If your company clocks frequent flyer miles, then you will want to leverage the services of a corporate travel consultant. A corporate travel consultant has the professional knowledge and expertise to streamline your travel processes.
In the present economic climate, when everything is about cost-cutting, a corporate travel consultant can plan trips within your business travel budget.
But can the ideal travel management company provide you with the tools, programs, and consulting expertise? What role will the travel management consultant play? Read on to find out.
The key responsibilities of a corporate travel consultant
Typically, a travel management company provides the services of a corporate travel consultant. These consultants have the expertise to manage the duties of corporate travel as follows.
Organize business travel
A corporate travel consultant will arrange business trips and events for their customers. They manage the entire planning and booking process of your organization. They operate services like hotel accommodations, flights, and car rentals.
Leverage the best travel offers.
You could get exclusive discounts for your business travel when you engage a corporate travel consultant. It can increase the cost-effectiveness of working with value brands. Best of all, corporate travel consultants have a worldwide service provider network.
But that’s not all. They can negotiate with service providers and vendors for the best corporate rates. Sometimes, they may help you sign an agreement or contract for a preferential rate with the supplier.
In other words, you can reduce your travel expenses with the best bargains. Travelers can successfully and affordably plan their travel arrangements. The best part is that they get the best pricing even if your business traveler has to take last-minute business trips.
Provide advice and support with business travel.
It can take time to decide on the hotel before you can experience its service. Also, hotels, services, and customer tastes may change with time. A corporate travel consultant has the pulse of the market. They also know which hotels travelers should avoid using. Such information comes from years of experience with planning and organizing stays. They also have a personal interaction with customers on the complete travel experience. Customers will let their travel consultant know if a hotel service needs improvement. This kind of first-hand knowledge comes in handy when they advise you.
Create travel itineraries
Corporate travel consultants also create travel itineraries. A corporate travel consultant also has the expertise to handle any messed-up plans. They can quickly and expertly avert problems. Then they will take the necessary steps to keep business travel running smoothly.
Manage challenges
Another responsibility of a travel consultant is to stay informed on travel-related news. They have easy access to information that is constantly and swiftly changing in today’s scenario. A business traveler can travel safely with peace of mind. The travel consultant will have a plan B for all situations, whether climate-related challenges or flight changes. Even when COVID-19 restrictions are not in place, they keep tabs on any eventualities.
Handle documentation
Nowadays, professionals look to relocate to a different town or country for a work opportunity. In such a case, they can use the advice of their trusted corporate travel consultant to streamline the relocation process. The corporate travel consultant is an expert in organizing work permits and travel visas. They will guide you with procuring the necessary visa documentation and managing any other challenging paperwork. Corporate travel consultants have information on countries, protocols, mandates, visa application criteria, etc. In some cases, there are other prerequisites for travel.
Duty of care
Corporate travelers can rely on support from their travel management company if they face any travel issues. They can call their travel consultant for guidance during the business trip. They will advise the traveler in case of health precautions, flight changes, or safety guidelines.
The expertise of different destinations
Corporate travel consultants know the best weather conditions and peak seasons of different destinations.
Your travel consultant can offer information on recent health and safety regulations effective at travel destinations, on airplanes, and more. They may guide on matters such as dress code, social habits of the places you visit, etc. They can also give tips on the best meeting hubs for hosting business appointments with your company stakeholders. They can provide you with entertainment ideas and the activities available at your travel destination. These tips and expert advice can help your employee enjoy hassle-free business trips.
The benefits of working with a corporate travel consultant
Let’s explore some of the benefits of working with a travel consultant:
Save travel costs: A travel consultant must ensure that corporates get the best deals on flights and hotel rooms. Most travel management companies do so by maintaining a rapport with the supply chain of travel partners.
Customized arrangements: A corporate travel consultant knows the client’s needs. As a result, they design a customized travel package based on those unique needs.
Time and expense management: Corporates can find relief from the burden of planning trips. The travel consultant manages the travel expenses efficiently by keeping costs within budget. Hence, there is no waste of time or resources on travel arrangements or payment reimbursement.
The Bottom Line: Use the right solution
A travel management company will support its customer base with expert corporate travel consultants. They help businesses to run their travel plans seamlessly. They reduce the pressure that their corporate customers may feel in managing travel.
A corporate travel consultant has the expertise to cut travel costs, save resources and present the ideal travel plans. But the role of a corporate travel consultant continues to change in the modern travel landscape. The more sophisticated travel management platforms like ITILITE offer the very best of technology.
Travelers can have autonomy over their business trips. The consultant may use data analytics to create travel policies. These policies are customized to meet the customer’s business needs.
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Tola Yimika
