p30 Biz travel feb20 17/2/09 18:08 Page 30
news conference report
ttglive.com
Business Travel Show • February 10-12 • London
Agency targets
‘This is the time to
£50m turnover
TRAVEL Counsellors has predicted its corporate
save our clients’
travel division will be worth £50 million by the
end of 2009. THE CREDIT crunch should be seen as an capacity globally would fall and that the hotel
Managing director Steve Byrne made the opportunity for travel buyers and managers – business would become a buyers’ market.
prediction at the Business Travel Show in London, and not a reason to get depressed, according to Maguire, who works at the University of Texas,
where Travel Counsellors unveiled its new corpo- National Business Travel Association president also said increasing numbers of corporates
rate travel website –
tctravelmanagement.co.uk. Kevin Maguire. would embrace alternatives to travel, though
Last year the company turned over £40 million The Texan travel veteran believes the he insisted face-to-face meetings to clinch deals
in business travel transactions, an increase of economic downturn was an ideal juncture for would never be replaced.
more than £12 million on 2007. corporates who had never previously looked at “A survey of our travel buyer members
Byrne claimed its “unique personal service” will travel spend to get costs under control. found that 75% were increasingly using
attract businesses of all sizes in the recession. Speaking at the Business Travel Show in teleconferencing, while 57% were already tuned
“Personal service is the key and we are London, Maguire said: “This is the into videoconferencing,” he said.
finding it is in increasing demand,” he said. strangest and most difficult time in “For the most part these are sensible
“Travellers want to build up a relationship with the history of the travel industry. and sustainable decisions, but I do not
their travel booker and not be subjected to the “But this is an opportunistic believe either could become an actual
impersonal methods of a call centre.” time for travel buyers and replacement for the face-to-face meet-
Byrne added that his company had made a bookers. If ever there was a time ings held to strike deals.”
strong start to the year and had stepped up its for a corporate to get their travel Maguire called on delegates at
recruitment strategy. and meetings spend under control, it the Business Travel Show
is now. to play their role
“Buyers, bookers and in saving busi-
suppliers must form better nesses and help-
partnerships and work ing the economy
together, because if we recover.
don’t all make a profit we “Now is our
are all losers.” time as travel
Maguire told dele- buyers and
gates that global busi- bookers. We can
ness travel trends were demonstrate
changing drastically value and make
Recession stems
and that the industry savings that will
must prepare for a prevent compa-
growth of CSR
change of landscape. Kevin Maguire, National Business Travel Association president: nies from going
He predicted airline “Buyers, bookers and suppliers must form better partnerships” under.”
COMPANIES are upping their commitment to
corporate social responsibility, according to a
survey by the Association of Corporate Travel
Premiair launches airport helicopter
Executives and IT company KDS.
But the study also found green travel is suffering PREMIAIR has launched a helicopter transfer Service in direct response to customers’ re-
in the recession as cost cutting becomes a priority. service between the London heliport in quests for a quicker link to central London from
The report revealed that 61% of organisations Battersea and a number of key business airports the regional airports.”
now have a CSR charter, up from 58% last year, in the south of England. Prices are based on a fixed-price tariff for
while 27% of organisations prefer to do business The charter helicopter company will use an one-way trips. Charter rates start from £1,695
with suppliers and partners with a CSR charter. AS355 four-seat Twin Squirrel helicopter and a plus VAT.
But so far only 28% of corporate travel depart- Sikorsky 76 VIP, which can seat nine, on shuttle Meanwhile, PremiAir’s parent company, Von
ments are required to report to management on services between Battersea and Oxford, Essen Hotels, is to open a five-star property,
carbon emissions performance. Stansted, Heathrow and Gatwick airports. called Hotel Verta, adjacent to the Battersea
And only 17% said environmentally sustain- David Langton, the company’s sales and helipad later this year.
able travel was high on their agenda. customer service manager, said: “We have
The survey polled 329 travel buyers. introduced the London Helicopter Shuttle ■ More luxury ideas in our US feature, p55
30 20.02.2009
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