GardaWorld, the largest privately owned business solutions and security services company in the world, is pleased to launch its 2020 Travel Security Risk Map and Report as well as the 2020 Kidnap & Maritime Piracy Threat Forecast Map and Global Overview Report adding further depth to its crisis management, consulting and global travel security services.

“We are happy to have gathered leading experts from GardaWorld’s Crisis24 Global Operation Center to create the most comprehensive risk maps and reports in the risk management industry. These two much-anticipated risk maps feature risk ratings and expert analyses for more than 200 countries—including the most dangerous places in the world. We hope these complimentary GardaWorld risk management resources will help large corporations, emerging businesses and individuals travel and operate safely around this constantly changing world,” said Gregoire Pinton, GardaWorld’s Senior Vice President and Global Head for GardaWorld’s travel security

Two reports with a global perspective that zero in on key risks

1. The 2020 Global Travel Risk Map: This report provides vital information for businesses and individuals on key travel risks, including social and political unrest, natural disasters, and health issues. This resource highlights the six countries that are considered the hotspots for special risks in 2020, with accompanying analyses. The document includes a color-coded map to highlight security risk levels for more than 200 countries.

Burkina Faso, Iraq, Hong Kong, Mexico, Lebanon and Myanmar are considered the countries with the highest risk to businesses and travel in 2020 due to terrorism, political tension, civil unrest and violence by armed groups.

The report is based on open-source intelligence, locally sourced human intelligence and regional expert analysis.

 2. The 2020 Kidnap & Maritime Piracy Map and Report: This report helps businesses and organizations to anticipate and prepare for threats related to kidnap for ransom and maritime security. This resource highlights the five countries that are considered the hotspots for these specific risks in 2020, with accompanying analyses and in-depth commentary. This document equally offers a color-coded map, in order to easily identify different risk levels around the world in a bird’s-eye view format.

In 2020, Mexico, Libya and Iraq top the list for the highest kidnap for ransom threat rating, whilst the Philippines, Somalia and Malaysia face an increased threat of maritime piracy.

“Our 2020 Threat Forecast has been informed by comprehensive kidnap data and threat forecasting provided by IHS Markit in collaboration with NYA methodology and terminology. Each location’s threat rating takes into account incident frequency, level of violence, perpetrator capability and motivations and the effectiveness of security forces and the rule of law. We respond to over 130 cases each year which give us a unique insight into the threats faced by organizations every day throughout the world. This map provides a useful indicator of kidnap and piracy risks around the world and our global team remains committed to helping organizations understand the threats to their people, information, property and reputation,” said Alex Kemp, Managing Director, NYA, a GardaWorld Company.

Worldwide analysts and rigorous data-driven methodology travel safety

This year’s risk data is bolstered by GardaWorld’s Crisis24 analysts, situated in key locations around the globe and its acquisitions of two of the renowned players in the risk management landscape—NYA, a UK-based and world-leading crisis management consulting firm, and Drum Cussac, a key player in real-time risk tracking and travel security services.