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Travel Agency and Corporate Travel Management Risk Assessment: Bookings, Safety, Payments and Disruption

A worked example of how a travel agency and corporate travel desk finds, scores and controls the risks that affect bookings, traveller safety, supplier reliability, client payments and privacy.

Updated November 2026 8 hazards assessed Review every 6 months Highest risk: Critical to Medium
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Executive summary

This assessment shows how a corporate travel desk can find, rate and control the risks that matter most to travellers and clients. Eight hazards were chosen because they are plausible in everyday booking, supplier and emergency work. Payment diversion fraud carries the highest inherent score, since one altered bank detail can cost a client a large sum. Staffing gaps, booking errors and weather disruption are more frequent but usually cause shorter harm. Each hazard is scored before controls and again after existing and added controls. Most hazards fall to Medium or Low once the proposed controls are in place, but payment fraud remains Medium because its impact stays serious. The first actions are call back checks on payment changes, a named out of hours rota, a second check on itineraries and tested emergency contacts. Every score illustrates method, not a real organization.

Focus area
Travel agency and corporate travel management
Setting
Travel agency serving business clients with a corporate travel desk, using reservation platforms and third party suppliers
Method
Five by five likelihood and impact risk register

Scope

This assessment covers a travel agency that books flights, hotels, rail, car hire and ground transfers for corporate clients, from the first enquiry and booking through traveller support, changes, disruption and invoicing. It looks at risks to travellers, staff, client money, personal data and reputation. Jurisdiction, client mix, booking systems and supplier contracts are assumptions made for teaching. The scope excludes advice on visas, insurance products and medical treatment.

Context

The agency has a booking desk staffed by consultants, an out of hours emergency line, a finance team that handles client invoices and supplier payments, and an IT lead who manages the reservation platform. Corporate clients send trip requests through an online portal, email or phone, and the agency books through airline, hotel and rail suppliers. Travellers receive itineraries electronically and may call the emergency line during a trip. Each risk is scored before controls to show its natural level, then again after the existing controls and the additional controls proposed here.

Objectives, assets and stakeholders

The objective is to book safe, accurate and value for money travel, keep travellers informed and supported during disruption, protect client money and personal data, and meet the duty of care that business clients expect. The assets in scope are traveller records and passport data, client payment accounts, the reservation platform, supplier contracts, the emergency contact service and the agency reputation. Stakeholders include consultants and emergency staff, finance and IT teams, corporate travel managers, travellers, airlines, hotels and rail operators, insurers and regulators. Every risk has one owner role, and the travel operations manager reports the register to senior management each quarter.

Risk matrix: before and after controls

Each cell shows hazard numbers placed by likelihood and impact. Compare the two grids to see how controls move each hazard.

Before controls

Inherent risk

Risk before controls: rows are likelihood from almost certain to rare, columns are impact from insignificant to catastrophic. Cells list hazard numbers.
1
Insignificant		 2
Minor		 3
Moderate		 4
Major		 5
Catastrophic
5 Almost certain
4 Likely Likelihood 4, impact 3, score 12, high: H01 H03 Likelihood 4, impact 5, score 20, critical: H06
3 Possible Likelihood 3, impact 3, score 9, medium: H05 H08 Likelihood 3, impact 4, score 12, high: H04 H07
2 Unlikely Likelihood 2, impact 5, score 10, high: H02
1 Rare

After controls

Residual risk

Risk after controls: rows are likelihood from almost certain to rare, columns are impact from insignificant to catastrophic. Cells list hazard numbers.
1
Insignificant		 2
Minor		 3
Moderate		 4
Major		 5
Catastrophic
5 Almost certain
4 Likely
3 Possible Likelihood 3, impact 2, score 6, medium: H04
2 Unlikely Likelihood 2, impact 2, score 4, low: H01 H03 H05 H08 Likelihood 2, impact 3, score 6, medium: H02 H07 Likelihood 2, impact 4, score 8, medium: H06
1 Rare
  • Low 1 to 4
  • Medium 5 to 9
  • High 10 to 16
  • Critical 17 to 25

Hazard register

A summary first, then the detail for each hazard.

