Business travel agents, often referred to as personal assistants in the business travel industry, manage all aspects of business trip planning, including organizing itineraries and finding great deals on flights and accommodations. With the rise of digital travel management platforms, many are questioning the role of corporate travel agents in the industry.
This article explores the advantages of using their services, addressing the questions of what a business travel agent is and how they fit into the business travel landscape.
What Is A Business Travel Agency?
A business travel agency focuses on managing and arranging travel plans for businesses, organizations, and government agencies. They work closely with clients to understand their needs and preferences, using industry connections to secure the best deals. They offer support services like 24/7 emergency assistance, travel insurance, and management reporting.
In addition to booking travel, business travel agencies can also offer itinerary planning, expense management, and corporate travel policy development. By using a business travel agency, companies can save time, money, and resources while ensuring employees travel safely and efficiently for business purposes.
What Does A Business Travel Agent Do?
Business travel agents manage corporate travel arrangements, including booking flights, accommodations, visas, and travel support. Additionally, they ensure cost-effective, safe business trips, reduce friction, and ensure policy compliance. They can be individual consultants or part of a corporate travel agency.
Business travel arrangements may become challenging if not managed properly. Therefore, they may quickly experience overspending and disorganized travel due to the numerous different itineraries, travel expenses, and travel requirements that must be taken into account.
Business travel agents use a company’s complete set of travel requirements to design business trips that fit their spending limits. Corporate travel agents may be responsible for:
- Obtaining visas for travel
- Booking flights and other forms of transportation, such as car rentals,
- Ensuring that duties of care are carried out
- Making travel schedules
- Making hotel reservations
- Coordinating with the finance department to establish travel expense procedures
- Assisting those who travel for work
What Are The 5 Types Of Travel Agencies?
Let’s examine the six main categories of travel agencies and the methods they employ to remain vital to their clientele.
#1. Offline Travel Agency:
The rise of technology and the internet has transformed offline travel agencies from being charming to being expensive compared to online travel agencies. A retail travel agency, similar to a retailer, buys from wholesalers and sells travel products directly to customers.
Therefore, this model targets customers seeking help with creating travel itineraries, finding the best deals, arranging transportation and accommodation, obtaining refunds and cancellations, and handling insurance, travel documents, and currency.
#2. Online Travel Agency:
Online travel agencies (OTAs) are popular and successful for selling travel products like airfare, lodging, car rentals, and holiday packages directly to consumers. With expertise and knowledge, OTAs connect hoteliers, airlines, suppliers, and travelers, building strong personal relationships and understanding evolving needs.
Additionally, their personalized customer experience is key to their success, and businesses should recognize the importance of personalized experiences for today’s customers.
#3. Wholesale Travel Agency:
Wholesale travel agencies, acting as intermediaries between vendors and retailers, manage the complex travel distribution channel by buying products from airlines, hoteliers, and transportation companies and selling them to retail agencies.
Additionally, they specialize in planning, organizing, creating, and marketing holiday package tours based on traveler preferences.
#4. Business Travel Agency:
Travel management companies (TMCs) manage business travel for corporate customers, offering advantages over online travel agents (OTAs) and meta-search engines.
Additionally, they offer expertise in business travel, quick booking, discounted airfare and hotel rates, 24/7 on-trip support, and crisis management. Note that targeting the business audience and working with their specific needs is crucial in any industry.
#5. Leisure Travel Agency:
Leisure tourism is a rapidly growing industry, with agencies offering customized holiday packages, itineraries, accommodations, and guided tours to travelers seeking a break from their busy lives.
Additionally, these agencies must cater to the specific needs of their customers, as leisure tourists differ from business tourists, necessitating specialized and tailored services
What Are The Benefits Of Business Travel?
Here are seven of the main benefits of using a business travel agency to manage your corporate travel.
