Business Travel & Bleisuringhttp://businesstravel.postach.io/feed.xml2023-12-11T04:47:56.075000ZWerkzeugTop Destinations For SA Business Travellershttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/top-destinations-for-sa-business-travellers2023-12-11T04:47:56.075000Z2023-12-11T04:41:46ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></span></div><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/1c4a7196-54b5-4f0d-85f4-5a8676d7eab9/7e93b1cd-54d1-f02a-fe9c-181514765b04/d724112f-f41c-40a5-40e4-dc6e97ff876a.jpg" style="--en-naturalWidth:5760; --en-naturalHeight:3840;" width="1041px"/><div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#434343;">A </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>corporate travel management</u></span></a><span style="color:#434343;"> company looked at traveller behaviour, booking patterns, airfares and popular destinations for an indication of what the top business travel destinations are.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#434343;">For example, booking behaviour has very much remained on par with 2022.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#434343;">"Businesses are booking on average 15 days before travelling. What has changed, however, is the top 5 international and regional business destinations and the airfares to get to these destinations," Smith says.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#434343;">London, UK</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#434343;">It comes as no surprise that London is a popular destination for South African business travellers and will remain so for 2023.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#434343;">In addition, Smith says Heathrow is one of the top international airports for corporate traffic originating from South Africa with many South African businesses having headquarters in the UK or being listed on the London Stock Exchange. "We are therefore not surprised to see London in top position once again this year," says Smith.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#434343;">Dubai</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#434343;">There has been an increase in the interest rate, hence Emirates boosted the number of flights to South Africa. From March onward, the total frequency of Emirates flights into South Africa will be 42 weekly flights.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#434343;">However, the cost of an economy class ticket has increased by 53% in 2023 in comparison with 2022.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#434343;">Inbound </span><a href="https://www.iol.co.za/travel/south-africa/northern-cape/5-out-of-the-ordinary-safari-ideas-to-charm-visitors-54580fc0-4fe3-4439-bd19-64571b153064" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#2f80ed;">tourism</span></a><span style="color:#434343;"> to Dubai flourished in 2022, with the hotels seeing 15-year occupancy highs, according to KPMG. The UAE now hosts one of the richest hospitality markets in the world; with an expected 25% growth in the industry by 2030 and 40 million new visitors staying at hotels in Dubai by 2031.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#434343;">Paris and Mauritius</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#434343;">Coming in hot on the third spot is Amsterdam and Mauritius: "With conferences and events picking up, it is not surprising to see Paris, Amsterdam and </span><a href="https://www.iol.co.za/travel/africa/mauritius-grounds-all-flights-as-it-keeps-close-eye-on-cyclone-freddy-06d1b669-dfb2-4be0-ba42-5a730480c87f" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#2f80ed;">Mauritius</span></a><span style="color:#434343;"> in the top 5," explains Smith.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#434343;">Additionally, Airfares to Paris are currently affordable and have decreased by 14% as compared to 2022, whereas, economy class fares to Amsterdam have increased by 45% and fares to Mauritius by 24%.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#434343;">Entebbe/Kampal, Uganda</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#434343;">According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Uganda has been identified as an anchor state for</span><a href="https://www.iol.co.za/travel/south-africa/eastern-cape/look-5-of-the-best-places-to-experience-a-luxury-safari-escape-in-the-eastern-cape-c56e931d-4ef3-44f2-9991-7f6cc544d54e" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#2f80ed;"> South Africa, </span></a><span style="color:#434343;">particularly given its geopolitical position within the East African region. Airfares to Entebbe increased by 18% compared to 2022.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#434343;">Nairobi, Kenya</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#434343;">In the second most popular destination for South African </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>business travellers</u></span></a><span style="color:#434343;"> with airfares having only increased slightly by 5%.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#434343;">According to Smith, Nairobi was named Africa’s leading business travel destination at the World Travel Awards in 2022. ‘’What’s more, is that leaders of Kenya and South Africa have been actively collaborating in the past few weeks to address any trade barriers," says Smith.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#434343;">Antananarivo, Madagascar</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#434343;">Madagascar takes the third spot; with restrictions being lifted, South Africans can once again enjoy regular scheduled services to Madagascar.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#434343;">Smith adds that South Africa has always been an important source market and supply-chain link for Madagascar’s business and leisure tourism sector; with Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport being a key factor as it is well-positioned for Madagascar-based businesses and travellers to access destinations within Southern Africa.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#434343;">For top-tier </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>management of your corporate travel</u></span></a><span style="color:#434343;"> - choose a top-tier </span><b><span style="color:#434343;">CTM company</span></b><span style="color:#434343;">.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Article shared from </span><a href="https://corporatetraveltalk.wordpress.com/2023/12/13/top-destinations-for-sa-business-travellers/">https://corporatetraveltalk.wordpress.com/2023/12/13/top-destinations-for-sa-business-travellers/</a></div>
