Honestly, I don't do that either (for lunches, dinners, etc)...much less when I'm on travel. Having said that, though, when dealing with a subordinate, I never am in a room alone with a female subordinate...unless that room has LOTS of windows where we can be observed.
But OTOH, I'm also not a public figure that needs to be concerned with a random paparazzi snapping a picture and starting a whisper campaign.
It’s more of a prudential necessity when one is a public figure. For an average person, depends on circumstances only the individuals can evaluate. Personally, I have no idea what my husband does when he’s away from, but nobody’s filed any harassment claims or sent me any messages, so I assume he’s reasonably cautious.
I was just struck by the phrase, “... not something I would do.”