Only 25% of Australian business travellers surveyed said they are "concerned" or "very concerned" about safety and security, compared with the average of 56% of travellers across Asia Pacific. Nearly a quarter (24%) of Australian travellers said they are not at all concerned about personal safety while on the road for business. Around the world, more than one-third (37%) of European travellers are concerned about safety and security, while the Americas say that they worry nearly half of the time (47%).
Carlson Wagonlit Travel CMO Simon Nowroz, said: "Despite recent terrorist attacks, business travellers say they're more worried about other things - and that's surprising. We found that, yes, the world seems scarier at times - but travellers believe they have more tools at their disposal to keep them informed and safe."
When it comes to Australian's biggest concerns about business travel, "forgetting something needed for work" and "weather conditions" were tied at the top, with 32% of Australian travellers labelling each of these factors a cause of worry.
Meanwhile, terrorism come out at the bottom of the list, with only 19% of those surveyed saying they are worried about terror attacks when traveling.
Australians are also the least prepared in Asia Pacific when it comes to safety and security risks during business travel. Less than 40% of Australian business travellers maintain up-to-date emergency contact profiles and nearly 40% have no security protocols in place.
The CWT Connected Traveler survey of more than 1,900 individuals found that two-thirds (67%) of business travellers believe travel is safer today than in the past, as they have more tools to mitigate safety concerns. Seven out of ten travellers use at least one of their employer's security protocols, such as traveller tracking or emergency contact profiles. And more than two-thirds (68%) buy travel insurance.
The study did reveal several findings of concern. For example, one in five travellers have cancelled a trip due to concerns about their safety and security. And 30% say they are worried about their health and wellbeing when it comes to traveling.
APAC travellers are also more likely to sign up for notifications of real-time risks (41%). Only 33% do in the Americas, while only 29% do from EMEA. APAC travellers were also more likely to know ahead of time about local medical or security services providers. More than a third (35%) of APAC travellers planned for these services ahead, versus 25% in the Americas and 20% in EMEA.