Business Traveler, July/August 2020

J U LY A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 b u s i n e s s t r a v e l e r u s a c o m 1 2 DO YOUR HOMEWORK Rebuilding the trust muscle takes time patience and doing your due diligence Until we have reliable confirmed data from several trusted sources its best to err on the side of caution prefaces Stephen Barth founder of HospitalityLawyer com in Houston TX So before going to your destination understand whats happening in that place But the good news Barth explains is that you dont have to figure it all out yourself You can access websites such as ISOS internationalsos com where they track both medical and security conditions on the ground For example they know whether local laws require you to quarantine for 28 days or 14 or 3 whether youre required to wear masks or if there is a curfew Knowing the rules in advance is essential for smart travel risk management The same advice applies to ongoing civil unrest in the locations that you are planning to visit Signing up for State Department alerts as well as traveler tracking programs is a good idea as is booking through approved channels if youre a corporate traveler This helps ensure that your organization can easily track and locate you if theres an issue and should you need to change your plans you can quickly get assistance in making alternative travel arrangements advises Koby Brice vice president global customer management Asia Pacific at CWT in Singapore And if civil unrest does break out know what to do in advance First immediately move away from the protest area cautions Bruce McIndoe CEO of WorldAware in Annapolis MD If you are boxed in shelter in any place that does not contain valuables for example not in stores or may be the target of the protesters i e government buildings If there is no place to go move away from the line between protesters and the authorities and find a building or wall to protect you and sit so as not to present yourself as a threat he says TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOU An important part of doing your preparatory homework before traveling also means reviewing your own health from a holistic perspective Whats your physical health like What are you doing to bolster your immune system If you feel under the weather at what point do you decide not to go into the office or travel This precaution alone could make the most impact adds HospitalityLawyer coms Barth A comprehensive review of your health also means looking at insurance policies that cover you when traveling In fact business travel policies and the benefits they can provide were highly relevant prior to the pandemic and are only more relevant now states James Walloga executive vice president Chubb Accident Health in New York NY If you purchased a standard travel insurance policy prior to March 2020 it likely did not cover travel cancellation due to the COVID 19 pandemic explains Michael McGarrity vice president of global risk services for Global Guardian in Tysons Corner VA This is because coverage for COVID 19 as an event depends upon whether COVID 19 was foreseeable when the policy was purchased and whether the policy contains a pandemic exclusion Since at least March 2020 and in some cases as early as January 2020 many travel insurers have considered COVID 19 foreseeable in part due to world wide travel alerts to include the State Departments Global Level 4 Health Advisory issued on March 31 2020 which advised US citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID 19 Even if you are generally healthy revising your policies is important Youd be shocked Deadline to submit early application for fall of 2021 September 1 2020 For more information 9185948653 phdexec@ okstate edu business okstate edu phdexec Oklahoma State University o ers an AACSB accredited Ph D program in business administration for working professionals Our intensive program is tailored to executives demanding schedules allowing them to earn their degree in three years through monthly in person residencies and weekly online classes