Last year was a busy one when it came to global events, and the first half of 2014 has been no different. Over the past 18 months there have been significant security issues in Thailand, Libya and South Sudan, as well as bombings at the Westgate Mall in Kenya, during the Boston Marathon, and in Russia as the Winter Games approached. This year has not been quiet, with continued security threats in Central African Republic, Uganda and Ukraine as well as tensions between Japan and China.
Determining the “hot spots” and travel trends for 2014 and beyond requires a reflection on past years. As a benchmark, International SOS and Control Risks analyzed data from countries that were most viewed by clients, which include more than 61 percent of the Fortune Global 500 companies as well as non-government oranizations (NGOs) and universities. Factors for the interest in these countries includes frequency of travel, economic importance of country, travel outside “comfort zone,” security trends and events, weather disruption and mass travel events like the games in Brazil and Russia. The following countries registered as those garnering most interest from security, risk managers and travelers themselves that viewed travel security advice.