TMC to the stars John Gianquitto, CEO of The Appointment Group acknowledged that security is a hot topic in the entertainment travel world while on stage at the London Business Travel Summit. He says celebrities and rock stars, like a lot of business travellers, think they are immune to incidents but in the last week alone there have been three burglaries from his famous clients' hotel rooms.
His comments come as more details were revealed about Kim Kardashian's ordeal in Paris. The US reality star was gagged and bound in an apartment bathroom while men disguised as policemen stole $10 million worth of jewellery. The Hotel de Pourtales hotel where Kardashian was staying has no CCTV cameras and a concierge who was handcuffed and held at gunpoint during the incident has since been interviewed claiming the hotel's security code was 'known by everyone' and hadn't been changed for years.
It throws up the question of security for all types of accommodation. Several travel managers are still highly concerned about the safety of Airbnb yet it appears that some hotels and apartments could also do with scrutiny.
Earlier in the day security manager Philip Stewart said companies need to regularly review processes to check they match the reality of a situation. He used an example of checking 'grab bags' in an office in a high threat location. These bags contained essentials for an emergency but during an inspection he found that some of the food and drink had been consumed when colleagues had stayed late in the office and got peckish. Sometimes the rules slip or the measures in place need to be tested.
Responsibility also lies with the traveller. Before the robbery Kardashian would regularly post her travel plans, location and possessions on social media so at times it wasn't difficult to find out where she was. Travellers may want to think twice about posting travel details on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat.
Incidents also affect the desire to travel. Gianquitto says many US artists are now nervous about travelling in Europe following the attack on The Bataclan in Paris last year during an Eagles of Death Metal concert.
Stewart says it's essential for companies to provide security training and get travellers to 'do some of the work' in assessing risk. He says travellers should feel empowered by knowing what risk is about and also know the limits to threat mitigation to make an informed decision.