Travel risk management organisation World Travel Protection is expanding into the UK with a dedicated London-based team and a UK Command Centre to follow.
The company, headquartered in Australia and part of the Zurich Insurance Group, already operates Command Centres in Brisbane and Toronto.
It says the move comes as corporates begin to recommence international travel whilst facing a greater obligation to ensure the health and safety of travelling employees.
Adrian Leach, CEO of World Travel Protection, said: “Until recently World Travel Protection didn’t have a team in place within the UK, but with a growing team based in our new office in London we’re working hard to raise awareness that our world leading travel risk management services are now available for organisations in the UK. As more borders re-open, our services will become even more essential due to the additional challenges and requirements brought about by Covid-19.”
The organisation’s Command Centres provide 24-hour emergency assistance
to travellers and its third globally will be established in the UK within the next
year.
Its core offerings include a Travel Assist Risk Management Portal to track travellers, issue alerts and manage crises, and a Travel Assist App for employees that features targeted alerts and an ‘emergency’ button.
“Our Command Centres allow our profoundly trained team of medical, security, logistical and case management experts to be able to lead operations globally, using real-time data including our security intelligence and mapping technology, as well as world news. Our Command Centres deal generally with more than 100,000 assistance cases and 1,000 medical evacuations a year,” says Leach.
Zurich’s global head of accident and health, Drazen Jaksic, adds: “Risks associated with business travel are changing rapidly and becoming more complex as exemplified by the Covid-19 pandemic, a rise in civil unrest, as well as extreme weather events and related catastrophes.
“And the growing complexity of business travel risks has brought into sharp focus the value of the assistance services that are provided to help business travellers on the ground, as part of a business travel insurance programme.”