Employees have a lot to think about when planning a business trip, from lodging and transportation arrangements to balancing their travel expenses when they get back. A corporate travel manager typically handles these activities on behalf of employees according to the company’s travel policy. Similarly, corporate travel managers can work for enterprises of any size if their employees often travel, despite the fact that they are more popular in larger businesses. Here is all you need to know about a corporate travel manager.
READ ALSO: Corporate Travel Management Companies: Complete Guide
Who Is a Corporate Travel Manager?
Corporate travel managers are responsible for creating and developing a company’s travel policy. They make sure that all travel by employees is safe and complies with business rules. Corporate managers frequently work quickly because they must address any unforeseen travel problems. They might also aid in selecting a corporate travel service that will manage reservations and negotiate rates so that they can concentrate on other duties.
Description of a Corporate Travel Manager job
Corporate travel managers are responsible for a variety of tasks associated with an organization’s travel policy, including creating travel budgets, supporting staff members when traveling, and keeping track of travel expenses. This includes reserving hotels, rental vehicles, and flights. To make sure that the business and its employees get the best deals, travel managers also haggle with vendors. They might serve as a mediator between the travel agency and the business if they’re using one to arrange the trip.
Additional duties that corporate travel managers could have include the following:
- Using business credit cards
- Traveling activity log
- Assisting staff with travel paperwork and rules maintaining a current understanding of travel restrictions
- Adjusting the trip protocol as necessary
What Skills Do Corporate Travel Managers have?
The following are some skills that corporate travel managers may find useful:
#1. Management
Corporate travel managers could be in charge of other travel agents or they might work independently, depending on the size of the business. It’s a good idea for them to have managerial expertise in any situation. Regardless of the size of the department, this skill is crucial since employees who travel may turn to the travel manager for assistance, advice, and knowledge.
#2. Technology
Corporate travel managers could use a range of programs, websites, and applications while at work. The manager most likely manages all internet reservations himself if they don’t have assistance from a travel agency. This can entail utilizing occasionally confusing travel websites or applications. Many businesses also have their own travel websites where staff members can apply for permission to travel or publish receipts when they’ve returned. The travel manager must comprehend the technology and feel at ease using it because they will probably use it frequently.
#3. Communication
Corporate travel managers frequently serve as a point of contact for a variety of parties, including business executives, staff members, corporate travel firms, and travel suppliers. To ensure that everyone understands the information the manager offers, significant verbal and oral communication skills are needed. The ability to effectively convey the company’s travel policy to all employees is crucial because corporate travel managers also develop and implement the policy.
#4. Interpersonal
Building relationships with travel suppliers is a part of a corporate travel manager’s job. Strong connections with vendors can result in better rates and give a travel manager insight into how they do business. A travel manager may also have access to new resources as a result of their relationships with vendors, who may be more willing to offer advice or assistance in resolving problems. To navigate and sustain these vendor relationships, a travel manager must possess strong interpersonal skills.
#5. Financial
Managing an employee’s travel budget is one of a corporate travel manager’s main duties. They must take into account a wide range of elements, including what the firm might reimburse, the limits on reimbursement, the destination of employees’ travel, and the amount required for their meals and lodging. The budget may also be impacted by unique situations and travel restrictions. In order to balance all of these elements and make wise decisions about the trip budget, a corporate travel manager must have financial knowledge and expertise.
#6. Problem-solving
Traveling can be difficult for a variety of reasons, including unanticipated emergencies, lodging problems, or aircraft delays or cancellations. To be able to tackle these problems when they arise, corporate travel managers find that having strong problem-solving abilities is quite beneficial. Employees can experience safe and efficient travel thanks to their flexibility and capacity to overcome obstacles.
Qualifications Needed to Work as a Corporate Travel Manager
The qualifications of a corporate travel manager include the following
- Â Education: While some companies require only a high school diploma, many corporate travel managers have a bachelor’s degree. Tourism, travel, and hospitality are examples of common fields. Corporate travel managers do not always need graduate degrees, but they can be useful in expanding your job options and opportunities for career advancement.
- Experience: Many companies prefer that their corporate travel managers have prior experience in the fields of travel, tourism, or hospitality. This experience can provide you with additional insight into how the travel industry works and make many aspects of your job easier, such as determining budgets and booking tickets and accommodations. Working as a travel agent may be a good way to gain experience before becoming a corporate travel manager. Other useful experiences include jobs involving international travel regulations, international currencies, and travel and expense reporting.
