Pre-Travel Risk Assessment

A pre-travel risk assessment is the first step in professional security planning. Before deploying operators or booking armoured vehicles, you need to understand the specific threats you face in your destination city, based on your profile, your itinerary, and the current security conditions.

What a pre-travel risk assessment covers

This is not a generic travel advisory. It is a document prepared specifically for your trip, by someone who knows the city you are visiting.

The assessment analyses the current threat environment in your destination, looking at crime patterns, terrorism indicators, political stability, and any events (elections, protests, holidays) that could affect security during your visit.

Each location on your itinerary is assessed for security vulnerabilities. Hotels are evaluated for access control, emergency exits, and proximity to risk areas. Meeting venues are reviewed for the same criteria. Transport routes between locations are mapped with primary and alternative options.

Why it matters

The risk assessment determines the appropriate level of security for your trip. Some destinations and itineraries require armed close protection with armoured vehicles. Others may be adequately managed with a security driver and situational awareness.

Without an assessment, you are either under-protected (accepting risk you have not evaluated) or over-protected (spending money on security measures the situation does not warrant). Neither is good practice.

What you receive

A written document covering destination threat analysis, itinerary-specific security review, transport recommendations, communications security guidance, and emergency protocols. The document is accompanied by a briefing, either in person or by secure video call, where you can ask questions and discuss the recommendations.

Related: executive protection planning | security drivers for airport transfers

Who needs a pre-travel risk assessment

Anyone travelling to a city rated Level 3 or above by the US State Department, or where FCDO advises against some or all travel. Practically, this means most P1 cities: Lagos, Nairobi, Bogota, Karachi, Manila, Sao Paulo. It also means any city where the traveller has an elevated profile, a known business dispute, or security concerns flagged from previous trips.

ISO 31030:2021 (Travel Risk Management) sets the global standard for employer duty of care on business travel. It requires a documented risk assessment for any trip to a destination where harm is foreseeable. Legal counsel consistently advises that an undocumented decision to send staff to a high-risk city without a written risk assessment creates direct liability exposure. The pre-travel assessment is that document.

The assessment process

The process starts with an intake questionnaire covering the destination, travel dates, itinerary (even a rough one), the traveller’s role and public visibility, and any prior incidents or concerns. This takes 15-20 minutes and determines the scope of the assessment.

The analyst then works through the destination threat picture using current FCDO, State Department, and OSAC intelligence, supplemented by local contacts where available. The itinerary is mapped against the threat picture, location by location. Hotels are cross-checked against known security incidents. Meeting venues are reviewed against local crime patterns for their district. Transport routes are assessed for carjacking frequency, police checkpoint management, and alternative options.

The draft assessment is reviewed by a second analyst before delivery. Delivery is a written document accompanied by a verbal briefing, in person or by secure video call.

What the assessment does not cover

A pre-travel assessment is a point-in-time document. It does not substitute for in-country security management during the trip. It does not cover medical evacuation insurance or kidnap and ransom insurance (separate products). It does not constitute a guarantee of any specific security outcome.

For travel to countries experiencing active armed conflict, a pre-travel assessment is necessary but not sufficient. A full security plan, in-country operator support, and hostile environment training are additional requirements in those contexts.

Integrating the assessment into trip planning

The assessment output should feed directly into booking decisions. Hotel selection should reflect the recommended security criteria, not just cost or convenience. Transport arrangements should follow the assessment recommendations on vehicle type, vetted driver requirement, and route options. Meeting schedules may need adjustment if specific venues or areas carry unacceptable risk.

For corporate travel programmes, the assessment should be retained on file. Insurance claims, duty of care disputes, and incident reviews all benefit from a documented pre-travel risk process. An assessment that was commissioned, acted upon, and filed demonstrates due diligence. Verbal advice and informal email chains do not.

City-specific threat profiles for our 15 P1 destinations are at Lagos, Nairobi, Bogota, Karachi, and the full cities directory. For programme-level security support, see our executive protection services.