Summary of hazards with scores before and after controls
No.HazardBeforeAfterOwner
H01 Staffing gaps and poor handovers at the booking desk 12 High 4 Low Travel operations manager
H02 Traveller injury, illness or security incident abroad 10 High 6 Medium Duty of care lead
H03 Booking and itinerary errors in names, dates or fares 12 High 4 Low Senior consultant
H04 Supplier failure, overbooking or schedule cancellation 12 High 6 Medium Supplier relations manager
H05 Severe weather, strikes and transport disruption 9 Medium 4 Low Travel operations manager
H06 Payment diversion and invoice fraud 20 Critical 8 Medium Finance manager
H07 Traveller data exposure and privacy breach 12 High 6 Medium IT lead
H08 Accessibility needs and regulatory duties not met 9 Medium 4 Low Compliance officer
H01

Staffing gaps and poor handovers at the booking desk

People Before 12 After 4

Consultants leave, are absent or hand over live trips without full notes, so changes, deadlines and traveller needs are missed during busy periods.

Who or what is affected: Travellers, consultants and corporate clients

Causes

Peak seasons, sickness and reliance on memory rather than shared notes.

Consequences

Missed changes, late bookings, stranded travellers and client complaints.

Existing controls

  • A shared trip log records each booking and its next action.
  • Senior consultants cover absence on a published rota.

Control gaps

Handover notes are optional and are not checked when a consultant leaves.

Additional controls

  • Prevent: Use a standard handover template with open items, deadlines and traveller needs for every live trip.
  • Detect: Review open trip log items each morning and flag any with no named owner.
Likelihood 4 x impact 3 before; 2 x 2 after Owner: Travel operations manager Target: Within 30 days Early warning: Open trip log items with no named owner for more than one working day.
H02

Traveller injury, illness or security incident abroad

Safety Before 10 After 6

A traveller is hurt, becomes ill, or is caught in unrest, crime or a transport accident, and the agency must locate them and arrange help quickly.

Who or what is affected: Travellers, their families and emergency staff

Causes

Unfamiliar places, long journeys, health conditions and political unrest.

Consequences

Physical harm, distress for families, legal claims and loss of client trust.

Existing controls

  • Travellers receive a risk briefing and emergency number before departure.
  • Itineraries record contact details and hotel addresses.

Control gaps

High risk trips are not flagged, and traveller location is not checked during trips.

Additional controls

  • Prevent: Check current travel advisories for each destination before ticketing and flag high risk trips for approval.
  • Respond: Run a tested emergency call procedure that locates the traveller within the first hour.
Likelihood 2 x impact 5 before; 2 x 3 after Owner: Duty of care lead Target: Within 45 days Early warning: Travellers abroad with no confirmed contact in the last 24 hours.
H03

Booking and itinerary errors in names, dates or fares

Operational Before 12 After 4

Wrong passenger names, dates, airports, fare rules or room types are entered or left unchecked, so travellers arrive at the wrong place or cannot board.

Who or what is affected: Travellers, clients and consultants

Causes

Rushed bookings, similar names, changing requests and manual retyping.

Consequences

Missed flights, extra fares, client disputes and damage to the agency reputation.

Existing controls

  • Bookings are confirmed in writing to the client.
  • Consultants check names against passport details at booking.

Control gaps

The second check is not required for last minute changes, which are the most common source of errors.

Additional controls

  • Prevent: Require a second person to check names, dates and fare rules before ticketing any itinerary.
  • Detect: Compare issued tickets with the booking request each evening and report any differences.
Likelihood 4 x impact 3 before; 2 x 2 after Owner: Senior consultant Target: Within 45 days Early warning: Itineraries issued without a second check of names and dates.
H04

Supplier failure, overbooking or schedule cancellation

Supplier Before 12 After 6

An airline, hotel or coach operator cancels, overbooks or fails, leaving travellers without a confirmed service and the agency with unrecovered deposits.

Who or what is affected: Travellers, clients and supplier contacts

Causes

Thin margins at suppliers, schedule changes, overbooking and weak contract terms.

Consequences

Stranded travellers, extra costs, unrecovered deposits and lost client confidence.

Existing controls

  • Preferred suppliers are chosen from a documented list.
  • Deposits are paid only after a booking is confirmed in writing.

Control gaps

Contracts do not set out who pays for alternatives when a supplier fails.

Additional controls

  • Prevent: Check each supplier's service record and terms before adding it to the preferred list.
  • Respond: Hold alternative suppliers and a rebooking route that can act within two hours.
Likelihood 3 x impact 4 before; 3 x 2 after Owner: Supplier relations manager Target: Within 90 days Early warning: Supplier cancellations or schedule changes affecting more than five travellers in one day.
H05

Severe weather, strikes and transport disruption

Operational Before 9 After 4

Storms, industrial action or closures cancel journeys and strand travellers, and the agency must rebook many trips at once under pressure.