AI Can Transform Business Travel For Small Businesseshttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/ai-can-transform-business-travel-for-small-businesses2023-11-27T04:42:09.182000Z2023-11-27T04:32:40ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="font-size: 20px;"><span style="color:#666666;">As technology continues to advance and companies incorporate artificial technology into their workspaces, the tools used to plan a </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/small-business-travel/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>business trip</u></span></a><span style="color:#666666;"> or claim an expense can be entirely automated</span></span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#374151;">The proportion of </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/small-business-travel/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>SMEs or small businesses travelling to engage in overseas business</u></span></a><span style="color:#374151;"> has risen to an all-time high of 83 per cent based on the findings of the Singapore Business Federation's 2017/2018 National Business Survey. </span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#374151;">For aspiring CEOs looking to succeed in the Asia Pacific region's relationship-centric economy, establishing business partnerships and alliances through physical networking and face-to-face discussion is vital, and business travel will play a huge role in maintaining business momentum and relationships. However, </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/small-business-travel/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>small business travel</u></span></a><span style="color:#374151;"> can pose a challenge for SMEs in terms of limited</span><b><span style="color:#374151;"> resources for productivity and budgeting</span></b><span style="color:#374151;">. Thus, the challenge for many SMEs will be to manage business travel and expenses as a strategic driver of growth.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></span></div><h2><span style="color:#000000;">Tech Answers</span></h2><div><span style="color:#374151;">Artificial intelligence (AI), as technology, has undergone many disruptive iterations, many businesses in today's economy are looking to the future to imagine how AI could transform business travel by solving two of the most significant issues on the minds of travel and HR managers: compliance and process. In the long term, AI adoption by the travel industry will revolutionise business travel management in a variety of ways, such as reducing compliance monitoring efforts and automating traditionally analogue tasks, including expense claim oversight and trip arrangements.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#374151;">Here are three ways the use of AI can help SMEs as they look to grow their companies internationally.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#374151;">Business travellers are usually on the go and appreciate efficiency, especially when travelling. With thousands of potential travel offerings available online, much time would be wasted sifting through options to find an ideal airline or hotel.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#374151;">Through machine learning, AI can track and study user searches online to customise and recommend travel solutions based on past searches or location-based parameters. This could enable companies and travellers to improve the speed and accuracy with which they personalise their travel offerings and itineraries, such as airline preferences, hotels and car rental companies, based on parameters set by users. Instead of using a company agent, booking and planning could be accomplished quickly via an app or site, cutting the cost and time needed to plan the trip.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></span></div><h2>Workflow Automation</h2><div><span style="color:#374151;">In the past, to book a work trip, one had to get in touch with a travel agent who then checked for available flights before replying with a listing and availability. In the ever-changing technological ecosystem, booking flights and accommodations have become increasingly more accessible and seamless. Today, one does not even need to deal with a travel representative from the start of a trip to the end.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#374151;">As technology continues to advance and companies incorporate AI into their workspaces, the tools used to plan a business trip or claim an expense can be entirely automated. Why waste precious time scanning receipts and following a detailed expense reimbursement procedure when you could directly capture the receipt with your smartphone, upload it to an app and get it approved within minutes?</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></span></div><h2><span style="color:#000000;">Insights</span></h2><div><span style="color:#374151;">As larger companies invest heavily in AI, SMEs who use AI have an advantage in that they can process vast amounts of information in the blink of an eye. This means that data mined by your company and similar companies, such as travel details, can be used to provide insights that help SMEs make cost-saving decisions.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#374151;">From finding the best flights and accommodations based on a specific budget and time frame to automatically scanning and extracting data for reimbursements or automatically importing data into the company's accounting software, incorporating AI into the workplace leaves less margin for error and ensures that everything moves as smoothly as possible from pre-trip to post-trip. It also helps SMEs cut costs and manpower requirements.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#374151;">The use of AI is becoming increasingly mainstream and will soon—if it has not already—become the standard across business travellers, especially for SMEs looking to expand their businesses outside their country. By leveraging travel personalisation via data insights, AI will become a game-changer for all business sectors by providing smart applications and automated efficiency in the business process through optimal utilisation of organisational data.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#374151;">Applying AI to business travel will open up a myriad of opportunities to improve and enhance the business travel experience. The technology as a whole is still in development, but it is the future. As it matures and scales, AI will expedite complex travel decisions, streamline the booking process and deliver more personalised recommendations for business travellers. With the advantage of automation, AI will free up more resources for SMEs to add value to their businesses and scale to achieve valuation and profit.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Info from </span>https://www.entrepreneur.com/</div>
The Crucial Role of Mining Travel Managementhttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/the-crucial-role-of-mining-travel-management2023-09-25T14:48:52.466000Z2023-09-25T14:42:17ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="font-size: 18px;">In the world of mining, efficient travel management is not just an optional luxury; it is an essential component that can make or break the success of a mining operation. The intricate dance of personnel, equipment, and resources required in the </span><b><span style="font-size: 18px;">mining industry </span></b><span style="font-size: 18px;">demands a well-structured and meticulously executed <a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/mining-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none">travel management system</a>. Here's why it is so crucial:</span></div>
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<div><b>Safety First:</b></div>
<div>Mining is inherently a dangerous profession, and the safety of employees should always be a top priority. Effective travel management ensures that personnel are transported safely to and from the mining site, reducing the risk of accidents on the road.</div>
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<div><b>Resource Optimization</b>:</div>
<div>Proper travel management minimizes downtime by ensuring that workers, machinery, and materials arrive on time. This efficient coordination can significantly impact productivity and profitability.</div>
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<div><b>Cost Control:</b></div>
<div>Mining travel expenses can quickly escalate if not managed effectively. <a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/mining-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none">Mining travel managers help control costs</a> by optimizing routes, selecting cost-effective transportation options, and reducing unnecessary delays.</div>
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<div><b>Compliance and Regulations:</b></div>
