Wings Travel Management is expanding its portfolio of travel risk management resources with the introduction of a disaster and crisis response service that includes traveller evacuation planning and coordination, search and rescue logistics and emergency medical assistance.
The company is also launching a dedicated consular assistance service, which provides in-country diplomatic advice to resolve incidents such as lost passports and visa issues, as well as more serious scenarios such as crime, missing persons or abduction.
Using the new services, clients can request disaster and evacuation support on demand, as no fixed fee or formal agreement is required. They can choose from a menu of traveller support options ranging from in-country advice by telephone to high-level personal bodyguard services.
Paul East, COO for UK/Europe and the Americas at Wings Travel Management, said: “For over 25 years, we have honed our expertise in managing complex travel and logistics for corporates in the energy, marine, construction, engineering, security and financial sectors, where travel is an integral part of their business. Travel risk management therefore lies at the core of Wings’ operations due to the nature of our clients’ business and the type of destinations that they are travelling to. These clients are frequently sending their travellers to high-risk destinations and potentially volatile countries.
“However, as terrorist attacks become more random and indiscriminate, everywhere in the world is potentially a high-risk destination. Traveller safety and risk management have moved to the top of every corporate’s agenda and our expertise in the area is hugely beneficial to companies in every sector and whatever their size of business travel spend.
“As part of an SME’s duty of care as an employer, it’s vital that they can locate their travelling employees quickly in an emergency and that they have access to immediate assistance so that they are not stranded if disaster strikes. Most SMEs don’t have the resources in-house to handle traveller safety and risk management, so they rely on us to provide this critical support.”
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