Who or what is affected: Travellers, consultants and client travel managers

Causes

Seasonal storms, strikes and network failures outside the agency's control.

Consequences

Long waits, extra accommodation costs, missed meetings and complaints.

Existing controls

  • Travellers are told to check service status before leaving.
  • Travellers are told in writing to check the terms of their own travel cover.

Control gaps

Status feeds cover only major carriers, so smaller trips are not watched.

Additional controls

  • Detect: Monitor status feeds for each live trip and alert the duty consultant to changes.
  • Respond: Keep a surge rota and a pre agreed rebooking priority for each client.
Likelihood 3 x impact 3 before; 2 x 2 after Owner: Travel operations manager Target: Within 60 days Early warning: Several cancellations on the same route or airport within one day.
H06

Payment diversion and invoice fraud

Financial Before 20 After 8

A criminal poses as a client or supplier and changes bank details or sends fake invoices, so client money is paid to the wrong account and is hard to recover.

Who or what is affected: Clients, suppliers and finance staff

Causes

Email compromise, pressure to pay quickly and unclear approval steps.

Consequences

Large direct losses, late client payments, legal disputes and reputational harm.

Existing controls

  • Payments above a set value need two approvals.
  • Client invoices are sent through the reservation platform only.

Control gaps

Call backs are sometimes made to numbers given in the same email, which may be false.

Additional controls

  • Prevent: Verify every new or changed bank detail by call back to a known contact before any payment.
  • Detect: Reconcile supplier payments daily and flag any unexpected new account or duplicate invoice.
  • Respond: Freeze related payments and notify the bank and affected client the same day.
Likelihood 4 x impact 5 before; 2 x 4 after Owner: Finance manager Target: Within 30 days Early warning: A supplier bank detail change that is not confirmed by a call back.
H07

Traveller data exposure and privacy breach

Technology and data Before 12 After 6

Passport numbers, health needs and itineraries are exposed through weak access, shared files or misdirected emails, so travellers face identity theft or unwanted tracking.

Who or what is affected: Travellers, corporate clients and staff

Causes

Shared spreadsheets, misdirected email and staff who keep old traveller records.

Consequences

Identity theft, regulator notice, client claims and loss of trust.

Existing controls

  • Booking records are stored in the reservation platform behind user logins.
  • Staff are asked to delete unneeded traveller files after each trip.

Control gaps

Spreadsheets of traveller lists sit outside the platform's access controls.

Additional controls

  • Prevent: Limit access to passport and health fields to roles that need them, and enable multi-factor sign in.
  • Recover: Test restoring the reservation platform from backup and keep a written incident procedure.
Likelihood 3 x impact 4 before; 2 x 3 after Owner: IT lead Target: Within 60 days Early warning: Traveller lists found in shared folders outside the reservation platform.
H08

Accessibility needs and regulatory duties not met

Legal and compliance Before 9 After 4

Travellers with mobility, sensory, dietary or medical needs are booked without the support they require, or entry and consumer rules are misapplied, creating unsafe or unlawful arrangements.

Who or what is affected: Travellers with access needs, clients and staff

Causes

Incomplete forms, supplier systems that lack suitable fields and rules that differ by country.

Consequences

Discomfort or harm to travellers, complaints, legal claims and regulatory scrutiny.

Existing controls

  • Booking forms ask about access and dietary needs.
  • Consultants refer visa questions to the traveller's own advisers.

Control gaps

Access needs are recorded as free text and are not passed on to suppliers.

Additional controls

  • Prevent: Record access needs in a required field and confirm support with each supplier before departure.
  • Detect: Audit a sample of bookings each quarter for missing needs and unresolved complaints.
Likelihood 3 x impact 3 before; 2 x 2 after Owner: Compliance officer Target: Within 60 days Early warning: Complaints about missing access support received in a single month.

Rating method and evaluation

Each risk is rated on two five point scales. Likelihood runs from 1, rare, to 5, almost certain, and impact runs from 1, minor, to 5, severe, covering harm to travellers, money, data, service and trust. Multiplying the two gives a score from 1 to 25 that falls into one of four bands: Low from 1 to 4, Medium from 5 to 9, High from 10 to 16 and Critical from 17 to 25. Inherent risk is scored before any controls, showing the natural level of exposure. Residual risk is scored after existing and additional controls are in place, and it must never be higher than the inherent score. Where inherent risk is 10 or more, the residual score must be lower. Impact is judged on the worst credible outcome, so a payment or safety risk is never rated down merely because it has not yet happened. Critical and High risks need senior attention and a dated plan, Medium risks need routine controls with a named owner, and Low risks are accepted and watched. Ratings are challenged by the consultants and finance staff who do the work, and reviewed by the travel operations manager at each quarterly review. Any rating is reopened when a monitoring indicator reaches its escalation point.

