Corporate travel management is changing. Not only do managers face increasing pressures from head office to get employees traveling, meeting clients, and attending conferences again, but you’re also trying to navigate rising costs (thanks to an unstable economy) and evolving traveler demands.

So as business travel hurtles towards a full recovery, with 78% of travel planners expecting more business trips to be taken in 2023 versus last year, we’re helping you get prepared with these top tips for overcoming the challenges ahead.

What is corporate travel management?

Corporate travel managers are responsible for overseeing, organizing, and managing everything involved in the business travel process. That means transport, housing, costs, protocols, safety, duty of care, employee well-being - and so much more. It’s a task that in itself means juggling a lot of moving parts - making it all the more difficult now new factors are coming into play.

4 ways to be proactive in corporate travel management

Here are our top tips to help you plan, book, and organize business trips in the most efficient and stress-free way.

1. Lean on tech for support

There are a lot of tasks involved in corporate travel management and within each task a lot of requirements to fulfill. Take, for example, searching and vetting housing options and suppliers manually and then coordinating all of these separate companies. That’s a lot of time spent on just the booking process alone.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Technology solutions such as an all-in-one travel booking platform can automate these long-winded steps, to save you time and hassle. Find specially selected accommodations based on your needs in a simple click - and don’t worry about vetting, this is already done for you. What’s more, you can say goodbye to juggling multiple different suppliers and instead find everything you need in one place.

2. Get ahead of rising costs

Due to increasing fuel costs, significant labor shortages, and rising material prices, everything from airfares and ground transportation to accommodation rates is expected to rise in the coming 12 months. This is disheartening news for companies planning to utilize face-to-face meetings and in-person events to propel their business and deepen client relationships. So, how can you continue to send employees away on domestic and international business trips without falling victim to the downsides of the economic slowdown?

Find ways to cut costs without cutting corners. The last thing you want is to compromise on quality, especially when trying to keep your employees incentivized. One way to achieve this is to book through a cost-free business travel marketplace that offers competitive rates backed by a pricing guarantee. For an even better deal, look for a marketplace with a built-in bid feature that offers corporate travel managers the chance to land the accommodation they want for less.

3. Involve the traveler

If you’re finding keeping up with business traveler demands difficult, why not simply ask the employee what would make their experience better? A lot of travelers like to be involved in the booking process - after all, the accommodation will be their temporary home during the trip. Allowing employees to take part in trip preparation is even more important if you’re booking accommodation for those who are relocating or staying away for an extended period of time.

With pre-vetted accommodations and suppliers in an all-in-one platform, travel managers can be more flexible and give employees greater control over their trips without compromising company policies - including security, safety, and duty of care.

4. Standardize the process

We know your inbox is likely bombarded with requests to book various employees on trips and that there never seems to be enough time in the day to get through these. So why are you rewriting and starting anew every time? Standardization allows travel managers to simplify the entire process with the added bonus of creating a more equal experience for all employees.

Where do you start? It’s simple - instead of starting from scratch every time you begin planning a business traveler's trip or relocation, start in the same place: a business travel marketplace. Using the same platform to book everything from suppliers to accommodation means your employees receive the same high-quality experience every time - and better yet, it saves you a ton of time, effort, and stress!

You may be facing increasing challenges when it comes to booking employees on business trips, but companies must remember the value of in-person events and face-to-face meetings, not to mention how business travel is often seen as a perk to employees. Recent research suggests that 3 in 5 business travelers are unsatisfied with the frequency of their trips and because of this 23% are considering moving jobs.

That sounds like a lot of pressure, but corporate travel management doesn’t have to be strenuous. Managers can combat additional challenges from economic pressures and expectations by following these four easy steps: get tech-savvy, find great deals, let employees have more choice, and create a company-wide standard for business travel.

3Sixty: helping businesses help business travelers

3Sixty, the business travel industry’s most secure and intuitive accommodation platform, helps employees to book and manage their stay in quality, cost-effective rooms, and properties around the world.

Interested in cutting costs, time, and stress? Standardize your company travel process by joining our marketplace, which has over 1 million pre-vetted accommodation options. Get started by booking a demo here.