Corporate travel buyers are turning to TMCs to help them run their global travel programmes, according to a survey by GBTA.
The association and Expedia-owned agency Egencia surveyed more than 1,400 travel managers across Europe, North and Latin America, and Asia.
The study found that the main reasons buyers were turning to TMCs to globalise their programmes were industry knowledge (98 per cent), access to local rates (93 per cent) as well as the combination of global coverage and local operations (89 per cent).
GBTA vice president of research Joseph Bates said: “As multinational corporations operate across the world, they are enlisting the help of travel management companies to bolster their programmes by leveraging TMCs’ regional expertise and technology offerings to help them manage travel spend more strategically.
“Global travel programmes help control costs, manage risk and can function across any number of regions to support the business traveller.”
The survey also found that the biggest reasons for having global travel programmes were to ensure consistent policy enforcement, manage risk, compile data and negotiate with suppliers on a global level.
Some 54 per cent of buyers said that TMCs had helped to increase their knowledge of local issues around the world, and 60 per cent feeling that TMCs can now provide global service and support to their companies.
Mark Hollyhead, Egencia’s senior vice president for the Americas, said: "As more organisations think and act like global businesses, there are higher expectations for the managed travel industry to deliver faster and better solutions that remove complexity for the company and the traveller.
“Companies will increasingly look to improve their global travel programs to further seek best value, control spending and ensure diligence in their duty of care.
“There will also be a rapidly growing interest in global programs demanding the best technology and service solutions for users.”
gbta.org