#1. They offer discounted travel:
A business travel agency offers numerous benefits to companies, including discounts on flights and accommodations. As they book large volumes of flights and hotel rooms, they can secure better flight rates and discounts.
Additionally, long-established agencies can provide access to flight and hotel room upgrades, VIP lounges, and first-class ground transportation.
#2. They save Time and Money:
Making use of a business travel agency has obvious benefits in terms of time and cost savings. They could quickly find you the best deals thanks to their contacts in the industry and their knowledge.
Therefore, the majority of companies select business travel suppliers that have a focus on serving clients in a similar sector. This is very advantageous because skilled business travel agencies can streamline your travel plan, saving you both time and money.
#3. They offer Round-the-Clock assistance:
A business travel agent is an emergency contact for travelers, providing support before, during, or after their travels, especially if they don’t speak the local language. They can also help during political or weather upheavals, ensuring a smooth and stress-free trip.
Additionally, their services ensure the immediate resolution of issues, allowing employees to enjoy their business trips.
#4. They provide inside Knowledge:
Business travel agencies can give you inside knowledge that isn’t generally available to the public because they have many years of expertise in their industry. Their extensive knowledge and insider access keep them abreast of the most recent developments regarding flight price changes.
Additionally, their insider information also makes it possible to change your itinerary without incurring additional costs. Itineraries can be changed by a business travel agent for little to no additional cost, saving your company money.
#5. They Comply with Corporate Travel Policies:
Any business, big or small, that sends workers on business trips needs to impose a corporate travel policy to make sure everyone follows the fundamental guidelines. Specific flight classes, rental car stars, and hotel tier rates are all covered by these regulations.
Therefore, by advising staff on all the acceptable options, a business travel agent aids in the enforcement of this policy. By working with a business travel agency, you can avoid spending additional time monitoring staff adherence to your company’s travel policies.
#6. They offer access to Resources:
Business travel agents offer comprehensive resources for a smooth business trip, using online tools to identify factors affecting the trip. They can print flight tickets, inform passengers about delays, and ensure a scheduled driver.
Additionally, with their extensive access, they can prevent mishaps and book alternative flights if weather changes cause delays. This ensures peace of mind and a team of competent professionals to handle any issues.
#7. They make use of the best travel booking systems:
Business travel agencies offer top-notch online systems for end-to-end travel bookings, eliminating the hassle of individual bookings. Additionally, they provide reliable, consistent booking platforms and tools like mobile apps for submitting travel plans and requesting changes, and they maintain open communication with their agents. This cutting-edge technology streamlines the process, allowing for efficient management of employees’ travel itineraries and saving time.
How Do I Start A Successful Travel Business?
You can start your new business off on the right foot with the help of these eight best practices.
#1. Define your niche:
Experiences in sports, travel, or corporate planning can help a start-up travel agency succeed. Those who know the ins and outs of traveling, clients’ interests, and the best places to stay can provide a memorable experience that attracts repeat customers and earns word-of-mouth advertising. Additionally, this includes hobbies like water rafting, rock climbing, sports, honeymoon planning, and working for major corporations.
Other travel niches include the following:
- Honeymoon vacations
- Corporate travel
- Adventure tours
- Sporting events travel
- Medical travel
- Destination weddings
- Foodie tours
- Pet-friendly travel
- Senior travel
- Family travel
You can structure the rest of your business by beginning with a narrow focus on your identified niche. As your company expands, you can diversify into new markets or hire partners who are experts in various fields.
#2. Make Research on the current market and trends:
To determine the niche for your travel agency, conduct market research to identify potential customers, the target market’s demographics, the problems they face, and how customers solve them. Additionally, analyze existing competitors, their travel agency models, and their unique offerings.
This will help you understand the industry, set achievable goals, and gather valuable information for potential investors. Therefore, by answering these questions, you can create a comprehensive understanding of your niche, ensuring your business is a success and meets the needs of your target audience.
