Are corporate travel managers becoming redundant?

Saturday, 17 Aug, 2005 0

One third of corporate travel bookings will be made online this year, according to projections by the research firm PhoCusWright. This growth is being fueled by the major online travel companies Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity’s projected increase of the $91 billion market for managed business travel from 10% to 15% by 2008.

Many Fortune 500 companies have embraced online bookings for their employees, saving the company lots of money, while providing their employees the convenience of online bookings and quicker expense reimbursements. In some instances, costs have been reduced for each travel purchase transaction from $50-$80 down to $5, plus reduced airfares of up to 30 percent.

While all this has been good for business executives, the highly paid corporate travel managers who oversee corporate travel programs for these companies fear for their jobs…a hot topic at the National Business Travel Association annual convention in San Diego that ends today.

Adapting to these changes is the key to survival.

Some corporate travel managers have been able to shift their freed-up time from tactical to more strategic role and take on more of role in other areas such as corporate meetings planning, relocation, etc.. After all, many corporations realize these travel managers were the people responsible in the successful implementation of their online booking system and retain them to manage other travel related areas which need attention.

Travel managers at midsize and smaller organizations are the most likely to see their jobs eliminated.

Charles Kao

We understand the importance of personal touch We do things a bit differently at Eventsquid. We know that we could...

From the Tel Aviv beach scene to the shores of the Dead Sea, Israel layers diverse cultures, outdoor adventures, and...

Blue Diamond Resorts consistently goes above and beyond guest expectations by delivering groundbreaking vacation experiences through our exceptional collection of...

Classic Collection is where travel expertise and personal service combine to create the perfect luxury holiday. Our travel agent partners...

Offering the most powerful portfolio in the industry, our 30 brands and 8,000+ properties across 139 countries and territories give...

The city has been the vibrant heart of Japan for over 400 years, and is a crossroads where tradition meets...

The Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna – POT) is one of several dozen national tourism organisations operating in the...

Traveltek is the world-leading provider of online solutions for the travel trade, from consumer-facing websites to call centre applications. We...

Located in the heart of the Northeast and within easy driving distance of a third of the population of the...

The Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB) is the only organization that promotes metro Detroit regionally, nationally and...

Air Transat is Canada’s number one leisure airline. It flies to some 60 international destinations in more than 25 countries...

Virtuoso is the leading global network of agencies specializing in luxury and experiential travel, with more than 20,000 advisors. We...

Some describe it as a natural playground. Some say, it’s simply unique as it offers a great array of travel...

Travel Outlook, the premier hotel call center™ Travel Outlook is an innovative, custom off-site central reservations office (CRO) service that...

ECOMMPAY is an international payment service provider and direct bank card acquirer, engineering bespoke payment solutions for clients worldwide. Our...

Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator. Its 93 properties span all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives,...

Global Hotel Alliance brings together a unique collection of independent hospitality brands for GHA DISCOVERY, a multi-brand loyalty programme. GHA...