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The route to business travel success


“I


t’s better to travel well than to arrive” goes the saying – but whether it’s true or not depends on who sorts out


the travel arrangements. Leaving aside the origins of this maxim (incorrectly attributed to Buddha, but more likely to have its roots in the writings of Robert Louis Stevenson), there’s good evidence to suggest that arranging business travel is one of those necessities that’s best left to the experts.


Most firms have to organise travel


for their executives or employees at one time or other. It’s the frequency and range of trips that’s most likely to determine the need for outside help. If you’re arranging a few trips a year for a small number of people then there’s probably no necessity to engage the services of a travel management company. But if you’re setting up regular trips every month for your people it’s a good bet that you’d benefit from external expertise.


In a nutshell, it’s not the size


of your company but the size of your regular travel spend that determines if an agency fee is justified.


On a general level, the trend in the business travel sector looks to be positive. One industry survey – the EVP 2018 European Business Travel Barometer* – indicates a “strong note for optimism” in the sector this year, with a rise in spending of 3.4 per cent anticipated.


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