business travel

Business travel: Strategic investment or cost to be reduced?

Business travel are an indispensable tool for business development. With the unfavorable economic trends of the last decade, companies have been adjusting their investment, adopting a restrictive travel policy that puts employee comfort before cost minimization.

However, the comfort and satisfaction of the employees in the business trip has been gaining ground in recent years when it comes to adjusting corporate travel policies. So, which type of travel policy should you adapt: one focused on cost minimization or one with a greater investment to increase the comfort of your employees?

Business travel culture

To organize business travel for these employees, each company establishes a travel policy, which is an internal regulation intended to provide a framework for the organization of employees' business travel. Following the 2008 financial crisis, companies restricted their spending on business travel, with many of them booking economy class tickets instead of business class or rooms in lower-level accommodations.

In short, they are minimizing the costs associated with employee travel, but this reduction in convenience leads to a reduction in traveler motivation and efficiency.

4 main factors characterize the direction of the corporate travel policy:

  • Duty of care, safety is the main criterion of a travel policy
  • Improving traveler and mobility
  • Costs and optimization levers
  • Listening to traveler satisfaction

According to a recent survey, 65% of companies have implemented a policy of care and protection for their travelers. And within that, they want to improve their travelers' experience during their stay, giving more and more importance to mobile. "By doing so, companies mainly want to improve the productivity and comfort of travelers during their trips, offer more assistance and guidance, and facilitate business travel. In particular, it is essential to be able to offer a new reservation in case of disruption, safety and security solutions, improve customer service or ensure better traceability of expense reports."

"While improving the traveler experience is an important focus for companies, this year the measurement of satisfaction as a building block of travel policy seems to have reached a plateau: 56% of companies say they measure traveler satisfaction, and 32% say they evolve their policy accordingly. However, companies state that they place more importance on listening to their employees: 57% of respondents say their voice will have an impact on travel policy (+11 points), especially on the choice of new booking tools (tablets, mobile, etc.) with 72%, preferred booking options (direct, through a travel agency, etc.) with 67%, or duty of care solutions with 62%"

In another survey of UK travel managers, duty of care (73%), as well as traveler welfare (70%), are at the center of their attention.

These results are correlated with the evolution of the phenomenon of bleisure As a study conducted by Booking.com shows, approximately 75% of professionals extended their business trips for sightseeing.
For more information on bleisure travel, we have written an article about it -> Bleisure

business travel

The benefits of a travel policy for employee comfort and satisfaction

When a company places the well-being of its employees at the heart of its business travel policy, it makes them more motivated, focused and efficient during their travels. Because it should not be forgotten that a business trip can generate a series of limitations and represent an important source of fatigue.

Providing comfort to employees is therefore a very important component of a travel policy. The comfort provided will make them happier and more available during their travels, which in turn will help to build customer loyalty and maintain good relationships with key business partners. A good organization with complementary services will also reduce the stress and anxiety of your employees.

Finally, thanks to a travel policy that puts the well-being of your employees first, you will at the same time retain these employee-travelers who will tend to stay and promote the company in which they feel most comfortable.

What are you waiting for, offer comfort to your employees, they will thank you by being much happier and more efficient during their business trips.

Vyootrip simplifies business trips

If after reading this article, you are considering investing in optimizing, simplifying, and better managing your company's business travel, Vyootrip offers you an integrated solution to achieve this goal.

Our platform and services will allow you to implement 100% your corporate travel policy, to provide autonomy and comfort to all your employees when it comes to travel. Also giving the management and administration part, automations that will allow them to better control all the related processes, as well as freeing them of time dedicated to it.

What are you waiting for to offer your employees more time and comfort during their business trips?

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