Likelihood, impact and rating bands

Likelihood

  • 5 Almost certain: Expected to happen in most circumstances.
  • 4 Likely: Will probably happen in many circumstances.
  • 3 Possible: Could happen at some time.
  • 2 Unlikely: Not expected, but it could happen.
  • 1 Rare: Only in exceptional circumstances.

Impact

  • 1 Insignificant: No lasting effect. Handled within routine work.
  • 2 Minor: Small effect that is quickly corrected.
  • 3 Moderate: Noticeable effect that needs managed effort to correct.
  • 4 Major: Serious effect on people, delivery or reputation.
  • 5 Catastrophic: Severe or lasting effect that threatens the whole activity.

Bands (likelihood x impact)

  • Low (1 to 4): Accept and monitor.
  • Medium (5 to 9): Manage with routine controls.
  • High (10 to 16): Senior attention and a treatment plan.
  • Critical (17 to 25): Act first. Do not proceed until reduced.

Monitoring, escalation and review

Review this assessment every 6 months, and sooner when an indicator below reaches its threshold.

Early-warning indicators and escalation thresholds
Indicator to watchEscalate when
Supplier bank detail changes made without a call back to a known contact.Escalate to the finance manager at once, and hold the payment until it is confirmed.
Out of hours calls not answered within the agreed response time.Escalate to the travel operations manager when more than two calls are missed in one shift.
Itineraries issued without a second check of names and dates.Escalate to the senior consultant when any are found, and review the batch within one week.
Supplier cancellations or schedule changes affecting more than five travellers in one day.Escalate to the supplier relations manager at once, and to the operations manager if unresolved after four hours.
Traveller complaints about accessibility or duty of care received in one month.Escalate to the compliance officer within two working days of the complaint.

Contingency arrangements

If a serious event occurs, such as a traveller injured abroad, a mass cancellation or confirmed payment fraud, the operations manager activates the emergency plan and opens a single incident log. The out of hours lead contacts the traveller, the client travel manager and the nearest local provider, and arranges alternatives. Finance stops related payments and verifies bank details by call back to known contacts. The IT lead isolates affected accounts and restores bookings from the latest tested backup. Communication is plain, early and consistent, and the client is updated at fixed intervals until the event closes.

Prioritized action plan

  1. Verify every new or changed supplier bank detail by call back to a known contact, owner finance manager, within 30 days.
  2. Publish a named out of hours rota and test the emergency line, owner travel operations manager, within 30 days.
  3. Introduce a two person check on itineraries and traveller names before ticketing, owner senior consultant, within 45 days.
  4. Enable multi-factor sign in and test restoring bookings from backup, owner IT lead, within 30 days.
  5. Agree supplier failure and alternative routing terms in contracts, owner supplier relations manager, within 90 days.

Conclusion

Reliable corporate travel rests on steady habits: verified payment changes, named out of hours cover, itinerary checks before departure, tested emergency contacts and careful handling of traveller data. The highest scores sit with payment fraud, traveller safety and booking errors, and each has actions that lower the residual score. Treat the register as a living record, review it on the stated cycle, and seek qualified advice for any real legal, insurance, medical or data protection question.

Assumptions and limitations

Assumptions

  • The agency serves business clients under written terms and holds client funds only for agreed payments.
  • Staff are trained consultants who use a managed reservation platform on company devices.
  • Jurisdiction is not specified, so legal duties are described in general terms only.

Limitations

  • The scores are examples for learning and do not describe any real agency or client.
  • Travel, data and consumer rules differ by country and change over time, so specialist review is needed.
  • This is educational content and is not legal, insurance, medical or immigration advice.

Related frameworks to study

  • Duty of care framework for business travellers
  • Hierarchy of controls
  • Three lines model of risk ownership
  • Business continuity planning basics

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For Learning Reference Only: This assessment demonstrates how risk assessment principles are applied in a practical setting, providing a useful reference for learning and understanding. Actual assessments may be adapted to suit specific site conditions and circumstances.

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