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Travel Guide for Business Travelers in an uncertain world

5 Steps to reshaping your travel program for an uncertain world

2 min
Posted: 17 September 2021
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The pandemic has changed much about our world. It transformed the way we work and it made an indelible mark on business travel, both domestically and internationally.

To gain insight into how to plan in such an unpredictable environment, Egencia partnered with Business Travel News to survey travel managers and other corporate executives responsible for their business travel programs to find out what they’re focusing on as the world reboots into a reality of ongoing uncertainty.

Something that’s abundantly clear? These changes the experts are making aren’t short-term solutions to a crisis. They’re fundamental shifts to how companies view the role of travel in their business. Sixty-three percent of respondents said that their travel program will be forever changed as a result of the pandemic.

In this guide, we share five tactical steps to take to reshape your travel program, according to advice from the experts. Download the guide for valuable advice on how to:

  1. Get clear on what’s essential - To travel or to Zoom, that is the question nowadays. Yet nothing will ever replace true in-person interaction. We’ve got four ways to help you define what 'essential travel' means to your company.
  2. Stay focused on traveler wellbeing and safety - Eight in ten survey respondents (nine in ten with a global program) said being more concerned about traveler safety and wellbeing has been the biggest change for them in the past year. Learn ways you can care for your travelers before, during and after travel.
  3. Keep your eye on spend and savings - While safety has climbed in priority, it doesn’t mean companies are taking their eye off savings. Seventy-one percent of respondents said savings are a key performance indicator for their travel program in 2021. But today that means strategically leveraging your travel program to provide optimum value for the lowest cost rather than wholesale cost-cutting. Here are four ways to do that.
  4. Reboot your traveler training - According to survey respondents, nearly three-quarters believe their travelers will need to be retrained on policy, practices and safety because of how complex their travel program has become. We’ve got four ways to reboot your travel program.
  5. Integrate sustainability - More than half of respondents said sustainability is a priority in their company and that they have plans in place to reduce or offset emissions with travelers and suppliers. Get our four recommendations to integrate sustainability into your travel program. 

The pandemic may have changed the way we work — and the way we travel for work — for good. By staying abreast of current and emerging needs, by taking the time to bring your travel program up to speed, it will serve you, your travelers and your company well, for years to come.

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