<div>The mining industry is subject to various regulations and compliance requirements. A robust travel management system can help ensure that your operations meet these legal obligations, avoiding potential fines and legal issues.</div>
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<div><b>Emergency Response:</b></div>
<div>In the event of an emergency, having a well-organized travel management system in place can mean the difference between life and death. Quick and coordinated responses are critical, and a good system can facilitate this.</div>
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<div><b>Remote Locations:</b></div>
<div>Many mining sites are located in remote or challenging environments. Proper travel management plans account for these unique challenges, ensuring that personnel and resources reach these locations safely and efficiently.</div>
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<div><b>Environmental Considerations:</b></div>
<div>Responsible mining operations also take environmental concerns into account. Effective travel management can reduce the environmental impact of travel by optimizing routes and minimizing fuel consumption.</div>
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<div><b>Data and Analytics:</b></div>
<div>Modern travel management systems utilize data and analytics to continually improve efficiency. By collecting and analyzing travel data, mining companies can identify trends and areas for improvement, leading to better decision-making.</div>
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<div><b>Employee Satisfaction:</b></div>
<div>Well-managed travel arrangements contribute to employee satisfaction. Comfortable and timely transportation options can boost morale and retain valuable talent in a competitive industry.</div>
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<div><b>Competitive Advantage:</b></div>
<div>Mining is a highly competitive sector. A streamlined and efficient travel management system can provide a competitive edge by reducing operational costs and increasing overall productivity.</div>
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<div>In conclusion, the importance of <a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/mining-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none">mining travel management</a> cannot be overstated. It's a multifaceted system that ensures the safety of employees, controls costs, complies with regulations, and contributes to the overall success of mining operations. As the mining industry evolves, embracing advanced technologies and data-driven solutions in travel management will become increasingly critical to maintaining a competitive edge while operating responsibly and safely.</div>
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<div>Article posted by <a href="https://corporatetraveltalk.wordpress.com/2023/09/26/the-crucial-role-of-mining-travel-management/">https://corporatetraveltalk.wordpress.com/2023/09/26/the-crucial-role-of-mining-travel-management/</a></div>
Discussing Why It’s Vital For Every Company To Have A Travel Policyhttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/discussing-why-its-vital-for-every-company-to-have-a-travel-policy2023-08-19T11:13:12.976000Z2023-08-19T11:04:19ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color:#333333;">It’s a drum that must continue to beat, but every company, no matter how small or big their travel spend, should have a straightforward, easy-to-follow </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>work travel</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;"> policy in place.</span></span></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">Perhaps before "you’re on mute" became part of our everyday vocab, travellers were happy to go it alone. But things have changed since the dark days of 2020, and instead of chasing the lowest fares or loyalty points, bookers and travellers are focused on information, communication, flexibility, sustainability and safety.</span></div>
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<div><i><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">Looking for </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:rgb(17, 85, 204);">corporate travel agencies</span></a><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);"> that understand </span></i><b><i><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">your travel needs </span></i></b><i><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">well?</span></i></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">There are new questions to ask and answer. For example, what measures has your company put in place to ensure the safety of women travellers? How do you support the health and well-being of your team when they’re out on the road? Do you provide opportunities for more sustainable travel?</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">A well-planned travel policy addresses all these issues, while also balancing the personal preferences of your people. It’ll leave you less exposed to risk, eliminate leakage (aka rogue bookings), and help you get a handle on your travel spending.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">Sun Tzu said that if you "sweat more in peace, you bleed less in battle". And while it may sound dramatic, the truth is if you spend a little time and effort getting your travel policy right, you’re setting yourself up for massive gains (and a lot less stress) in the long run.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">Here are just five reasons to lay the groundwork now:</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">It’s the glue that keeps everything together</span></span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">In today’s global business environment, the old ‘nine-to-five’ model is no more. Instead, organisations are juggling office-based employees, staff who are working from home, and consultants and teams that are spread across continents. Throw in tight budgets, new sustainability goals and ongoing complexities and there is a lot to consider.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">A travel policy ensures that your team knows exactly how to book; who signs off on travel; the process for managing and submitting expenses; your company’s safety protocols; and what to do in case of an emergency. There is no room for interpretation, and your policy will become the glue that holds your entire travel programme together – making life easier for everyone involved.</span></div>
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<div><i><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:rgb(17, 85, 204);">Get an experienced corporate travel agency</span></a><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);"> to draft your policy to ensure comprehensive.</span></i></div>
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<div><b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">Even ‘baby steps’ make a big difference</span></span></b></div>
<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">Drawing up a travel policy shouldn’t be a daunting or onerous process. In fact, a really solid ‘starter policy’ just covers the basics, like:</span></div><ul><li><div><span style="color:rgb(102, 102, 102);">Are there any restrictions on who travels where, whether it’s locally or internationally? In other words, are any destinations regarded as high risk?</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:rgb(102, 102, 102);">Are there any restrictions on travel during certain periods, for example, during an audit or at financial year end? And how long can your travellers be out of the office?</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:rgb(102, 102, 102);">How should business trips be booked? Online or with a preferred TMC?</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:rgb(102, 102, 102);">Are there any preferred partners when it comes to flights, accommodation and car hire?</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:rgb(102, 102, 102);">Who’s responsible for signing off travel – and what is the process?</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:rgb(102, 102, 102);">How do travellers submit their expenses, and what can (and can’t) be claimed back?</span></div></li></ul><div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></span></div>
