Mr. Tracy, a vice president with the corporate travel management company BCD Travel, did not pay. He still made it through immigration. “They’re all trying to make a little bit of extra money,” he said. “It’s low-level corruption.”
Mr. Tracy’s experience is not unusual as travel to emerging markets like Angola and the former Soviet republics has grown along with their economies in recent years. Emirates Airlines, for example, operates a daily flight from Dubai to Luanda. There is “very strong demand” from oil and energy business travelers, said Matthias Schmid, a vice president with Emirates. “We consider Angola a growth market.”
But for travelers like Mr. Tracy, natural disasters, terrorism and political unrest can disrupt even the most careful plan, and the disruption can happen quickly.
To help travelers prepare for a trip, there are resources available, particularly for those who work for major corporations. Travel management companies help arrange the usual details of flights, hotels and airport transfers, but they are also helping to obtain visas. Security consultants can also help train global travelers.
The incident in Angola struck a familiar note to William Besse, vice president for consulting and investigations at Andrews International, who is based in Dallas. “It’s not all that unusual to be taken advantage of that way,” he said. “If you appear to know what you’re doing, they don’t want to push the point too far.”
If you know what the rules are and are a little bit assertive, Mr. Besse added, travelers can avoid further confrontation, as Mr. Tracy managed to do.
Other options are to ask for a supervisor or arrange for someone to meet you “air side,” before going through immigration, Mr. Besse said. If the country does not permit a traveler to be met there, arrangements can be made to meet within sight just on the other side of immigration. It is a service that a travel management or security company can arrange at nominal cost.
Corporations are increasingly becoming aware of their role in preparing their employees for a trip to an emerging market. “Corporations are being held responsible and corporations see the potential risk if they don’t do what is right,” Mr. Besse said. “They are catching on to corporate travel risk programs.”
Companies have to meet a basic standard of care for their employees, known as duty of care, which helps ensure their safety and well-being. If they fall beneath that standard, they may be liable.
“During an emergency you don’t want to be developing a plan,” Mr. Besse said. “Having a plan, travel risk planning, is very important now as people extend themselves around the globe to be competitive in places they have not been before.”
The business traveler — whether working for a corporation or as an independent business owner — can register with the regional security officer at the United States Embassy or consulate in the country to which he or she is traveling.
“We very rarely say, ‘No, you shouldn’t go.’ We tell them what to think about,” Mr. Besse said.
American citizens are urged to know the location and contact number for the United States Embassy or consulate and meet the regional security officer. “Know that person; visit that embassy,” Mr. Besse said. In addition, always research the company and principals with whom you intend to do business.
The State Department created the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP, a free service for American citizens traveling to, or living in, a foreign country. Travelers can go to travel.state.gov to enter information about a coming trip abroad so they can be reached in an emergency and subscribe to travel alerts for particular countries. There also is a free STEP app for iPhones.
“This is not like going to London, Paris or Singapore where everything is set up,” said Gary Pearce, a senior vice president at Carlson Wagonlit Travel, a travel management company.
Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/04/business/after-language-learning-the-real-preparation-starts.html?partner=rss&emc=rss