Several companies send employees on different assignments, like business development, project work, or customer service. There is a constant rise in the demand for business travel which asks for good travel manager skills as companies realize the potential of face-to-face interactions with clients. Business travel helps organizations explore networking opportunities by participating in trade fairs, conferences, and seminars. The travel manager’s role assumes greater significance with the growth in business travel.
Corporate business travel involves myriad factors, like travel booking, employee safety, travel policy compliance, and expense management. Corporate travel manager skills enable them to perform diverse roles to streamline business travel. They contribute to the organization’s business continuity while optimizing travel expenses.
Top 10 travel manager skills essential to succeed as a business travel manager
Improving the travel experience of employees and productivity of business trips are some travel manager skills to consider. Travel manager facilitates smooth business travel by managing diverse activities and processes. The following are the top business travel manager skills to be a successful business travel professional.
1. Managerial skills
It may sound like a no-brainer, but top travel manager skills include management skills to enhance the travel experience of employees. A travel manager is the most sought-after resource in times of emergency. They must have the sound ability in crisis management and people management. The travel manager’s role may cross over to the HR domain, requiring exceptional managerial skills.
2. Business travel industry knowledge
The constantly growing and evolving business travel sector is causing a significant shift in the preferences and behavior of modern business travelers. They are more tech-savvy and comfortable with new technologies, like using online travel booking platforms and finding the best travel options through online searches.
The travel manager should have a sound knowledge of the industry trends, like travel management platforms, to automate business travel. Aspiring travel managers must update their travel industry knowledge besides learning the new travel trends like bleisure, the duty of care, and sustainable travel.
3. Leadership and interpersonal skills
Leadership skills help you feel empathetic about employees to design policies that address travel safety and elevate their travel experience. Good leaders know how to handle stress and make the stakeholders feel comfortable throughout the travel. Travel managers must interact with many employees who are eager to resolve their travel-related issues. A travel manager should quickly understand the problem and provide a solution. Interpersonal skills help establish relationships with travel vendors and strike better deals.
4. Financial skills
Controlling travel costs within the limits of travel policy is a travel manager’s accountability. Financial knowledge is among the business travel manager skills. Travel managers should have in-depth knowledge about reimbursement limits for different expenses, like accommodation, food, and transportation, and should detect policy deviations.
5. Negotiation skills
Organizations expect travel managers to curtail business travel costs because it is the second-highest business cost after employee compensation. However, cutting down on the frequency of business travel is not a prudent way to minimize business travel costs.
Negotiation is the most suitable way to curtail costs without impacting the travel experience. Negotiating with vendors and brokers is among the most vital travel manager skills. Travel managers can leverage their negotiation skills to streamline travel policy implementation across employee levels.
6. GDS knowledge
The travel industry relies on the Global Distribution System as it simplifies corporate travel with a vast database of suppliers, including hotels, airlines, rentals, and travel booking. Exposure and working knowledge of the GDS platform are among the essential travel manager skills.
Suggested Read: What Is A GDS System And Why Is It Important
7. Analytical skills
Analytical skills help travel managers make prompt decisions by analyzing the situations. They can understand complex data sets to derive meaningful conclusions. It helps improve the travel experience by tweaking travel policies. The travel manager skills of data analytics help them prioritize tasks.
8. Communication skills
Most tasks of a corporate travel manager involve liaison with travel agents, travel suppliers, tour operators, employees, and other departments, like accounts. Travel manager skills include an excellent ability to communicate with diverse groups of people from different locations. Language skills are also helpful in establishing communication with employees and other stakeholders.
9. Budgeting skills
Budgeting is among essential business travel manager skills, as they should be experts in designing the travel budget. They should have the skills to monitor travel spending to ensure control over the budget. Basic finance and budgeting skills are crucial for a travel manager’s role.
10. Delegation skills
A travel manager should know how to delegate routine tasks like travel booking to employees. It will help them focus on curtailing travel costs by striking profitable deals on accommodation and transportation. Permitting employees to book their travel can cause travel policy deviations. Using an automated travel management solution like Paxes allows travelers to book transport and hotels within travel policy, reducing the burden on travel managers.
Technical skills essential for a travel manager
In addition to the above skills, the travel manager much be tech-savvy and have knowledge of the following technical skills:
Online Booking System: They must be proficient in using Online booking systems such as GDS(Global distribution system) or other travel agency platforms to streamline the booking process.
Travel Management Software: Choosing and using the appropriate Travel management software is a crucial task as it helps in itinerary creation and expense management.
Expense Management Tools: Travel managers need to know the efficient way to handle all the travel expenses while maintaining policy compliance.
Data Analysis and Reporting: Just recording the expenses is not enough. They need to suggest to the company the efficient way of improving business travels.
Certifications to enhance a travel manager’s skills
ASTA’s Travel agent certification: It is a 12-month certification course established by a well-known association in the travel industry. It focuses on cultivating certified professional agents that can assist travelers with their needs, It can range from $399-$729, depending on your membership.
Certified Travel Associate: This is a shorter certification that can help potential tour operators learn the art of the tourism industry. It takes 3-6 months to complete the certification and costs $450.
Certified Travel Industry Executive: CTIE required 5+ years of experience in the travel industry. It can take up to 18 months to complete the course and it costs $550.
Conclusion
Travel managers need to work with employees from diverse backgrounds besides maintaining smooth relations with account and HR departments. They should involve other departments and business travelers to create a bespoke travel policy for the organization. Travel manager skills are necessary to improve ROI through travel policy compliance.
The job involves strict control of the travel budget by ensuring travel policy compliance. They must establish good contacts with travel agents, travel suppliers, and other stakeholders to get the best travel deals and build extensive travel inventory. Travel managers should know how to automate travel management by deploying an online travel management solution like Paxes.
Travel Manager Skills FAQS
What are the main functions of a travel manager?
A travel manager designs, communicates, and implements a business travel policy and ensures its compliance by employees. They negotiate the best travel rates with travel suppliers to minimize travel expenses and adopt policies to improve the travel experience of employees by ensuring their safety and well-being.
Why is business travel essential?
Business travel enables organizations to explore new business opportunities and helps the company grow in new territories. It is necessary to develop long-term business relations. Company executives can attend trade seminars to improve their knowledge and networking.
How does a travel manager help an organization fulfill its duty of care obligations?
A travel manager develops a risk management process and supports employees on the road in emergencies.
What is the way to automate travel management?
A SaaS-based travel management solution is a vital requirement to automate business travel management. Employees can access the online platform through their smartphone for travel booking.
How does automation of travel management ensure travel policy compliance?
The online travel management platform enables seamless integration of travel policy. It limits employees
What role do adaptability and flexibility play in the day-to-day responsibilities of a travel manager?
Travel plans can change unexpectedly, especially in the corporate travel industry. The travel managers must be adaptable and flexible to quickly revise itineraries, rearrange travel accommodations and flights and ensure a smooth experience for the employees.
How important is organizational and time management skills for a travel manager?
Organizational skills help in efficient planning, coordination and collaboration, problem-solving, and adaptability in certain situations. Time management skills are essential for travel managers to meet deadlines and set realistic timeframes for each task to maximize productivity.