<div><b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">It’ll save you money</span></span></b></div>
<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">Bottom line? Having a travel policy in place is still the number one way a business can save money. And the numbers don’t lie.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">By mandating and consolidating their travel spending with preferred suppliers, they suddenly had access to volume discounts, exclusive rates and plenty of perks. Crucially though, they were able to eliminate leakage – where money is lost, often invisibly, because there are no guidelines (or accountability) in place in terms of how, where and when employees can book travel.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">It helps with planning, booking and reporting</span></span></b></div>
<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">A good travel policy also supports a good online booking platform, and vice versa. With such platforms, travel bookers have access to a wide range of travel content – all aligned with your company’s travel policy and goals. What does this mean? Not only will booking and managing travel become a whole lot simpler for travellers and bookers alike but suddenly you’ll have access to clean workable data, which is a powerful tool.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">Full visibility over your travel spend means you’re able to gather insights into your company’s travel behaviour, identify potential savings, manage your budget, and report with confidence.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">In this risky era, it’s more important than ever</span></span></b></div>
<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">Business travel can be unpredictable. Any travel policy needs to cover traveller safety and well-being. For example, how will you keep in touch with your travellers while they are on the road? How will you track everyone’s whereabouts for safety and security purposes? What is the emergency protocol should something happen?</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">Trust your TMC to help you develop a comprehensive risk management strategy that includes everything from how many travellers can fly on the same flight to insurance and medical cover.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">..</span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">Honestly, a travel policy should be the cornerstone of your travel programme. It’s a living document that should be reviewed and updated regularly to meet your organisation’s changing needs and sustainability goals.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);">Info shared by </span><a href="https://thebusinessjetsetter.weebly.com/blog/discussing-why-its-vital-for-every-company-to-have-a-travel-policy">https://thebusinessjetsetter.weebly.com/blog/discussing-why-its-vital-for-every-company-to-have-a-travel-policy</a></div>
New Research Says It’s Time We Rethink Our Business Travel Programshttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/new-research-says-its-time-we-rethink-our-business-travel-programs2023-07-16T09:48:37.564000Z2023-07-16T09:46:40ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="font-size: 20px;"><span style="color:#666666;">Ground transportation, sustainability, bleisure travel and meal options are just a few of the considerations, according to a new study from Uber for Business and GBTA</span></span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Business travellers are taking to the roads and the skies again, but are corporate travel programs and policies keeping up with the way business travel happens now? With corporate travel and in-person meetings increasingly returning, businesses need to be thoughtful about how they’re implementing – or re-implementing – their travel programs, especially when it comes to their ground transportation.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">That’s the premise behind a first-ever ground transportation report – "The Corporate Travel Comeback: The Evolution of Ground Transportation and Other Trending Business Travel Topics" – which is based on a quantitative survey of corporate travel managers across the U.S. and Canada. From Uber for Business, Uber’s enterprise arm, and the Global Business Travel Association, the world’s largest association representing the pre-pandemic R25 Trillion global business travel industry, the report uncovers pressing concerns and considerations from travel managers at some of the world’s biggest companies.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">"Corporate travel is on the rise. Uber saw airport rides represent 13% of Mobility Gross Bookings in Q1 2022, growing 166% from the past year," said Susan Anderson, Global Head of Uber for Business. "As more and more companies shift to in-person and hybrid work flows, it’s important that businesses reimagine their travel programs and policies, so that they’re tailored to this new era of business that we’re operating in. Our hope is that this report’s findings can provide travel managers and others in the business travel space with the insights and data they need in order to roll out seamless and efficient travel programs that outpace the requirements of a changing world."</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">The report finds that </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/finance-industry-travel-mangement/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>travel managers</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> emerging from the pandemic are laser-focused on a few key considerations when it comes to evolving business travel programs at their companies: traveller safety, policy compliance, and sustainability. Compared to two years ago, 75% of employers are more focused on traveller safety/well-being, 55% are more focused on sustainability/social responsibility, and 53% are more focused on travel policy compliance/enforcement.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">"As we’ve moved through the pandemic, business travel and travellers have changed, and therefore company travel programs must evolve accordingly. This research puts a spotlight on some of the important and thoughtful considerations happening across companies and corporate travel departments when it comes to serving employees travelling for business moving forward," said Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#000000;">Getting business travellers from Point A to B and everywhere in between</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">When thinking about their company’s current approach to managing ground transportation, survey respondents identified some of the top strengths of their travel programs – as well as notable areas for improvement.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Rideshare and rental cars top the list. Most </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/finance-industry-travel-mangement/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>finance travel management</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> consultants say their company’s employees "frequently" use rental cars (82%) and ride-share apps (70%) on work trips, but fewer than half (48%) say employees frequently use taxis.