Business travellers more nervous on trains than planes
Business travellers feel more nervous about their safety at train or underground stations than at airports, according to research commissioned by Carlson Wagonlit Travel.
The research also showed a higher safety concern for ridesharing services, compared with air travel.
A poll of more than 2,000 business travellers worldwide showed travellers are most worried about subways and train stations (50%), walking (42%), ridesharing services (39%), buses (39%), taxis (36%), and trains (35%).
These were of more concern than airports (34%), airplanes (31%), eating out (30%) or hotels (27%).
"Travel managers should focus their safety and security programs on what travellers worry about," said Christophe Renard, vice president of CWT Solutions Group, the consultancy arm of Carlson Wagonlit Travel.
"Small things like providing clear instructions on getting out of the airport, trustworthy suppliers, basic tips on how to address dangerous situations – these can all make a big difference."
With regards to car transport, the research showed travellers still feel marginally safer in taxis than in car share services.
Travellers from Asia Pacific are the most concerned overall: 43% feel nervous using ridesharing services and 39% when taking a taxi. In the Americas, the numbers are 40% and 39% respectively, and in Europe 34% and 28%.
Female business travellers in Europe and Asia Pacific are more likely to feel nervous about personal safety in ridesharing services or taxis than men.
Even though ridesharing is associated with the younger generation, the findings show that these travellers are more concerned about personal safety.
Millennials, in all regions, are the most worried, followed by gen X travellers and baby boomers.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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