While it may seem that the pandemic is all-consuming when it comes to travellers’ worries, a Canadian risk management company says don’t forget the rest. Indeed, additional concerns, from bad behaviour to worrisome weather, still furrow brows as travellers plan their next excursions.

In assessing data from its ‘Alerts’ statistics in 2021, eTravel Technologies
discovered that, after COVID-19, the top issues likely to freak out travellers included protests, flights, security, and weather.

“While COVID was the top alert, other risk factors that can impact traveller’s itineraries continued, with protests being a close second,” says the company’s VP of Client Success, Dianne Jackson. “In addition, we suspect we will see climate/weather advisories creep up that list in coming years.”

And Jackson warns, “As restrictions ease and travellers get back to vacationing and business travel – travel advisors continue to be held responsible for advising clients of all events that may impact travel plans, and that is beyond COVID or a hotel under construction. ‘Failure to Warn’ is a liability a travel agency does not need.”

The company, which advises travel agencies and other industry entities on travel risk, reports the following data (based on 2021 transaction data):

Top 10 destinations with alerts

United States
Mexico
India
Canada
United Kingdom
Australia
Israel
Pakistan
Afghanistan
Nigeria

Top alert type

Virus
Protest
Flights
Security
Weather

Top 10 countries visited

United States
Mexico
Japan
Canada
Turkey
Germany
Qatar
Netherlands
United Arab Emirates
Russia

“The one thing we have all learned from the last two years,” says Jackson, “is the need for transparency – to offer clients confidence and ensure all travellers are well informed at the time of booking, before travel, and in-destination, of events that may impact their itinerary or safety.”