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Going premium. Most travel policies at least sometimes allow chauffeured transportation/black car service (74%), premium ride-sharing (68%), and premium/luxury rental cars (51%). Roughly one-third say their company’s employees "sometimes" or "frequently" use chauffeured transportation (36%) or premium ride-sharing (30%). Half of travel programs (49%) currently have a business account with a ride-share platform, and one-third (35%) would consider it. The most important features cited by travel managers were reporting (76%), integration with expense platforms (69%), and ability to apply company policies (62%).</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#000000;">Evolving business travel for people and the planet – despite the cost</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Making sustainability a priority. An overwhelming majority (84%) say sustainability is at least somewhat important in the design of their company’s travel program, with 50% saying it is very or extremely important.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#000000;">Of the companies surveyed, 73% are tracking or considering setting up tracking ground transportation sustainability efforts.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Even though travel programs prioritize sustainability, not all are willing to incur significant additional costs in order to achieve more sustainable outcomes. Only 6% of respondents say their company currently allows employees to spend more on sustainable travel options, and an additional one-quarter (26%) are considering allowing employees to spend more.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Work meets play, but how does travel policy follow?</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Business and leisure, are better together. Ninety percent of respondents say employees are more (30%) or equally interested (60%) in bleisure travel – adding vacation days to their work trips – compared to pre-pandemic times. And although 36% say their company’s travel policy expressly allows bleisure trips, 49% their policy does not, but employees are often allowed to take these trips in practice.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#000000;">A business traveller has to eat – but what are the rules now?</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Inflation’s impact on meals. Meal prices are rising because of high inflation. While almost one-third of respondents (29%) say their company has raised its spending limit or per diem for meals, a larger number (56%) say these are unchanged from the last fiscal or calendar year.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Food delivery is here to stay. More than half (55%) of travel managers say their company’s employees at least sometimes use food delivery apps on business trips, and 32% expect employees to use them more than they do today.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#000000;">Most travel programs (52%) already have or would consider having a business account with a food delivery platform. Features important to travel managers are integration with expense software (74%), reporting (72%), ability to order group meals (66%), and ability to apply company policies (64%). The Uber For Business/GBTA survey was fielded April 18-27, 2022, among GBTA members and industry stakeholders in the U.S. and Canada who are involved with managing or procuring travel on behalf of their company and resulted in 202 responses.GBTA members can download a full copy of the research report on the GBTA Hub or visit the Uber for Business website.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Looking for a </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/finance-industry-travel-mangement/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>finance travel management company</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> that understands the changing needs of business travelling and the people who travel - then you should choose a </span><b><span style="color:#000000;">boutique corporate travel agency</span></b><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color:#000000;">Article Source: </span>https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4111307.html</span></div>
A Few Things To Know Before You Get Ready To Get Back To Business Travelhttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/a-few-things-to-know-before-you-get-ready-to-get-back-to-business-travel2023-05-28T11:37:32.463000Z2023-05-28T11:20:59ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div>As companies once more start sending employees to in-person conferences, events and meetings, you must consider that business travel and its impact on the traveller have changed from the way things were before.</div>
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<div>If you have not been on a business trip for years, you must take heed of changed circumstances and impacting factors, says Advaita Naidoo, Africa MD at <a href="https://jhammerglobal.com/" rev="en_rl_none">Jack Hammer Global</a>, an executive search firm.</div>
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<div><i>"Most business travellers will tell you that it was a little bit of a shock to the system during their first couple of trips and in-person events. It is not just a case of getting on the bicycle again with muscle memory making the ride a smooth one."</i></div>
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<div>The playing field has changed, companies and individual travellers must consider this before resuming business travel full throttle, as it can mean the difference between a successful mission or a waste of time and money, Naidoo says.</div>
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<div><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="--en-highlight:yellow;background-color: #ffef9e;">Is u ‘n Afrikaanse besigheidspersoon? Kry al die advies en hulp wat jy benodig van ‘n <a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/besigheid-reis/" rev="en_rl_none">besigheids reisagentskap</a> wat jou </span></span><b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="--en-highlight:yellow;background-color: #ffef9e;">besigheidsreis </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="--en-highlight:yellow;background-color: #ffef9e;">behoeftes verstaan.</span></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></span></div><img src="https://corporatetraveltalk.files.wordpress.com/2023/05/joakim-honkasalo-j4g8uswogek-unsplash.jpg?w=1024" style="--en-naturalWidth:1024; --en-naturalHeight:623;" /><div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></span></div><h2><b>Logistics may not be what they used to</b></h2><div><i>"The approach to … business travel [nowadays] should be as considered as the time and effort invested in return-to-office strategies. We are still in the try-out phase of best practice in terms of hybrid working and now business travel is also thrown into the mix."</i></div>
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<div>Factors that affected the return to the office also come into play when making decisions about business travel, such as the personal ecosystems and logistics of the business traveller, she says.</div>
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<div>Previously, working parents who travelled for work mostly had a smooth-running machine back home to ensure their children were taken care of while they were away. However, chances are that circumstances have changed and support systems may no longer be available, or of the same quality as before.</div>
