A reduction in flight availability and “rethinking TMC dominance” will be two of the biggest challenges facing travel buyers in 2013.
The results are revealed in an exclusive intelligence report put together by the organisers of the Business Travel Show.
The Evolution of the Travel Manager in 2013 and Beyond, features interviews with seven leading travel buyers based across Europe looking at the big issues facing the corporate travel sector next year.
Other challenges will include duty of care, the rising costs of non-airfare travel elements, using technology to support travellers, policy compliance and how to show a return on investment (ROI) from travel.
Business Travel Show event director David Chapple said: “These are interesting times for travel managers across Europe. Technology is stamping its mark on the industry, the way travel is managed and travellers are supported.
“The prospect of the rogue traveller and the argument for relaxing compliance is hijacking headlines.
“The importance of sustainability and duty of care are still prevalent. The European financial crisis is affecting business and there is continued pressure on buyers and managers to reduce and avoid costs and make budgets work smarter.”
Among the buyers who have contributed to the report are Mette Christensen from AP Moller–Maersk, Citrix Systems’ Jef Robinson, Philip Haxne of Sony Mobile Communications and Ruediger Bruss from tyre firm Continental.
Other findings from the report are:
- When it comes to managing business travel, buyers have made it clear that there is no “silver bullet” or “no one-size fits all” solution
- The key to the success of travel managers is their relationship with their TMC
- Despite reports to the contrary, the adoption of technology is far from widespread, with many of buyers stating they are just not there yet
- RFP is still a major issue for many managers, and the issue of outsourcing the process was raised several times
- It’s essential to get traveller buy-in, but whether you believe rogue is really vogue seems to depend on the type of company you work for, and in which territory you are operating
- Despite pressure to cut costs and save money, sustainability cannot be ignored
The full report will be available as a download for buyers who pre-register for the Business Travel Show at businesstravelshow.com.
For more details about the conference programme at the show, go to businesstravelshow.com/conference