Leigh Cowlishaw, global supplier partnership director, The Advantage Travel Partnership
Regardless of whether it is the hotel
guest sleeping in the bed, a delegate attending a meeting, or a corporate putting
together a travel policy with their TMC – everyone will require assurances to
their travel.
These assurances are personal, as
well as professional. Such assurances provide the traveller with the comfort
that their best interests are being considered and that their wellbeing is at
the heart of all decisions regarding travel, accommodation and meetings.
And whilst key factors such as
budget and location will always play a part in terms of which provider is selected
as ‘fit for purpose’, the actual protocols, standards and accreditations are increasingly
a key part of the recommendations, decision-making and selection process.
Many people, even previously
confident business travellers, having spent months working from home, will find
the thought of travelling on public transport, flying, staying overnight in an
hotel, or attending a face-to-face meeting, a potential cause of anxiety that
influences their decision whether to travel or attend.
One of the biggest contributory
factors to these concerns may be the fact that we have felt safe and secure in
our own homes and become used to personally looking after our own wellbeing and
being in control of our plans.
Even before the pandemic an ITM survey
of travel managers’ top priorities identified traveller safety as number one
and traveller wellness as third. These priorities have become even more
relevant as we move towards 2021.
As and when business travel really
gets going again, how will confidence be instilled and assurances made that
providers are aligned to recognised standards and assurances? And are employers
even aware of the standards, as part of their duty of care and best practice
surrounding it?
TMCs must be fully prepared for the additional measures their clients
will require in duty of care provision for business travel right now and
post-Covid. Be it including a robust duty of care policy to support RFPs or supporting
existing travel policy reviews, TMCs need to have access to toolkits, providing their clients employee
protection and to help rebuild traveller confidence. Travellers' wellbeing must be at
the core of all policies, alongside providing choice and flexibility.
TMCs working with their corporate
clients will have taken the time to gauge sentiment: “how would I feel staying in
one of these providers, if I was away from home?” and “would I feel that my
best interest was at the heart of this policy, as well as managing spend?”
It’s suddenly not just about
general facilities or budgets – it’s about recognised global standards and
measurements. Standards such as the ISO31030, travel risk management, which is
due to be launched early next year and includes safety and security.
The prime requirement now – and
some FTSE100 companies are insisting on it – is for suppliers, such as
accommodation providers, to be either aligned, accredited or certificated to a recognised
global standard.
Whilst we work towards the recovery
of global business travel and new rules are being written within policies, TMCs
are continuing to make recommendations that changes should be based upon multiple
factors which include wider corporate input into programmes from different
areas and interests – from HR, procurement and finance – with a focus on achievements
wider than cost savings.
With the best duty of care procedures in place, TMCs
working hand-in-hand with their corporate clients will be able to give their
sincere assurance that any company’s biggest asset, their people, will feel
safe, secure and valued and able to travel confidently once again.