Our world today is an uncertain place. Few of us are immune to occasional feelings of disquiet and unease. The Business Travel industry has been, and always will be, affected directly and almost immediately by major world events and crisis - whether they are fluctuations in the economies of the world, wars and uprisings or the devastating impact of a terrorist attack.

At Carlson Wagonlit Travel, a rapid response to our clients' needs is an essential part of our approach to business. We have always been aware of the need to respond to any crisis, not only speedily, but also thoroughly and effectively.

I want to give you my personal assurance and that of my senior management team across North Europe, that we have very stringent contingency plans in place, in the event of any possible major incident. The terrible events of 9/11 emphasised the need for such stringent plans like never before - and they more than met the challenge in their aftermath.

However, complacency can never be an option for us - and we are constantly reviewing, revising and strengthening those plans. I thought you would find it both helpful and reassuring to have an outline of our plans.

Best regards

Jim Tweedie
Executive Vice President North Europe

AWARENESS PROGRAMME

Carlson Wagonlit Travel is unashamedly proud of its Account Management Team. Each and every member of that team is committed to providing regular updates to our key client contacts of any news and information that is considered important or vital.

At times of crisis, there will be daily reviews published on our website - www.cwt.co.uk - replacing for the duration the usual 'Traveller' newsletter.

Our Account Management team will immediately work with our clients to provide the most effective communication channels through to all their travellers. Every effort will be made to provide regular essential information, without raising undue concern.

All our Travel Consultants are kept fully up to date with official notices and communications from the UK Government and our travel industry partners.
The aim is clear - to provide the best possible advice and develop plans for safe and effective itineraries making it possible for important trips to still go ahead.

We will always be pro-active. Effective communication is vital in business today and we are committed to providing our clients with all the information they need to enable them to plan and manage their travel.

COMMUNICATION IN THE EVENT OF AN INCIDENT

We have in place a strong communications strategy that embraces all our clients - whether they are affected directly by an incident or require reassurance that all is well with their travellers.

We recognise that in a world where the media is 24/7, news of a disaster or a crisis can hit the news wires and TV screens within minutes. It is therefore essential to establish the safety or otherwise of all travellers in the affected location as quickly as possible.

We have rigorously tested a process that will enable us to respond in a matter of minutes to an incident or crisis and in turn communicate with all our clients across the EMEA region - normally in less than an hour.