Risk management can be a daunting prospect for even the hardiest of travel managers and certainly recent years of pandemics, political elections and price rises have not made managing suppliers and traveler safety any easier. Surprising, then, to see results from the recent global buyer survey* from Business Travel Show America which highlighted that only just over a third – some 38% - provide traveler safety training for their travelers. 

Results are always open to interpretation, of course, but few could argue that statistic suggests there is still work to be done to better protect against risk in corporate travel. To do that effectively though, it is firstly important to recognize, more broadly, what can and does pose a risk to corporate travel programs, policies and budgets when changing suppliers, before building an effective framework to best mitigate against them. 

Understanding the risk landscape

Without being too alarmist, risk comes in different shapes and sizes, ranging from the commercial through to physical and includes the following: 

Commercial: These risks centre on securing and maintaining optimal rates across your travel supply chain, from airline and hotel bookings to your Travel Management Company (TMC) fees. An inadequate RFP process or contract negotiations can leave you commercially vulnerable. When changing suppliers, you need to ensure you are still getting access to the best rates (air and accommodation for example) from day one. If not and there is a gap from when those rates are available to go live, how is that going to be accounted for? First thing on the to do list is to make sure you have best available rates loaded on to your booking system so they are live and accessible to your travel manager / booker from the very beginning of a new contract. 

Data security: This can multiply significantly when onboarding new suppliers or transferring sensitive information. Corporate travel programs handle vast amounts of data, including personnel information, travel patterns, financial data, and commercially sensitive itineraries. Any breach or hack can result in regulatory fines, competitive disadvantage, and severe reputational damage.

Employee safety: Protecting your most valuable asset - your people - presents perhaps the most serious risk and encompasses both physical security and protection of personal data. A risk which can escalate quickly when employees travel to high-risk destinations or suppliers lack robust security protocols. 

Localized risks: Perhaps the most underestimated risk of travel management, particularly when working with a new supplier in a region or, equally, traveling to a location that is unfamiliar. Without due diligence in advance, taking a macro approach to micro destinations can lead to compliance failures with local tax laws, inadequate visa arrangements, and cultural missteps that can compromise both your employees and new trade agreements. Each destination presents unique regulatory, cultural, and logistical challenges that require specialised knowledge and careful navigation. 

Recognizing risk red flags

Identifying suppliers who fail to take risk management seriously requires vigilance and there are some key “watch-outs” to keep in mind. 

The integrity of data management is one crucial indicator of supplier competence. Suppliers can and must be able to demonstrate how they maintain live, secure, and accurate data necessary to support a secure travel program. Poor reporting capabilities, delayed updates, or inability to demonstrate ROI through clear, regular metrics all signal potential problems.

Ineffectual responses during crisis situations are also cause for alarm. Suppliers who cannot provide clear examples of how they handle emergencies, data breaches, or travel disruptions may leave your organization exposed when problems inevitably arise. The absence of a clearly defined escalation or unclear communication protocols during high-stress situations can quickly turn minor issues into major crises.

Building a robust risk management framework with suppliers

Understanding the risks is one half of the puzzle. Reassuringly, however, the other is knowing how best to go about tackling them and the key questions you should ask both your current suppliers as well as potential new travel program partners as part of the RFP and onboarding process to ensure you are protected. 

These should include:

- From a data perspective, ask how regularly that is being reviewed, how and where is it being shared with third parties

- During the RFP process, ask for an example of where it has not gone well and how they dealt with it

- Request communication examples when a data breach has happened

- How quickly can you access the information you need – be it rates, availability, routes, traveler tracking from across your supply chain?

How do they approach legislation around data protection and privacy, for example differing federal laws and regulations in addition to state privacy and data security laws? And further afield, international data privacy laws such as GDPR in the EU

From a people/personnel perspective, do they work with a security partner? If so how, if not what strategy do they have in place?

What tech solutions do they have in place to prompt compliance within the travel program from travelers / employees and manage updates on travel itineraries and program performance?

Also ensure you are clearly communicating your policies across your supply chain so they have a clear and present understanding of your requirements and expectations

Effective corporate travel program risk management requires a comprehensive approach that balances commercial objectives with employee safety, data security, and operational efficiency. The complexity of modern business travel demands suppliers who can regularly and reliably demonstrate robust risk management capabilities and having robust checks and balances in place is essential. The real question therefore, is not whether your organization can afford to implement comprehensive travel risk management processes, but whether it can afford not to.

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Danny Cockton, VP – Global Travel Services, Wood PLC,  will be speaking on the panel, ‘Breaking up is hard to do: What to do when Buyer-Supplier Relationships end’ in the Capital One Business Travel Knowledge Arena at Business Travel Show America. 

The inaugural Business Travel Show America launches at Javits Center New York on October 15-16. Featuring 100+ exhibitors including TMCs, airlines, hotels, travel technology providers and more, it is free for qualified travel buyers, bookers and managers, procurement professionals, and executive assistants and office administrators who book travel for their organization.  

To find out more and to register please visit businesstravelshowamerica.com/register

*149 corporate travel and procurement professionals, EAs and PAs polled in August 2025.