A new group of industry professional has been formed by the Institute of Travel Management of the UK and Ireland (ITM) to tackle key issues.
The first issues the Industry Solutions Group will study is the damage caused by travellers not complying with company travel policy – a subject BTE has looked into over the past fortnight.
Paul Tilstone, ITM's new director general, said future topics would be data and traveller security.
Mr Tilstone said the group would consist of representatives from each industry sector.
“A key element of ITM's remit is to address the major problems facing our members in the workplace, to research the issues fully and to help find workable answers. ITM's board felt that a series of working parties with a consistent mission would be best equipped to do this,” he said.
Iberia launches three year strategy plan
Spanish national carrier Iberia has produced a three-year strategy plans for 2006-2008 to cut costs and increase productivity and revenue.
The Director Plan identified threats to the airline as coming form the growth of low cost carriers, new airlines from Latin America and the expansion of Spain's high speed train network.
It proposes staff cuts in all areas of the company, a three year wage freeze, cuts in distribution costs, outsourcing low skill jobs, shortening aircraft turnaround times and improving punctuality.
It sees as sources of extra revenue a re-organisation of the route network and a boost in business class travel on long haul routes, especially to South America through the launch of its new Business Class service.
‘35% of UK companies mandate self booking'
More than a third of UK companies using the GetThere reservation system now mandate the use of self booking tools according to a report by the Sabre subsidiary.
GetThere said that it expected the figure to rise to 50% by 2007.
Floyd Widener, European vp of GetThere and corporate travel at Sabre, said: “The UK market is still behind the US in terms of online adoption.
`“UK companies using GetThere are achieving between 50%-80% online adoption within their first three months of usage and reducing their overall annual travel spend by over 15%.”