Business travelers are exposed to opportunistic crimes such askidnap and extortion because they have little time to prepare foroverseas culture and lifestyles, experts at brokerage firmsaid.

The briefing on risks facing corporate employees abroad andstrategies for dealing with such perils was delivered at a Webseminar by Willis SCR Security/Prevention team leader Paul Millsand consultant Chris Flint.

The session, titled “Best Practices for a World at Risk,” waspresented by Willis Group Holdings Limited, London.

Their discussion dealt with an expanding market and associaterisks they said are largely creating more adverse conditions fortraveling corporate employees.

Corporations need to be aware of the “expanding markets and therisks involved need to be looked at,” said Mr. Mills.

Each year, there are 10,000 incidents of kidnapping andextortion, and 65 percent of them occur in Latin America, accordingto Willis. The largest ransom demand was $130 million last year,and there are $500 million in ransom payments annually worldwide,Willis reported.

“These are quite startling statistics,” said Mr. Mills.

Other risks when traveling to foreign destinations includeclimate, conflict, politics and nature, Willis reported.

Hurricanes, floods, SARS infection, terrorist attacks and civildisorder are just a few of the risks that threaten corporateemployees and their companies, said Willis.

Some of the most prone countries to kidnap and extortion forcorporate employees include Nigeria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey,Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela and the Philippines, accordingWillis' experts.

When traveling to such locations, Willis said high-net-worthindividuals at the tops of companies, such as executives and boardmembers of a company, are subject to domestic threats orattacks.

Corporate executives abroad are vulnerable because they haveshort preparation for the lifestyle and culture of the overseasnation, said Mr. Mills.

Factors that affect crimes such as attack, kidnap or extortion“include the individual's profile, appearance, routine, associationand opportunity,” said Mr. Mills.

His company has various security strategies for reducing risk,such as briefs on the visited country and cultural awareness,medical repatriation programs, traveler risk profiling and globaltracking systems.

“Many companies that provide a global tracking system fortravelers” are able to deal with threats and issues moreefficiently, said Mr. Mills.

Corporate evacuations are also emphasized for security purposes,according to Willis.

“Last year Willis had eight corporate evacuations,” said Mr.Mills.