With the current travel reality as complex as ever[1], International SOS, the world’s leading health and security services company, is thrilled to announce its development of an enhanced safe accommodation service. This will support clients in providing travelling staff with secure accommodation options, a key component of wider travel risk management plan, as specified by ISO 31030:2021. The enhanced offering from International SOS includes a tailored workforce resilience subscription, 24/7 assistance, expert consulting services and a brand-new partnership with Safehotels, the world’s leading hotel safety and security certification company.
Increasing rates of travel, post-Covid restrictions, and recent geopolitical tensions have amplified the need for businesses to assess the safety and security of the accommodation used by their travelling workforce and assignees. While most stays occur without incident, the importance of reviewing accommodation risks has been highlighted in recent years by terrorism becoming more prevalent[2], including attacks against hotels.
In light of this, International SOS has significantly bolstered its capabilities for advising businesses on keeping employees safe when staying abroad through its enhanced Hotel Security Advisor feature. International SOS’ long-standing expertise and robust assessment methodology in managing hotel incidents, including in Mumbai, Bamako, Ouagadougou and Jakarta. This is in addition to an operational capability in a variety of risk environments around the world, best positions International SOS to provide accommodation-related support for clients.
Laurent Fourier, CEO, Health & Security Subscription Services at International SOS, comments “As part of an organisation’s Duty of Care responsibilities, thorough vetting and selection processes should be adhered to in order to maximise the safety of travellers and assignees. To do this, business leaders need access to information on the most suitable options in their desired locations, including potentially remote or high-risk areas. We are supporting our clients to mitigate any security and health risks to their people by providing a structured suite of secure accommodation services, including detailed and up-to-date intelligence on potential security or health risks.”
The Enhanced International SOS Accommodation Services Ecosystem:
Workforce resilience subscription: When planning for upcoming travel, organisations need access to safe hotel options for their out-of-country workforce.
- Assists with the improvement of employee health and wellbeing, strengthening an organisation’s resilience
- Access to both International SOS’ vetted, security-assessed hotel proprietary database of 1,100 hotels and to Safehotels’ database
- Access to safe accommodation training through our digital learning portfolio*
- Trip and accommodation information can be monitored live using the Tracker function as well as our Active Monitoring and Journey Management services
24/7 Assistance: Ahead of an international business trip organisations should check that the accommodation booked is suitable for both the traveller’s and country’s unique risk profile.
- 24/7 access to safe, profile-specific accommodation advice based on itinerary and circumstances
- Speak to a security expert about any accommodation needs in the context of an incident or evacuation
- End-to-end journey management and active monitoring in high-risk locations
Consulting: In-depth risk assessments of hotels and their vicinities are available for the benefit of organisations’ security teams.
- Includes in-depth analysis and on-the-ground risk reviews of specific hotels related to a trip, event or assignment
- Access to a bespoke vetted hotel database based on operational locations
- Profile-specific accommodation recommendations and physical assessments for assignees
Partnership with Safehotels: Bringing further experience and knowledge of independent, on-the-ground assessments on hotel safety, security and hygiene.
- Their independently set standards, which verify hotels’ safety, security, cleanliness, and hygiene, are recognised by the UNISDR and the ICCA
- Standardised hotel certification levels (Standard, Premium or Executive)
- In-depth assessments of hotel property safety and security, training, security systems, fire systems, crisis management and enhanced security for those in high-risk locations
This partnership immediately expands the breadth of the network of safety and security-credentialed hotels options available to clients.
For more information on how International SOS can help safeguard your workforce, click here.
*To learn more about International SOS digital training portfolio, click here.
[1] International SOS Risk Outlook Report 2023, p.3
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