#3. Make sure you have the right tools and skills:
To open a successful travel agency, consider using technologies like travel booking software, itinerary software, accounting software, and customer relationship management (CRM) software. Some software solutions combine various functions into a single package, like Pipedrive. To ensure proper skills, consider getting travel agent certifications and joining travel agent associations.
These leading certification programs for travel agents can help your company appear credible.
The Travel Institute offers travel agent certifications
- Certified Travel Associate (CTA)
- Certified Travel Counselor (CTC)
- Certified Travel Industry Executive (CTIE)
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Travel Agent certifications
- Certified Cruise Counselor (CCC)
- Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC)
- Master Cruise Counselor (MCC)
- Elite Cruise Counselor (ECC)
- Travel Agent Executive (TAE)
Other Travel Agent Certifications
- Global Travel Professional (GTP) certification by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)
- Verified Travel Advisor® (VTA) certification by the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA)
- Travel Agent Accreditation by the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
#4. Create a budget:
Calculate the startup costs for a travel agency, which range from $5,000 to $15,000 for an online-only operation. Consider essential business formation, computer equipment, travel agency software, a website, marketing collateral, office space, and furniture. Determine the necessary components and estimate the total budget. Additionally, create a detailed financial plan, including financing options if needed.
#5. Create a business plan and company name.
A business plan is crucial for success in the travel industry. It includes market analysis, a financial forecast, employee numbers, and compensation. To start formulating the big picture, you should:
- Decide whether to operate a traditional or online travel agency.
- Start an online-only, home-based travel agency with minimal startup costs.
- Choose between a sole proprietorship or limited liability company (LLC) for startup business owners.
- Consider hiring a top-rated business plan writer for expert guidance.
- Develop a business name that conveys your vision and serves your interests online.
- Consider a matching domain name and other similar companies.
Once the business plan and name are finalized, it’s time to make it official.
#6. Obtain necessary licenses and registrations:
Starting a travel business requires two main sets of paperwork: standard business licenses and registrations and occupational travel agent licenses. Independent travel agents may need their licenses while partnering with a host agency can save on fees.
Standard business licenses cover local city, county, and state requirements, while travel agent licenses vary by jurisdiction. Most states and the federal government do not require professional licenses for travel services, but some require occupational licenses.
#7. Create a brand image:
A successful travel agency’s brand represents its image, including its logo, color scheme, slogan, and company values. It is a combination of the company’s strategy and consumer perception. Additionally, to create a humanized brand image, it is crucial to humanize client interactions and provide a personal, empathetic experience.
Furthermore, professional branding services from expert marketing contractors can help create an image that shows the agency cares about people, not just money, and position it to outshine competitors.
#8. Promote your new business:
Start promoting your new travel agency by using social media, SEO, news releases, referrals, website optimization, and paid search ads. Additionally, consider hiring a marketing consultant to create high-quality materials and quickly find potential customers. If you’re an independent travel agent, consider joining a host agency to help launch your business.
Best Business Travel Agents 2023
For businesses of all sizes, here are the top ten travel management companies:
#1. TravelBank:
TravelBank provides a complete solution for corporate travel management, including expense reports, financial planning, and booking. Businesses can save both cash and time with TravelBank while making sure that their staff members have a smooth and safe trip.
#2. AMEX GBT:
AMEX GBT is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for a quick and dependable way to manage your business travel. Additionally, their communication method during disruptions and risk alerts makes them a dependable option, and their pre-negotiated rates may help you save money.
#3. SAP Concur:
SAP Concur is a comprehensive approach for businesses that want to manage their travel expenses. Additionally, it offers an extensive variety of features, such as invoicing, expense reporting, and booking tools. Therefore, for businesses looking to simplify their travel procedures and lower costs, it is the perfect solution.
#4. CWT:
A 150-year-old company, CWT is present in 150 nations worldwide. It offers a dependable and user-friendly business-to-business platform for employees. Additionally, travelers can reserve rooms at more than 800,000 properties through their myCWT app, which is available on PCs and mobile devices.
