30+ business travel health and safety statistics to watch in 2025

Analysing business travel safety statistics is an essential component of risk management. In a rapidly changing world, everything from climate threats to cyber-attacks can quickly derail a meticulously planned business trip. Tracking and assessing emerging threats will keep your team prepared and safe.

We’ve gathered over 30 current travel statistics covering health, safety, and security to help your business prepare for the unexpected when creating a travel programme.

What is the safest way to travel?

Air travel safety statistics show that flying is by far the safest way to travel worldwide.

1. According to most recent International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual Safety Report, in 2024 there was only one accident per 880,000 flights. Air travel safety statistics reveal only seven accidents occurred in 2024, out of 40.6 million flights worldwide. (IATA)

2. Train travel is also a very safe way to travel, statistically. Although there were 1,567 railway incidents in the EU in 2023, most of these involved unauthorised individuals on the railway premises. Collisions are extremely rare. (European Commission)

3. In a survey of travel managers, 50% chose taxis as one of the two safest ground transport options, followed by rental cars (43%) and public transit systems (26%). (GBTA)

Business travel statistics: what are the health risks of travelling?

Our business travel statistics show that the mental impact of work trips is overwhelmingly positive, particularly when it comes to personal development and feelings of self-confidence.

Yet at the same time, breaking away from home fitness, nutrition, and sleep routines can sometimes take a toll on a business traveller’s physical and mental health. And while the vast majority enjoy the stimulating effects that a change of scenery can bring, some business travellers can feel tired or rundown due to time zone changes and schedule disruption.

4. A small number (22%) of business travellers reported sometimes feeling more prone to illness during a work trip. (Tripeden.com for Business)

5. The majority (63%) of 18-35-year-old employees stated that business travel had a positive impact on mental health, with the percentage falling slightly to 55% of 36-45-year-olds. (Tripeden.com for Business)

6. Physically, 59% of 18-35-year-olds also reported positive effects of business travel, compared to 47% of travellers in the 36-45 age bracket. (Tripeden.com for Business)

7. Without adequate time given to decompress between work trips, frequent travel can sometimes be stressful. Nearly half (46%) of those surveyed reporting an increase in stress levels due to too-frequent business travel, a number rising to 53% when travelling more than once every two months. (World Travel Protection)

8. Apart from stress, other challenges associated with business travel include fatigue (20%) and anxiety (18%). (World Travel Protection)

Fortunately, there’s a multitude of tools to manage travel-related stress, from calming apps to hotel wellness facilities.

9. Research shows that 43% of international business travellers practise meditation while 42% bond with colleagues and 50% connect with loved ones back home. (Tripeden.com for Business)

10. Aftercare is also important to maintain traveller health. According to the CDC, between 22% and 64% of international business travellers require some form of care once they’re returned home. (CDC)

Consider options like flexible scheduling after a work trip to encourage faster recovery from jet lag.

What is the most common illness suffered by overseas travellers?

11. Most travel illness is short-lived and mild. The most common travel-related sickness for overseas travellers is a gastrointestinal infection. (Victoria Department of Health)

12. When travelling to developing countries, up to 80% of travellers suffer from a mild case of stomach upset. (John Hopkins Medicine)

13. The threat of illness can be mitigated with appropriate medication. A GeoSentinel study found that over 90% of international business travellers who contracted malaria did not take their prescribed prophylactic medication, whether due to forgetfulness or conflicting advice. (CDC)

This highlights the importance of health and safety training for all business travellers prior to departure. Armed with destination-specific information, team members are more likely to follow best practices for water sanitation, food safety, vaccinations and prophylactic medications.

While it’s important for business travellers to stay informed regarding required vaccinations and outbreaks at their destination, travel safety statistics show that employees are highly unlikely to catch an exotic illness.

In fact, most illness-related travel disruption is caused by preexisting conditions. As a result, things like heart disease, diabetes, and mental health conditions should be considered as part of a business travel risk management strategy.

