption can happen anywhere, and often with little warning.
For travel and mobility managers, preparation is key. By establishing clear processes, strong partnerships and flexible accommodation strategies, organisations can respond quickly when emergency relocations become necessary.