#5. Egencia:
This travel management tool, Egenci, can assist companies in keeping a record of their travelers and travel-related information. This can guarantee both the safety of travelers and a seamless travel itinerary. Additionally, Egencia also provides analytics and reports so that companies can assess the effectiveness of their travelers and identify areas for improvement.
#6. BCD Travel:
BCD Travel provides travel management solutions for businesses worldwide, with offices in 109 countries. Additionally, their software suite includes three customized platforms and APIs for easy integration, ensuring tailored solutions for businesses of all sizes.
#7. CTM:
CTM is a good choice if you’re looking for a complete travel solution for your company. They offer online booking resources that make it simple to locate a hotel and a rental car for business travel. Therefore, your business trip can be quickly and easily organized with CTM.
#8. TravelPerk:
TravelPerk can meet all of your needs thanks to its partnerships with the most prominent companies in the sector and the world’s largest catalog of travel options. Therefore, forget about wasting hours looking up flights, hotels, and car rentals; let TravelPerk handle all the legwork.
#9. FCM Travel Solution:
FCM Travel Solution offers great deals on business travel with over 650,000 hotel properties and airline partnerships. Their FCM Connect suite includes online booking and expense management, simplifying trip planning and tracking.
#10. TripActions:
With the help of TripActions’ dependable partner connections and simple booking procedure, you can get where you need to go quickly and easily. Additionally, the customer support team at TripActions is always available to assist you if you need it.
What Are The 4 Types Of Travel?
#1. Business Travel:
Business travel is a specific journey for work purposes, accounting for 30% of international trips. It is essential in today’s world of instant communication and social media. Additionally, the main reasons for business travel include networking, showcasing leadership skills, obtaining examples, being personal, checking conditions, attending meetings, searching the world, doing deals, and offering incentives.
Furthermore, meeting suppliers, customers, and clients in person is crucial for gaining valuable insights and enhancing the overall business experience.
#2. Leisure travel:
Leisure travel involves personal relaxation and enjoyment, while business travelers combine leisure and corporate travel for a balanced experience. Bleisure travel, which is a combination of business and leisure, blurs the boundaries between leisure and corporate travel, making it an attractive part of employees’ jobs. Additionally, corporate travel policies outline guidelines for employee extensions, return flights, holidays, free time, and expenses. These guidelines establish expectations and provide employees with exciting travel opportunities.
#3. Adventure travel:
Adventure tourism is a niche industry that involves risky exploration and physical exertion. In the US, it has grown as tourists seek out-of-the-ordinary vacations. It encompasses activities like mountaineering, trekking, bungee jumping, mountain biking, canoeing, scuba diving, rafting, kayaking, zip-lining, paragliding, hiking, exploring, canyoneering, sandboarding, caving, and rock climbing.
Furthermore, interest in adventure travel has increased due to access to technology and independent travel websites. Despite women’s participation, the gender gap remains pronounced in sport tourism, but females currently have a higher success rate in competitive sports.
#4. Medical tourism:
Medical tourism refers to individuals traveling abroad to obtain medical treatment, often for surgeries, dental, or fertility services. It can also include health tourism, which focuses on medical treatments and healthcare services.
Additionally, health tourism encompasses preventive, health-conductive, rehabilitation, and curative travel and is related to wellness tourism. Different medical agencies determine drug approval in their countries, and motivation may also be for medical services that are unavailable or not licensed in the home country.
What Business Travels The Most?
The following are the business categories that travel the most:
- Sales Representative
- Retail Buyer
- Event Planner
- Consultant
- Traveling Nurse
- International Aid Worker,
- Civil Servant
- Travel Writer
- Tour Guide
- Travel Agent
- Flight Attendant
All of these jobs involve or demand business travel in some way. However, it is also important to note that 55% of business travelers work in managerial or professional roles with annual salaries of at least $120,000.
