Business Travel During Covid-19

[Global Rescue]

Andrew Tilker is used to traveling for work. He’s the Asian Species Officer at Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC), a Texas-based organization focused on protecting and recovering endangered wildlife and habitats through science-based field action.

“I oversee conservation projects in Southeast Asia, focusing mostly on Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia,” Tilker said. “Usually this position requires extensive travel to Asia, although for the past few months it has not been possible.”

Tilker is an American citizen based full-time in Berlin, Germany. In July, he was asked to attend a work meeting near Lyon, France.

“Of course, given the COVID-19 situation, I wanted to get more background information on travel risks before making a final decision,” Tilker said.

GWC has been a Global Rescue member since 2016 and its staff members are able to access Global Rescue’s travel protection services from trip advisory to medical evacuation. A membership is a great way for enterprises of all sizes to ensure the safety and well-being of employees.

For Tilker, getting the data he needed was as easy as one email.

“I was looking for information on COVID-19 cases in France. I was surprised at how quickly I got a reply — within the hour,” he said.

Global Rescue’s operations team reviewed medical, security and intelligence data regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in France. This included public health information regarding U.S., French and EU guidance for travel to the region, as well as forecasted behavior of the COVID-19 pandemic for the region and available health infrastructure. Global Rescue personnel summarized the current and forecasted risks of travel for Tilker’s review.

It was exactly the kind of information Tilker was looking for.

“The information I received helped me make a more informed decision regarding whether to take the trip or not,” he said. “I have decided to go.”

Tilker plans to use his Global Rescue membership when he is back to traveling to Southeast Asia, saving the tropical forests and its multitude of threatened species, including the antelope-like Saola (the Asian “unicorn”) discovered in 1992.

“It is nice to have such a professional and quick-to-respond organization behind me,” Tilker said. “In the future, I will rely on Global Rescue more often, especially when I travel to remote areas in Southeast Asia. Global Rescue is an excellent resource, worth investing in.”