The business travel industry will emerge stronger from the current economic downturn, Ian Epps, Director of Partnership Relations for ITP - International Travel Partnership, said.
Mr Epps, speaking at ITP's annual conference in Cairo, said in past years, the industry had suffered 9/11, two Gulf Wars and SARS.
"Each time we have had these challenges, we have come out stronger. But if we are suffering, so are our customers and we have to give them support," he said.
About 50 delegates and supplier representatives from 15 countries attended the three-day event in the Egyptian capital.
In his presentation, Mr Epps warned that there were changing dynamics in the Industry with the Customer demanding more control of travel policy, expense management, supplier deals and a greater need for relationship management.
"Above all, they want management information to achieve travel policy compliance so they can know what is being spent, who is spending it and what they are spending in each country," he said.
"And they want that data consolidated."
Mr Epps said ITP, which has members in 27 countries, had a good hotel programme, was now working more closely with airlines and worked well with all major GDSs.
He told delegates there was "huge potential" for them in the MICE (meetings and incentives) industry which could be between 25%-40% of a company's total travel spend.
"A lot of corporations do not manage this area very well. You may have a corporate account but you might not know about its meetings. This is an area of huge potential for you."
"Through knowing a company's travel manager and handling its travel account, you may get its meetings business. It could be that this business is handled by the sales director or a secretary rather than the travel manager.
"They don't know what they have spent and so how can they possibly measure their return on investment," he said.
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