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<div>Naidoo says the cardinal rule of getting back in the business travel swing of things is to allow more time than before, from planning to execution. She says companies and employees should keep travel logistics, the personal ecosystem of the traveller and rebuilding networking muscle in mind.</div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></span></div><h2><b>Travel logistics for business travel</b></h2><div>It is harder than before to plan a successful trip. Naidoo says internationally regulations have become more onerous, while across the board the lay of the land can change at the drop of a hat.</div>
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<div><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="--en-highlight:yellow;background-color: #ffef9e;">Moenie self sukkel met jou <a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/besigheid-reis/" rev="en_rl_none">besigheidsreis beplanning</a> nie - <a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/besigheid-reis/" rev="en_rl_none">laat ‘n besigheids reisagentsskap dit vir jou doen</a>, sodat jy kan fokus op jou besigheid.</span></span></div>
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<div>Flights may be cancelled without warning, airport staffing may be inadequate, delays may mean connecting flights are missed and rules and regulations for entry to a country may change regularly.</div>
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<div>Therefore, you must allow enough time to plan a trip in detail, while allowing more time for the actual travel should challenges arise. A dedicated and always-on travel agent is advisable in today’s volatile travel market, she says.</div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></span></div><h2><b>Personal ecosystem</b></h2><div>Companies must be sensitive to the current circumstances of their ambassadors. It is not fair to assume that a previous star representative may be as happy as before to spend days and weeks away from home or can be sent abroad with only days’ notice, Naidoo warns.</div>
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<div>It is important to get input from people before they receive travel assignments to consider what support they may require to ensure a successful trip.</div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></span></div><h2><b>Rebuilding networking muscle</b></h2><div>While seasoned business travellers were previously able to effortlessly catch that early morning flight, land at their destination, catch the necessary transport to their meeting or conference and proceed to shoot the lights out networking or presenting to tens, hundreds or thousands of people on behalf of their company, this is not the case anymore.</div>
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<div>Naidoo says it is ludicrous to assume the same level of efficiency and performance at this stage, not only because the trip itself is likely to be much more onerous, but also because in-person networking is a muscle that has lost its strength as a result of more than two years of Zooming and Teamsing.</div>
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<div><b><i>"Allowing additional time for transitioning from the travel leg to the networking leg is helpful if it is possible and just the understanding beforehand as well that the experience might be exhausting and challenging is helpful to put the attendee in a better and more realistic frame of mind."</i></b></div>
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<div>She says just like we recognised that seeing our colleagues in person for particular activities has benefits which cannot be replicated if we all just work remotely forever, it is also important that we again meet our peers and business partners outside our computer screens for conferences and meetings.</div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></span></div>
<div>Transactions can be concluded on screen, but relationships most definitely are built in person.</div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></span></div>
<div><i>"However, getting back to business travel is a matter that requires more than just booking a plane ticket and registration for the event at this stage. But knowing what you are up against, planning more carefully than before and cutting yourself some slack when navigating the first few trips as a company and as a traveller, will help smooth the path towards normalcy again."</i></div>
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<div>Article sourced from https://www.citizen.co.za/business/</div>
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Considering Traveller Well-Being In Corporate Travel Managementhttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/considering-traveller-well-being-in-corporate-travel-management2023-02-26T06:38:51.641000Z2023-02-26T06:34:24ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><div style="text-align:justify;margin-top:16px;"><span style="color:#262626;">The </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/blog/travel-management-over-travel-agencies/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>corporate travel management</u></span></a><span style="color:#262626;"> needs and necessities of how people travel, and the ability to incorporate key stakeholders such as human resources, risk management, legal, procurement and </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/blog/travel-management-over-travel-agencies/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>corporate travel planners</u></span></a><span style="color:#262626;"> in travel policy evolution will be key to enabling a safe, confident and effective return to travel. As travel activities continue to increase, corporate traveller well-being should be prioritised to ensure a healthy and seamless corporate travel experience for all.</span></div></div>
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<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#262626;">Dr Deb Mills, the Medical Director of the </span><a href="https://www.travelmedicine.com.au/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#004eff;">Travel Medicine Alliance</span></a><span style="color:#262626;"> - a network of expert travel medicine doctors - to unearth the key corporate traveller well-being considerations for both travellers and their employers in the year ahead.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div><h2 style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#000000;">Well-being and jetlag</span></h2><div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#262626;">"An individual's internal time clock (circadian rhythm), medical history, travel activities and how alert or creative they need to be during their travels is unique, so health routines and travel recovery times are equally unique to the individual," said Dr Mills.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#262626;">The body can adjust naturally to 1 to 1.5 changes in time zones per day, but symptoms can arise when travelling long-haul (6+ hours), crossing five or more time zones in one day. "The more time zones an individual crosses in a short period, the higher the likelihood of severe jet lag symptoms. Business travellers may need to account for a couple of extra nights' sleep at the destination, and upon return, to allow for sufficient body clock adjustment to support well-being and ensure they are performing to their best potential", Dr Mills explains.