The report indicated 80 Terrorism and Political Risk

The world is a risky place for business travelers but it might be a little safer when it comes to terrorism and political violence risk at least in some countries.

According to the recently released Aon Risk Solutions 2014 Terrorism and Political Violence Map, 34 countries attained reduced country risk scores. The map is provided as a tool for businesses to assess risk levels of terrorism and political violence across the globe.

“The map shows that while the terrorism threat in the West has declined, other regions are witnessing significant increases in terrorist violence and activity,” said Neil Henderson, head of Aon Risk Solutions’ Crisis Management Terrorism team.

Overall, the report indicated 80 countries with terrorism perils in 2014, 12 percent fewer than 2013.

Aon produced the map in collaboration with Risk Advisory Group plc, a global risk management consultancy.

Europe saw notable improvement with 11 countries having civil commotion perils removed.

The risk in Latin American countries seems to be declining except in Brazil, which was the only Latin American country to see its risk rating increase from medium to severe due to widespread and large-scale violent anti-government protests throughout 2013. The analysis indicates this unrest will likely continue in 2014, particularly ahead of the FIFA World Cup and the October general elections.

In 2013, 52 percent of all terrorist attacks recorded took place in the MENA region, or the “Middle East and North Africa” region, up from 41 percent in 2012.

“Despite some improvements in the ratings – eight decreases and just one increase to the 37 country scores that cover Sub-Saharan Africa in 2014, Africa remains a continent of high political violence and terrorism risk, with 22 countries having high to severe risk ratings,” the report said.

The Middle East is the region most afflicted by terrorism in the world, with a 28 percent share of all terrorist attacks recorded worldwide in 2013, Aon Risk Solutions noted.

The retail and transportation sectors were significantly affected in 2013, with 33 percent of terrorism attacks affecting the retail sector, and 18 percent of attacks taking place on the transportation sector.

It’s no surprise that the Winter Olympics in Russia, which will involve significant mass transportation moves, is seen as a potential terrorist target as well.

To view the map, visit: http://www.aon.com/terrorismmap/2014-Terrorism-Map.pdf.