A recent survey of more than 570 U.S.-based corporate security professionals, travel managers, human resources executives, medical professionals and others reveals that 40 percent of respondents identify Latin America as the region that poses the greatest risk to their business travelers in 2011. Nearly one-third of respondents (31%) identified the Middle East as presenting the greatest risk to travelers, followed by 20 percent who identified Asia.

Respondents were most concerned about the effect of terrorism and civil unrest on their mobile workforce (44%). Natural disasters (21%) ranked as the second highest area of concern among the group which included security directors from major international organizations. Petty theft and crime, and kidnap and ransom received 17 and 16 percent of the vote, respectively, with maritime security receiving only two percent.

Other key findings: The Americas and Asia Pacific regions were those most frequently reported as the site of travel security incidents in 2010, according to International SOS data. India and Mexico followed.