14. However, just 43% of risk and security managers require medical disclosure as part of trip approval, leaving companies open to disruption. (HR Director)

Women’s travel safety statistics

15. According to a World Travel Protection survey of business travellers, 71% of women felt less safe travelling for work than their male colleagues, and 31% would not want to go out alone at night. (Raconteur)

16. Despite feeling less safe, crime is still fortunately rare. The survey also found that only 12% of women had experienced a safety-related incident, most commonly minor theft or pickpocketing, on a business trip. (Raconteur)

For traveller peace of mind, companies should consider the safety needs of female employees when creating travel policies. Examples could include offering private chauffeur services and booking hotels with door security, key cards and 24-hour reception concierges.

A clear policy should outline safety measures, best practices in each region, and emergency contacts. Provide practical, country-specific details about areas to avoid at night.

Travel safety statistics show the risks of a changing world

Climate change, political instability, and cyber security are top of the list of concerns for business travellers in 2025.

17. Driven by climate change, severe weather events like typhoons and hurricanes are contributing to the growth of waterborne diseases. Cholera cases grew by 13% between 2022 and 2023, with up to four million cases each year. (Safeture)

18. To mitigate this threat, countries including Egypt, Madagascar, Mayotte, and Reunion have implemented cholera screening measures at borders as of 2024, which is something to be aware of for safety when travelling to these regions. (Safeture)

Business travel safety tips should not discount the energy-sapping impact of extreme heat, particularly during the summer months and for those with preexisting health conditions.

19. 2024 was the hottest year on record, with an estimated global warming level of 1.3°C. (Met Office)

Online attacks and software glitches can also cause serious disruption for business travellers.

20. In 2024, the CrowdStrike IT outage caused significant issues across multiple sectors. Out of 411,009 passenger flights, 16,896 were cancelled. (Cirium)

21. This outage impacted over 1.4 million passengers in a 72-hour period alone. (Cirium)

22. There were three times as many cyberattacks in the first quarter of 2024 in comparison to the prior year. (World Travel Protection)

23. Business travellers are particularly at risk for phishing attacks while carrying company data in transit, yet less than half (45%) of mobile users have basic security measures in place. (World Travel Protection)

24. To counter this threat, many businesses are embracing AI security tools. In fact, 66% of business travellers plan to use AI-powered tools to plan their journeys, including finding alternative itineraries as backup for disruption. (Safeture)

25. Due to unpredictable factors like weather events, comprehensive business travel insurance is more important than ever. World Travel Protection reported a 17% increase in evacuations for business travellers in 2024, along with an 18% increase in assistance calls. (World Travel Protection)

Risk assessment adoption statistics

Even where risk assessments are performed, there’s a gap between travel safety guidelines for employees and compliance.

26. Traveller safety is the number one priority for companies when evaluating a travel programme, according to GBTA research. (GBTA)

27. While 70% of business travellers surveyed reported that their company recommends a travel assistance app, only 30% have downloaded one. (World Travel Protection)

28. Only 26% of domestic travellers report taking extra safety precautions during a work trip, though 42% of international travellers exercise caution. (Tripeden.com for Business)

29. Nearly half (45%) of business travellers want their employers to check in more regularly on work trips to support their wellbeing. (World Travel Protection)

30. While 85% of corporate travel programmes include risk management policies, only 55% ‘always’ or ‘often’ address ground transport. (GBTA)

31. This lack of consideration for ground transport, like taxis, also extends to traveller tracking. The majority (89%) of travel programmes include a system for tracking travellers, but just 24% track ground transport data. To fill the gap, companies need to work with ground transport technology companies to process real-time traveller data. (GBTA)

Integrating business travel safety and risk assessment management

Companies legally have a duty of care for travelling employees, which starts with a thorough risk assessment that identifies and mitigates potential threats. Before each trip, consider location-specific security and health concerns, as well as the potential for travel disruption, as part of routine risk assessment.

Alongside regional risk assessments, the corporate travel policy should encompass general business travel safety tips and recommended tools. Travel safety guidelines for employees include things like preferred business flight routes, evacuation procedures, emergency contact details, and travel insurance policies. Using business travel management solutions like Tripeden.com for Business, managers and employees gain full visibility over traveller itineraries through a central dashboard. That way, businesses know where each traveller is at any given point to provide better safety when travelling, along with real-time updates and assistance as needed.

Finally, following the most recent safety-related business travel statistics keeps your team abreast of any emerging threats. Perform regular risk assessments and update company policies accordingly as part of any travel management process.