Even in the days of advanced technology where meetings can be organized by Skype, many businesses rely on face-to-face meetings with their clients or employees prefer visiting their branch offices to consolidate company connections.
Organising this travel - from finding the best flights, hotels and ground transport - can be time-consuming, laborious and costly if done non-professionally. For this reason, businesses need a corporate travel manager to make life easier for staff and keep costs down.
What are the responsibilities of a Travel Manager?
A travel manager will ensure that employees go to and from their destinations economically, safely and efficiently. It is crucial that travel managers negotiate with a travel supplier to get the best available rates and be able to manage the travel activities to deliver a customer-oriented service. Travel managers know that the employee needs to be comfortable when travelling so that they can be effective when they arrive at their destination.
Your travel manager will also ensure compliance with the company’s travel policies, so that business trips become systemised, efficient and consistent, as well as providing the best available prices to match the company's budget. Another task is to keep the corporate travel platform updated; this means everything from the airlines that are contracted to what booking class is permitted.
Duty of care
Nothing is more important than the well-being and safety of your employees, especially when they are travelling to remote destinations. New opportunities bring new operational challenges so it is vital that the travel manager and the company have the understanding and technology to know the location of its travelling employees. It is important to educate the employees about personal safety and security risks before they travel, and have a reliable contact person in place at all times in the event of an emergency.
Sources:
https://hyryde.com/4-reasons-need-hire-business-travel-manager/
https://www.hugheslimousines.com.au/6-reasons-to-hire-a-corporate-travel-manager/
Photo: Diversity travel