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div><h2 style="text-align:justify;">Last minute bookings</h2><div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#262626;">According to Dr Mills, booking travel at the last minute is a common and often avoidable booking behaviour which can have significant implications on corporate traveller well-being. A recent CTM booking trends analysis showed that the pandemic had influenced a 3-4% increase in last-minute bookings (within 24 hours of departure) for domestic and international bookings during 2020 compared to pre-COVID travel activity in 2019. In the January to June 2021 period, advanced booking behaviours had begun returning towards pre-pandemic trends, a move which Dr Mills says will support improved traveller health and well-being as business travellers increase their travel activity.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#262626;">"Don't book last minute if it can be avoided. Travellers need time to mentally prepare for travel and coordinate their personal lives, especially in a more complex travel environment. Last minute bookings can present adverse health risks, and in some cases will be more costly due to limited availability", said Dr Mills.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#262626;">"The biggest concern I see as a medical professional would be people leaving at short notice and saying they don't have sufficient time to prepare for their travel health. Most travel health preparations can be undertaken in advance, so that rapid deployment is safe when operationally required."</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#262626;">Working with a </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/blog/travel-management-over-travel-agencies/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>CTM business</u></span></a><span style="color:#262626;"> can help alleviate some of the stress of making </span><b><span style="color:#262626;">travel bookings for business</span></b><span style="color:#262626;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div><h2 style="text-align:justify;">Health assessments</h2><div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#262626;">On occasion, businesses may have a requirement to relocate staff overseas or interstate for projects or contract-based work. CTM asked Dr Mills what health considerations and preparations are required prior to departure and on arrival.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#262626;">"Depending on the destination and duration of their trip, I recommend business travellers should have a formal travel health clearance assessment prior to departure so the company and the travel agent can document that their duty of care has been fulfilled. For relocations, this should include a complete medical examination as well as a vaccine and medication review. For short postings, a vaccine and medication review are usually sufficient", explained Dr Mills.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div><h2 style="text-align:justify;">Hotel experiences</h2><div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#262626;">When considering preferred suppliers for travel programs, focusing solely on the bottom line is no longer an adequate approach to procurement. In fact, a </span><a href="https://www.travelctm.com/blog/covid-19-travel-survey-results/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#004eff;">2022 Business Travel Survey</span></a><span style="color:#262626;"> showed that the top priorities for travel programs in 2022 were traveller risk, safety and well-being, followed by cost savings and service. Dr Mills added "Travelers need to feel safe, sleep well, eat nutritious food, have space and opportunity to exercise, and a good desk to work at with natural light. Escaping air-conditioning and opting for fresh air ventilation is now of importance, with many travellers seeking accommodation that provides windows that open or balconies. Contactless express check-outs or anything that limits touching surfaces is also another service solution to consider for your travellers."</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#262626;">Traveller well-being extends past the implications of COVID-19 to areas such as travel policy compliance and risk management. When business travellers and Travel Arrangers step outside the approved realms of their travel policy, it can have risk implications for both the traveller and the business. Involving travellers and Travel Arrangers in the process of risk management planning and procurement, and educating them on the importance of tracking, geolocation and compliance to approved suppliers will ensure they see value in the travel program and its broader role in travellers' well-being.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">An article shared on </span><a href="https://thebusybusinesstravellerblog.blogspot.com/2023/02/considering-traveller-well-being-in.html">The Busy Business Traveller Blog</a></div>
Transportation Options While On A Business Triphttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/transportation-options-while-on-a-business-trip2023-01-29T06:39:10.594000Z2023-01-29T06:35:43ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="color:#666666;">One of the most significant stressors when travelling somewhere new for work is transportation. So, if you're starting to travel for work for the first time, you may wonder about the best way to get around a new city.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#252525;">Travelling for your job can be thrilling, and it can even give you the chance to see parts of the world you wouldn't otherwise. However, when you first start going on work trips, you may feel overwhelmed about how to stay on top of your job while navigating a new city or country.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#252525;">In many cases, your company will cover the costs of transportation, and they may even set it up for you. But, if that's not in their budget, you may need to figure out how to get around and submit the receipts. </span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#252525;">If your company doesn’t use a </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>business travel agency</u></span></a><span style="color:#252525;"> that arranges the transport you’ll use during your </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>work trip</u></span></a><span style="color:#252525;"> - here are some</span><b><span style="color:#252525;"> transportation options</span></b><span style="color:#252525;">:</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#252525;">If you want to live like a local</span></b></div>
<div><span style="color:#252525;">When you visit a new place, the best way to live like the locals is to take public transportation. However, this is sometimes the most complicated way to get somewhere. You'll likely spend more time waiting for the bus or subway system, and things can be crowded and delayed. But, if you want a more localized experience, public transit makes the most sense.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#252525;">You also may not have much extra time or the ability to go sightseeing if you're there for work, but it's always an option if you need it. </span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#252525;">Rideshare apps are easy but have downsides</span></b></div>
<div><span style="color:#252525;">Unfortunately, many American cities </span><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/america/fifty-states/2018/12/04/americas-largest-cities-with-no-public-transportation/38628503/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;">don't have public transportation</span></a><span style="color:#252525;"> at all or have subpar public transit. In these cases, you'll need to use other options. There are many rideshare apps – the most popular being Lyft and Uber. Many people use these on business trips, and it's likely that your company will cover the costs if you keep receipts. </span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#252525;">However, just like with public transit, there are downsides. You may have to wait long periods of time for a car to be available and rides can be expensive during "peak times." </span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#252525;">See if your company offers or covers private services</span></b></div>
