Monthly Risk Spotlight: July 2023

AMERICAS Strong El Niño Event Expected for 2023  Often misunderstood and globally impactful, El Niño, the naturally occurring phenomenon that warms the waters off the Pacific Coast of South America, is due to begin this year and will likely have major effects across the globe. Under normal circumstances, the Pacific experiences a consistent movement of… Read more »

Ask the Travel Emergency Expert: How to Plan for Smoother, Safer Travels With On Call’s Kristin Toth

Before something goes amiss on your next trip, consider taking some expert travel planning advice from On Call’s Kristin Toth, who specializes in these ‘go-wrong’ scenarios. As the Vice President of Operations, Kristin oversees all of On Call’s Global Emergency Assistance Teams who are responsible for helping people with their travel problems, day in and… Read more »

The Risk Intelligence Toolbox: Streamlining the Travel Decision-Making Process

Navigating an increasingly uncertain global risk climate can be challenging—particularly for those responsible for fostering a safe and rewarding environment for students, faculty, and staff abroad. Luckily, intelligence can play a critical role in making sound decisions even during the most complex circumstances—allowing organizations to avoid ‘analysis paralysis’ while identifying the best path forward. In… Read more »

Monthly Risk Spotlight: June 2023

AMERICAS Second Attempt at South American Integration In a continent historically divided among itself, where political ideologies can manifest in extreme shifts to the right or left side of the political spectrum and where regional rivalries are plentiful, there is an ongoing, revitalized attempt to create a South American regional block. If successful, a South… Read more »

LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Information, Considerations and Resources

For many organizations, much attention is allocated to risks such as crime, political instability, natural disasters, and health risks in preparation for travel. There is no question these are important areas to look at when assessing travel risk. However, there is also a need for awareness regarding travel safety and security for LGBTQ+ travelers and… Read more »

Common Travel Safety Scams and How to Avoid Them

We travel for many reasons, but meeting and interacting with people of other cultures surely tops most lists. Most of the time, these interactions are quite positive and rewarding – but sometimes, travelers can find themselves victims to scammers who love to prey upon travelers. Learn more about some of these most common travel safety… Read more »

Monthly Risk Spotlight: May 2023

AMERICAS Haiti’s Crisis: A Humanitarian Disaster in the Western Hemisphere In a country where elected officials are not elected, the police are ineffective and outgunned, and the ports and major highways are controlled by gangs with more influence and power than the central government, it is hard to imagine what a more cliche Hollywood dramatized… Read more »

Travel Risk Management 101: What You Should Know About Crisis Response Exercises

Is your organization prepared to effectively handle an incident abroad? Crisis response exercises (CREs) help organizations evaluate emergency response procedures, identify areas for improvement, and foster a collaborative attitude amongst those responsible for supporting their travelers abroad.  Regularly engaging in these exercises is invaluable in helping to create a safe and supportive environment for your… Read more »

Helping Travelers Every Day: Meet On Call’s GRC Team!

On Call’s Global Response Center’s (GRC’s) biggest responsibility is to fulfill our mission of helping travelers, every day, in their time of need. Every phone call (or live chat, text, or email!) our Global Response Center receives is an opportunity to help someone get prepared to travel or solve a problem while they’re away –… Read more »

On Call’s Travel Risk Management (TRM) Resource Hub

Prior to the  pandemic, many organizations were hyper-focused on the response components of their Travel Risk Management (TRM) programs, such as having the right resources in place to help support and protect their travelers in the event they encounter a medical or security emergency overseas. While this is still critically important, many of these same… Read more »