UK: International Serviced Apartment Accreditation Process (ISAAP) says its new security accreditation is a “no brainer” after YouGov survey.
Global Secure Accreditation (GSA), which bought ISAAP last year, commissioned the YouGov survey to provide insight on traveller security.
The survey of more than 1,000 business travellers across the UK, explores business traveller sentiment on crime and security in UK hotels. The survey found 80 per cent of business travellers are in the dark about safety.
GSA, which manages and maintains an independent global standard and assessment system for hotel security, is made up of a team of senior policer officers, counter terrorism experts, military and international security specialists who help hotel and serviced accommodation providers improve their security.
The results of the survey showed almost four out of five business travellers receive no information on safety and security of accommodation prior to their stay, and one in five business travellers in the UK have, or know someone that has, been the victim of crime when travelling for work. This comes more than a year after the updated travel risk management ISO 31030 came into play.
Brian Moore, operations director at GSA said: “The regulatory landscape has changed, and the introduction of ISO 31030 has set a new benchmark for duty of care to travelling employees, which includes selecting accommodation that has been independently accredited for its safety and security. Given the increased concern around business travel post-pandemic, it is important companies understand how to mitigate risks and demonstrate how seriously they take the safety and wellbeing of their travelling employees.”
GSA acquired International Serviced Apartment Accreditation Process (ISAAP) last year. ISAAP independently assesses serviced apartments, aparthotels and corporate housing for safety and comfort. The global company focuses solely on the serviced apartment sector for accreditation into safety and comfort. The partnership with GSA means serviced apartment operators and travel managers looking to place travellers in serviced accommodation have full access to the new security accreditation, which aligns with ISO 31030.
Stephen Martin, managing director of ISAAP said: “Over the last year we have developed a specific security accreditation solution for serviced accommodation providers. We were acquired by security experts so it was a no brainer to gain a security award.”
GSA’s Brian Moore added: “We have seen a growth in travellers wanting longer stays and bigger spaces, particularly international travellers – so we were fortunate to acquire ISAAP last year as they have fantastic knowledge and experience. By bringing the two businesses together we have enhanced what ISAAP offers to the market, but are also able to offer support assistance and advice to keep travellers safe. ISO 31030 puts a focus on corporate business travel, which is key to all this.”
Key findings from the YouGov survey were:
Almost four out of five business travellers receive no information on safety and security of accommodation prior to their stay
82 per cent prefer the choice of accommodation that has been independently assessed for safety and security
69 per cent admitted they were unaware that tens of thousands of crimes are reported in UK hotels annually
78 per cent are not provided with any information on the safety and security of the accommodation they use
82 per cent said they would feel reassured if they knew they were staying in accommodation that been independently accredited for security and safety
As recently reported by CNBC, twelve of the largest police forces across the UK were asked, through the Freedom of Information Act, for reported crimes in hotels in their region. Ten police forces provided the information for free and the results from June 2021- May 2022 showed there were 4,589 allegations of violence and 1,307 of public disorder — which often involves intimidation or the threat of violence — in hotels, motels, and guesthouses in the last 12 months. There were also 3,999 reports involving theft, robbery, and burglary.
GSA’s Moore said: “Hotels are magnets for criminals capable of accessing guest rooms and public areas containing cash, credit cards, identity documents, portable devices, luggage, and other valuable items. If left unchecked, the safety and wellbeing of business travellers is at risk. It is vital that venues always adhere to the highest standards of safety and security, but businesses with travelling employees must also do their due diligence by checking accommodation providers deliver best practice.”
ISAAP’s Martin explained that often serviced apartment properties are less conspicuous than hotels so they are less likely to get the opportunistic criminal: “ You could argue serviced apartments are safer than hotels as they are only accessible by key card or punch code – you are pretty sure that the only people in there are the ones with keys. There are potential plus and minuses about how you compare the security and safety between hotels and serviced accommodation – but because there is such a spectrum – there is not one single clear image – it’s variable.”
Martin added: “There is no other company I’m aware of that provides the security offering certification speciality in serviced accommodation [globally]. At ISAAP we are talking to the properties and the brands and our parent company GSA is doing all the leg work with travel managers and corporates.”
GSA also sent out a short survey to travel risk managers over the summer which found 53 per cent of travel bookers, buyers and managers still know very little about ISO 31030, with only 16 per cent of buyers admitting they were actively updating their policies to meet the new standard.
While ISO 31030 means duty of care is a legal requirement for corporates sending their employees on business trips, the employer also has a ‘duty of loyalty’, where they are expected to behave in a certain way.
GSA’s Moore said this means training and communication: “ISO 31030 came into effect last September so we have been undertaking readiness assessments of corporate organisations and working with the [Global Business Travel Association] GBTA . We’ve trained more than 100 travel risk managers from 72 organisations and the programme of training finishes at the end of this year.”
Corporates can take a short survey on the GSA website to see if they are “travel risk ready”. To see ISAAP’s full range of products, including the security accreditation, click here.