- Certification: Certifications are mostly determined by the company and aren’t usually mandated by the state, but it’s important to check local regulations for potential requirements. Certifications can make you a more valuable employee and increase your job prospects even if they are not required.
Some of the most popular certifications held by corporate travel managers are listed below:
- Professional in Travel and Tourism (TTP): The TTP credential proves basic proficiency in the travel and tourism sector.
- The Certified Travel Associate (CTA) designation, which is intentions is for travel agents, denotes a high level of knowledge regarding travel-related topics.
- Anyone working in corporate travel should obtain the Certificate in Corporate Travel Execution (CCTE), which gives knowledge of travel-related themes such as finance, risk, legal concerns, and human resources.
What are Corporate Travellers?
Corporate Traveller is a one-stop shop for booking and managing business travel. You can save money by working with Corporate Traveller to book flights, hotels, and ground transportation. Accounting and reporting time spent resolving last-minute travel issues.
What is Travel Arrangement Management?
Any arrangement entered into in a State with a travel agent for the provision of services that in that State constitutes the carrying on of business as a travel agent in that State is referred to as travel arrangement management.
Is Concur a Travel Management Company?
Yes, Concur is a travel management company. Concur is one of the most established travel and expense management software companies in the world today. Concur provides a full range of products for corporate travel management, expense tracking, and invoicing.Â
How Do I Book a Quarantined hotel in Uk?
When you arrive in the UK, you must stay in a government-approved quarantine hotel for 10 days (11 nights). Furthermore, you can only enter the UK through certain airports, including London Heathrow and London Gatwick. You should double-check this before making your travel arrangements. You should thoroughly read the government’s guidance on booking and staying in a quarantined hotel.Â
Before you travel, you must book and pay for a hotel room. A quarantine hotel costs £2285 per night (with additional costs for accompanying family members). Following your arrival, you will be transported from the airport to your quarantine hotel. Hotel quarantine bookings are handled by Corporate Travel, a travel management company.
Because there is no guarantee that you will be able to book a hotel for the day you want to arrive in the UK, you should think about booking a hotel alongside making your travel arrangements. COVID-19 tests are included in your quarantine hotel package and must be taken on or before day 2 and on or after day 8 of your quarantine.
Corporate Travel Management is in charge of the managed quarantine service (CTM). You must book a managed quarantine package at least 14 days before your arrival. The reservation includes your lodging, quarantine transportation, and travel tests for COVID-19 tests on days 2 and 8 of quarantine.
Online reservations are available at https://quarantinehotelbookings.ctmportal.co.uk/. If you have any problems booking through the booking portal, please call +44 (0)20 7429 9732. Before you can complete your passenger locator form and board your flight to the UK, you must agree to book and pay for a quarantine package.
What Happens If Your Day 2 Test Is Positive?
If you get a positive test result on day 2, you must quarantine yourself immediately and for 10 days. Day 0 is the day of the test.
How long Is Red List Quarantine?
If you are arriving in the UK from a Red List country or have been in a Red List country within the last 10 days, you must stay in a government-approved quarantine hotel for 10 days (11 nights).
What Is CTM Portal?
The CTM Portal is the most straightforward but effective method of managing your business travel. The portal serves as a unified platform for all of your preferred business travel tools, making it simple and straightforward to access your tools for booking, planning, reporting, risk management, and profile maintenance.
Summation
The duties of a corporate travel manager may vary. In general, they are in charge of managing the corporation’s travel services. In order to ensure efficient and risk-free corporate travel, they typically administer, manage, and monitor travel policies, guidelines, and budgets.
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FAQs about Corporate Travel Manager
Why is corporate travel management required?
To provide future efficiency, a corporate Travel Management team will focus on cost savings as well as improved reporting. They are also in charge of ensuring that colleagues travel safely and that all applicable travel policies are followed.
What are the various types of corporate travelers?
There are four kinds of business travelers.
- Business trips are currently very popular, and many employees have made them a part of their working routine.
- The affluent travelers
- The harried travelers.
- The calm travelers.
What is the worth of hiring a corporate travel management firm?
Access to a dedicated support team, reduced travel spending, risk management assistance, access to travel technology, enhanced reporting, travel policy creation, and integration, and time savings are all advantages of partnering with a corporate travel management company (TMC).