What Is The Difference Between A Business Trip And Business Travel?
Business travel refers to travel undertaken for work or business purposes, as opposed to leisure travel or regular commuting between home and workplace. It is the most common expression for travel that involves businesses, while business trips refer to extended vacations for leisure but work to supplement income.
Furthermore, business travel is a general term referring to all trips for work purposes and is not limited to just one journey. In general, business trips are a significant part of an airline’s income, and the singular form cannot be used.
What Is Business Tourism?
Business tourism involves traveling for business purposes, both domestically and internationally, contributing to global economic growth and knowledge exchange. Additionally, it allows employees and executives to meet partners, attend conferences, and participate in company retreats.
However, business tourism is not always work-related. In 2017, over 60% of business trips included leisure activities, such as staying longer, attending museums, concerts, or exploring local cuisine.
How Do You Make Business Trips?
#1. Make travel arrangements:
Planning business travel is crucial, and familiarizing oneself with the company’s policy is essential. Book travel by air, rail, car hire, or boat, considering door-to-door journeys, cost, and convenience.
Additionally, visualize the trip, research companies, and consider budget restraints. Note that careful preparation, including Wi-Fi and departure times, increases confidence and relaxation.
#2. Select your accommodation:
Business travel requires choosing the best accommodations for your needs. Therefore, you should:
- Book a nearby hotel for a single meeting place, using maps to measure distances and considering busier roads and transport networks.
- Check your company’s hotel policies for preferred hotels and compare rates for similar types of accommodations.
- Choose a fairly priced option, as some companies may have a daily cost limit.
- Pay attention to amenities such as free Wi-Fi, 24-hour room service, and power points for charging devices.
- CBT Hotel Intel provides travelers with trusted peer hotel reviews, making it a useful tool for business trip planning.
#3. Create a detailed itinerary:
Your itinerary is the blueprint for a successful business trip, ensuring control over every detail from transport times to meeting names. Allow extra time for relaxation, meetings, and busy traffic.
Additionally, consider using tools like the myCWT app, which syncs your itinerary with work calendars and shares it with colleagues. This helps with communication, efficiency, and safety when traveling to unfamiliar destinations.
#4. Do Research on your destination:
Researching a destination is crucial to avoid unnecessary risks and ensure a comfortable experience. Some cities are known for pickpockets, so be cautious when storing important items like phones. Additionally, understanding the current political situation and culture of the destination can be beneficial.
If traveling to a different culture or country, research behavior and manners before arriving to avoid offense or misinterpretation. For example, learn etiquette on tipping, business card distribution, and basic phrases like greetings and “thank you” to make a good first impression.
#5. Prepare your travel documents:
To ensure a smooth travel experience, it’s crucial to remember vital travel documents like a valid passport, travel tickets, and sometimes a visa. Research visa requirements as soon as possible, even if you are transiting through a country. Some embassies may take days or weeks to issue visas. Additionally, keep photo IDs like passports or driving licenses safe to ensure your name matches the one on the ticket.
#6. Remember your electronic accessories:
Ensure productivity during your trip by bringing a laptop or tablet and ensuring you have chargers and adapters. Packing these at the airport can save time and money, making it essential to be prepared.
#7. Get ready for your meeting:
Planning a business trip involves focusing on your objectives and meeting them. Gather information about the people and places you’ll meet, such as dress code, equipment, and presentation format. Check if the host has suitable screens and cables to avoid delays or confusion.
Furthermore, make a good first impression by setting aside time for preparation, conducting thorough research, and following these business travel tips to optimize your chances of a productive and enjoyable trip.
WHERE TO TRAVEL TO IN JANUARY FOR VACATIONS? 21 Top Destinations
Travel Agency: Best Travel Agencies In Nigeria
BEST SOLO FEMALE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS IN 2023
References:
