Advice for Business Travellers

This advice identifies a few key points you should consider in advance of your trip - it is not comprehensive. Business travel usually refers to those going on short trips and usually involves staying in good standard accommodation.

Stomach Upsets and Diarrhoea

These are very common. Contaminated food and water is a major cause of illness and care is especially important when eating out and in countries where local hygiene is poor.

Unaccustomed spices or oil in food as well as alcohol can also lead to stomach upsets. You should consider taking an anti-diarrhoeal preparation.

Tiredness and jet lag

These problems may be underestimated and affect business efficiency. Rest before travel is important and limiting activities on arrival will help.

Sunburn

Sunburn is preventable. Limit your exposure and cover up especially around noon. Use sunscreens liberally and as directed.

Accidents

Unfamiliar surroundings and alcohol consumption often result in accidents. Beware of sea currents and take special care crossing roads. Sharp objects and discarded glass on beaches can injure your feet.

Unsafe Sex

Casual sex and failure to use a condom with new partners, particularly with professional sex workers, puts you at risk of serious infections, including HIV.

Loneliness

Cultural differences, family problems at home or losing touch with head office can cause anxiety. Many of these difficulties can be overcome with experience and sympathetic support from family and friends. Personnel and occupational health departments should take this into account.

Advice and useful information for those travelling alone can be found at: http://www.travellingalone.co.uk/

Culture Shock

This is a very real problem even for short-term travellers. Family or social problems at home and psychological problems, including alcoholism make adapting to a new and different culture difficult. Maintaining contact with family and friends may also be complicated because time differences between continents may cause communication difficulties. A situation that is exciting and welcome to one person can be daunting to another.

Possible problems include adjusting to a different climate, unusual food, religious and cultural differences, separation from family, changes in living standards, different social amenities, language differences, coming to terms with poverty, begging, and compulsory movement restrictions for safety or political reasons.

Being open to new and different cultures and being patient, rather than critical, will help the traveller adapt to new and challenging adventures. 

Vaccinations

  • Vaccinations take time, so consult your doctor or nurse as soon as possible, ideally at least four weeks before travelling.
  • Firms that frequently send employees abroad should consider vaccinating personnel in anticipation of overseas assignments. For example, a first yellow fever vaccination certificate is not valid for 10 days and many vaccines take several weeks to become effective.
  • Tetanus and diphtheria vaccination is important for those likely to sustain injuries (tetanus) or mix closely with the local population (diphtheria). For countries where these diseases are still common you should to receive boosters every 10 years and everyone should have completed their normal British childhood schedule.
  • Meningococcal type A C W Y vaccine is mainly for those visiting risk areas in sub-Saharan Africa who will be mixing closely with the local population. This may not be the case with short-term business travellers attending meetings.
  • Hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines are important for those who are not able to be careful about their food and water hygiene in risk areas. Your accommodation may be reasonably safe but accidents happen and eating out may be risky in poorer countries.
  • Influenza vaccine can be considered for those who might get a more severe illness such as those with existing chest problems. Remember the 'flu' season in the southern hemisphere is from April to November.

Malaria Prevention

Your accommodation may well provide good mosquito protection, if not you must consider taking a good mosquito net. Sensible clothing to protect the skin from bites and careful use of mosquito repellents is also important. If your advisor recommends anti-malaria tablets make sure you take then correctly. Oil workers in rural parts of West Africa are at special risk.