Travel managers: a watchful eye on business travels

On this multi-billion euro market (28 billion euros for professional travel estimated in France in 2008– source AFTM), the first trend is to shrink expenses. A recent study realized at the request of the Association of corporate travel executives, Acte (see box), that brings together professional travel managers in large corporations, gives volume to the phenomenon. 93% of companies questioned announce a reduction in travel expenses in 2009. 59% of companies consulted declare they would like to arrive at these budget reductions by com­bining at once a decrease in number of trips and nego­tiation of prices for services from suppliers, while 39% will be satisfied with limiting the number of trips. “In just a few months these percentages have increased, particularly at American companies,” insists Susan Gurley, executive di­rector at Acte. “They reflect a greater concern about the ef­fects of the economic recession and the fact that it is here for some time.”According to a study presented at the last Espace Voyages Professionnels forum, this automation of procedures saves around 50% in the management of monitoring professional travel and avoids a large share of individual straying. According to this study, only 40% of French businesses use SBTs because they lack awareness or just stick to their old, more personalized approach with travel agencies out of habit. This figure should grow under as the pressure for saving rises.Whatever cuts are made to travel budgets, the role of bu­siness travel managers is not called into question in Europe, on the contrary. Companies rely on their know­how to find sources for savings and implement policies limiting travel. 68% of travel managers questioned indica­ted that their company had stressed respecting travel po­licies. This study shows that the items under very high surveillance are airline tickets in 85% of cases, hotel reservations in 59%, seminar...