KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — It’s that time of the year when travel plans go into full gear and this Travel Risk Map 2016 will really come in handy.
Data has shown that over 80 per cent of travellers have safety concerns when abroad, but just less than half actually do research on the issues pre-travel. The first-of-its-kind, this Travel Risk Map offers a comprehensive overview of risks by destination by displaying each country’s medical risk rating and travel security risk rating — so you can travel in peace knowing that you’ll be safe.
International SOS and Control Risks, a leading medical and travel security services company, hopes the map will help organisations better understand the risks in the markets where they operate and travel. In fact, International SOS has been publishing a Health Risk Map since 2010. Taking into account the newly added travel security risk ratings, they decided to rename the map this year.
“We created the Travel Risk Map to help travellers align their pre-trip preparations proportionately with the risks they may encounter in a particular location. Even in countries with a low medical risk rating and state of the art medical services, travellers may still need assistance with language or navigating an unfamiliar health care system — both of which can be significant barriers to obtaining care,” said International SOS regional medical director, South and South East Asia Dr David Teo.
A recent Ipsos Global Advisor study that asked participants about their concerns and preparations when travelling abroad also revealed that only 15 per cent of travellers assess the adequacy of local healthcare before travelling although over 71 per cent of them have experienced a medical problem while abroad. So this interactive map will also help you figure out the kind of healthcare services provided at your preferred travel destination which make a living saving difference.
“The reality is there are risks everywhere in the world. Understanding what those risks are, and then taking appropriate precautions is the best way to support your staff, enable business growth and deliver on duty of care,” added International SOS and Control Risks regional security director, Asia Pacific Grant Strudwick.
Countries and regional travel security risks are rated “Extreme” to “Insignificant” as part of the new features in the Travel Risk Map 2016. There are also variable levels of travel security risks within specific regions of a country say for instance in countries like Mexico, Egypt, India or Ukraine.
Remember, while travelling is all about fun, don’t ignore your safety or that of your loved ones. Learn more about Travel Risk Map 2016 and view the map here.
