Companies Reassess Travel to Mumbai

Business travel to India may sustain a temporary drop in response to the terrorist attacks on two prominent hotels, and other public places frequented by Westerners and wealthy Indians in the city of Mumbai, as international companies assess risk to travelers and examine corporate security options in the region. This assessment was offered by Susan Gurley, executive director of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE). “However the situation remains fluid and companies will be looking at the overall response by Indian security forces and the potential of a sectarian backlash before making any long-term travel decisions,” said Gurley. Initial reports indicate that companies with diverse business interests in numerous cities throughout India were immediately reviewing their security plans, which include safe houses and evacuation procedures in the event of terrorist acts or civil unrest. Yet long-term travel disruptions to India seemed unlikely at this time. ACTE has initiated an industry-wide poll on traveler security. “Security issues are not confined to India,” said Gurley. “There are dozens of places in which an attack of this nature could have occurred and there are still equally devastating threats from disease or natural disasters, like earthquakes.”