Corporate travel agents act as catalysts to facilitate successful and cost-efficient business travel, helping companies manage business programs effectively. They use their professional expertise and networking abilities to design customized business travel according to the company’s travel policy.
Travel agents are experts in understanding the diverse needs of business travelers to suggest suitable travel and accommodation options. Business travel agents help companies plan, organize, budget, and implement their travel programs by leveraging their networking abilities and knowledge of the travel industry. A travel manager is the base of good corporate travel management.
What does a corporate travel agent do?
- Helping organizations with travel reservations for domestic or overseas travel
- Recommending itineraries to minimize travel costs
- Choosing suitable travel routes by studying the availability
- Assisting with travel documentation
- Helping with necessary travel precautions
- Guiding companies regarding travel insurance and travel safety measures
The role of a corporate travel agent is like the company’s travel manager as they handle the transportation and accommodation of employees who are proceeding on a business trip. Business travel agents look after smooth business travel by planning for a successful and satisfying business tour.
Benefits of working with a corporate travel agent
A corporate travel agent is a bridge between an enterprise and a vast pool of resources like an inventory of hotel and transport services besides access to SOTO and regional LCCs. Companies benefit from the corporate travel consultant and agent’s relations with the industry leaders by getting special concessions and perks on travel and accommodation.
1. Saving staff hours and travel costs
Travel agents take care of all aspects of business travel using their contacts and domain experience. It saves time as company staff need not spend hours planning travel routes and completing flight and hotel bookings.
2. Enhance productivity
Travel agents ensure employees do not face hurdles during their tour by planning minute details of travel, including local transportation and airport transfers. It helps improve your employee’s travel experience. With the agents managing the trips, employees can focus on the business objectives for a more productive business trip.
3. Access to technologies
Business travel agents enable companies to access innovative technologies and online travel booking platforms like Paxes to ensure fast bookings with the best rates. Your employees can get the facility of using a dedicated app that allows instant booking and helps if they need to change the itinerary.
4. End-to-end services
A corporate expert travel agent takes care of several travel arrangements besides booking travel and accommodation. They look after the visa and business travel insurance needs of employees among many others.
What to look for in a corporate travel agent?
The ideal corporate travel agent for your company should have proven experience in handling business travel programs of companies irrespective of their sizes. They should know how to integrate a company’s travel policy into their services.
Industry experience is crucial for a travel agent, as every sector has different travel needs. Some industries focus on sending employees to cover specific regions regularly, while some focus on participating in trade fairs and conferences.
Business travel is not immune to last-minute changes and other uncertainties. Your travel agent must be ready to incorporate these changes to provide immediate support. They should have the adaptability to make necessary arrangements according to changes in travel plans.
Why do corporate need to work with corporate travel agents?
Booking employees’ business trips and accommodation is not a core function of a corporate organization. Companies plan business trips to meet business goals. Employees must concentrate on completing their business trip’s agenda. Travel agents provide end-to-end services to enable companies achieve their corporate objectives.
Corporate travel agents strive to get the best rates for the company’s travel needs. Small or medium-sized companies may not have access to resources like inventories of travel and accommodation service providers to help reduce travel costs. Travel agents have exceptional skills to get discounts on transportation and hotel accommodations to improve the cost-efficiency of business travel. Businesses need to save travel expenditure as it significantly contributes to the overall costs. Cost saving is a primary advantage of hiring a corporate travel agent.
How do corporate travel agents help corporate?
Corporate travel agents can support the implementation of a company’s travel policies. However, they cannot streamline a company’s internal travel management processes.
Many organizations are embracing SaaS-based travel management platforms to comply with corporate travel policies. These centralized platforms help integrate travel expenses with finance for better visibility into travel spending.
Duty of Care is the prominent feature of centralized travel management platforms. The app-based platforms provide round-the-clock support facilities and periodic alerts to guarantee employees’ safety and well-being during business trips. Travel management platforms like Paxes offer seamless employee tracking to ensure the safety of employees, taking proactive measures in the event of any emergency.
Conclusion
Using a unified travel management portal by integrating the services of a corporate travel agent improves control of a company’s travel management program. It also ensures seamless compliance with the travel policy of the company.
Paxes assures the implementation of cost-effective measures by offering instant access to vast inventories of travel and accommodation bookings. Employees can book travel according to their preferences through the travel management portal’s app without deviating from the travel policy.
Suggested Read: How Do Small Business Travel Agency Add Value To Business Travel
Corporate Travel Agents FAQs
Who are corporate travel agents?
Corporate travel agents manage corporate travel of employees via various travel management platforms.
What are corporate travel platforms?
Corporate travel platforms are online software and apps that provide travel management solutions for corporations TMCs.
Why do organizations need corporate travel agents?
Organizations need corporate travel agents, as they are specialized in managing business travel and have access to the best resources, making travel simple and efficient for corporates.
How does a corporate travel agent help with cost saving?
A corporate travel agent provides customers with access to extensive inventories, offering the best deals and discounts without hassle.
How do travel management companies help maintain the Duty of Care policy for corporate travelers?
Travel management companies remain in touch with the corporate managers of an organization and extend support to traveling employees. They provide emergency contact and other instructions in various threatening situations to the employees on business trips.
