By Magni Haakon
In this globalized corporate world, many professionals travel frequently for work purposes. However, most corporate travelers don’t have enough experience and skills to make corporate travel plans. So, almost every company considers hiring business travel consulting services to make it easier for employees to plan corporate trips and manage travel contingencies. The business travel consultants operate in a dynamic and proactive work environment. Moreover, they are responsible for formulating the company’s travel policy while negotiating with suppliers and vendors for the best deals. This article sheds light on the important responsibilities of corporate travel consultants.
- Recommending the Best Options
While planning for a business trip, companies have several options to choose from hotels, car rentals, flights, and routes. However, employees need to consider the company’s travel policy and budget when comparing available options. It is the corporate travel consultant who recommends alternative options and helps companies choose the right accommodations, airlines, and car rentals according to their travel policy.
- Making Travel Arrangements
Apart from comparing and recommending alternatives, business travel consulting services also help employees book flights, hotels, and cabs. Even many consultants use a software solution in this technologically advanced age enabling employees to make travel arrangements and bookings effortlessly.
- Managing Corporate Travel Challenges
It is with real-time assistance and supports that employees can manage an array of business travel challenges. Corporate travel consultants have access to real-time information allowing them to manage emerging corporate travel challenges and keep employees stress-free. For instance, these professionals upgrade flight class, prioritize waiting-list, and allocate preferred seats to manage flight-related issues time and again.
- Collecting and Updating Travel Documents
Employees are required to carry some important travel-related documents such as passports, visas, business documentation, international driving licenses, and more when traveling abroad for work trips. Many times, employees forget to update their corporate travel documents due to their packed work schedules. The corporate travel consultants are responsible for helping employees to collect and update necessary business travel documents at the right time.
- Networking and Negotiations
Along with making business trips stress-free and hassle-free, business travel consulting services continuously look for options to reduce ongoing costs. These professionals work on increasing return on cost (ROC) by connecting and networking hotel chains, airlines, and car rentals across different countries. In addition, they negotiate with suppliers and vendors to get their clients the best deals at the lowest rates.
- Ensuring Traveler Comfort and Safety
Post-pandemic employees are depending on real-time information and assistance to stay safe when traveling for work. The professional corporate travel consultant often is the first point of contact for business travel during local and international trips. They research to provide up-to-date information about the pandemic situation and protocols to the employees according to a particular destination.
Conclusion
The key responsibility of a professional corporate travel consultant is to help companies increase return on travel costs while maintaining the safety of employees. However, not every corporate travel consultation agency is proficient enough to make business travel arrangements. Therefore, whenever considering hiring a business travel consultant, companies should conduct research and background checks to know the credibility of services.
