Why corporate travel risk management will define resilience in 2026

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As global travel accelerates in step with economic recovery and growing geopolitical complexity, the conversation around risk is evolving rapidly. In 2026, corporate travel risk management will no longer be viewed as a peripheral function. It will become a defining element of organisational resilience, operational continuity, and reputational stewardship.

This transition is neither abstract nor theoretical. It is already unfolding in tangible ways that are impacting companies, travellers, and operations around the world. In recent days, southern Thailand has faced the most severe flooding in its recorded history. At least 33 lives have been lost. The business hub of Hat Yai, located near the Malaysian border, received more than 335 millimetres of rain in a single day, the highest rainfall in over 300 years. The government deployed naval vessels and helicopters to respond across ten affected provinces. These events are tragic, but they are also a reflection of what now constitutes normal operating conditions for companies with international footprints.

In the Middle East and North Africa region, the outlook for corporate travel is striking. In 2025, travel is projected to grow by 6.1 per cent, with the market forecast to reach over $270bn by 2030. Saudi Arabia remains the most visited destination, with Q3 2025 showing a noticeable rise in business travel despite broader volatility. This momentum reflects regional connectivity, infrastructure investment, and rising commercial opportunities. It also brings a sharpened sense of urgency around preparedness and risk mitigation.

For too long, travel risk management has been seen through a narrow lens. It has been treated as an operational necessity, often managed through booking policies and insurance coverage. That limited view is no longer sustainable. The risk landscape has grown more complex, with disruptions stemming from environmental events, political instability, cybersecurity incidents, misinformation, and more. The traditional model of reacting to crises after they occur is not only outdated, it is dangerous.

Travel resilience

The organisations that succeed in this new landscape will be those that embed travel resilience into their strategy. This means elevating travel risk from a back-office concern to a leadership priority. It means developing comprehensive duty-of-care policies that anticipate rather than react. Most importantly, it means investing in people, ensuring that employees are trained, informed, and empowered to navigate uncertainty with clarity and confidence.

Effective training goes well beyond compliance. It involves equipping individuals with the skills to interpret unfamiliar environments, respond to rapidly evolving threats, and make critical decisions under pressure. Training should cover not only personal safety or hostile environment awareness, but also situational judgement, cultural sensitivity, and effective communication during disruption. These capabilities are essential, not optional, for today’s mobile workforce.

In parallel, organisations must consider how information is gathered and delivered. The issue is no longer access. It is credibility as misinformation spreads quickly. Outdated or politically skewed travel guidance can easily mislead decision-makers and travellers alike. Curated, intelligence-led risk advisory services are essential to help filter the noise and provide accurate, timely insights that support better decisions. These insights are particularly vital in fast-moving scenarios where delays in understanding the threat can escalate operational and reputational risk.

Resilience is also about connectivity. When disruptions occur, travellers should never be isolated. Companies must build communication frameworks that link employees on the ground with decision-makers and support teams in real time. These systems should be tested, embedded, and understood long before they are needed. Crisis response must not be improvised.

In 2026, we are entering a phase where the organisations that thrive will not necessarily be those with the most complex systems or the largest budgets. They will be those who approach risk with discipline, invest in the competence of their people, and prepare proactively for an increasingly unpredictable global environment.

Corporate travel

Corporate travel is no longer a routine activity. It is a potential point of vulnerability, but also an opportunity to lead with foresight and responsibility. Risk is not disappearing; on the contrary, it is multiplying. The question is whether organisations will treat it as a cost to be contained or a capability to be strengthened.

In 2026, travel risk management will be a defining test of an organisation’s maturity. It will reveal whether companies are truly prepared to safeguard their people, protect their operations, and sustain trust in a world where certainty is no longer guaranteed.

The organisations best equipped to navigate the year ahead will not be defined solely by their ability to respond effectively under pressure, but by the foresight and preparation they invest long before disruption occurs.

The writer is the CEO at Neptune P2P Group.