<div><span style="color:#252525;">If you're going somewhere stateside, booking your own private car is relatively straightforward. Say you'll be in Florida for work; you can just look up ‘car service Tampa’ and schedule a vehicle for your stay. This is usually the simplest option that will relieve stress, as you'll have a car at your disposal whenever you need it. </span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#252525;">See about a rental car</span></b></div>
<div><span style="color:#252525;">If you have a driver's license, you could rent a vehicle for your trip. Of course, you'll want to check with your business or </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>business travel agency consultant</u></span></a><span style="color:#252525;"> and see if they will reimburse you for the cost. There are also some factors to keep in mind regarding rental cars. While they used to be reasonably easy to find if sometimes expensive, now that's not the case. </span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#252525;">There is still a </span><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/car-rental-pandemic-shortage/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;">rental car shortage</span></a><span style="color:#252525;">, so you will likely have to plan much further ahead to secure a reservation. Also, you or your company may not want to pay the much higher rates for a rental vehicle, so you'll need to take these logistics into consideration. </span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#252525;">Research where you're going</span></b></div>
<div><span style="color:#252525;">The last step in securing transportation for a business trip is researching the place you're headed. The more rural or difficult to access the area is, the fewer options you'll have to choose from. But, it's best to be prepared and to work with your job to see if they have anything lined up for you. </span></div>
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<div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color:rgb(191, 191, 191);">Info compiled by https://www.traveldailynews.com/</span></span></div>
Over 50% Of Travellers Prefer Missing A Flight Over Lost Luggagehttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/over-50-of-travellers-prefer-missing-a-flight-over-lost-luggage2022-12-21T14:51:28.044000Z2022-12-21T14:45:36ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="color:#000000;">Research by </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>travel management</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> platform CWT showed that in 2019 a majority of business travellers would prefer to miss their flight rather than be separated from their luggage – with travellers from the Americas showing the strongest preference at 54%, European travellers at 52%, and travellers from the Asia Pacific split down the middle.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Two-thirds of business travellers prefer window seats over aisle seats. That rises to 71% in the Asia Pacific, and falls to 59% in the Americas, with the Europeans at 65% window over the aisle.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">When it comes to ground transportation, 54% of travellers still prefer traditional taxis over ridesharing services like Lyft or Uber. But there are strong regional differences. In Europe, 69% of Europeans prefer taxis – almost exactly the reverse of American travellers, of whom 63% prefer rideshare services. Asia Pacific travellers are more evenly split, with 56% preferring taxis.</span></div>
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<div><i><span style="color:#000000;">"These findings provide fascinating and sometimes counter-intuitive insights into how global business travellers approach their journeys," said Niklas Andreen, Executive VP and Chief Traveller Experience Officer at CWT. "We see significant differences between regions – for example, in Asia, people are more likely to want a window seat, whereas in markets like the US, the view is less of a draw."</span></i></div>
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<div><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>Corporate travel consultant</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> businesses’ research also shows that travellers are generally happy to share their travel preferences with both apps and travel industry staff – globally nine out of ten (89%) of travellers are ‘extremely’ or ‘somewhat’ willing to do so. That applies equally to business travel and leisure travel, suggesting that travellers make little distinction between the two, at least when it comes to sharing information on their personal preferences.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">The CWT survey, conducted by Artemis Strategy Group between 29 January and 9 February 2019, shows that, overall, European travellers are least willing to share data: 14% of Europeans are ‘not willing’ to share their preferences either with apps or people while travelling for business. Travellers from the Americas or Asia Pacific are much less likely to refuse to share their preferences.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Responses for the survey were collected from 2,700 business travellers from around the world who travelled for business four or more times in the previous 12 months.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Looking for a </span><b><span style="color:#000000;">travel consultant to assist with your corporate travels</span></b><span style="color:#000000;"> and ensure seamless business travel - </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>find a corporate travel consultant</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> that suits your travel needs best.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Article shared by </span><a href="https://thebusybusinesstravellerblog.blogspot.com/2022/12/research-by-travel-management-platform.html" rev="en_rl_none">https://thebusybusinesstravellerblog.blogspot.com/2022/12/research-by-travel-management-platform.html</a></div>
Best Benefits Of Using Corporate Travel Agentshttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/best-benefits-of-using-corporate-travel-agents2022-12-21T14:50:35.632000Z2022-10-30T07:52:12ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><br /></div><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/1c4a7196-54b5-4f0d-85f4-5a8676d7eab9/045a61ee-7d4f-40ff-1fa9-60712c3dbaa3/d7482ec5-ed58-da1f-031f-8c41484f0504.png" style="--en-naturalWidth:1458; --en-naturalHeight:814;"/><div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#262626;">Using the services of a </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>travel agent for business</u></span></a><span style="color:#262626;"> can be useful in terms of efficiency, economies of scale, and the provision of expert travel advice if you have a large workforce of people who frequently travel for business.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#262626;">In the modern business world, more recent technology is taking on the function of a </span><a href="https://worldgo.ca/services/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#000000;">corporate travel agent</span></a><span style="color:#262626;">, making it possible for nimble organisations to manage and book travel on their own in an efficient manner.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#262626;">In the past, paper tickets allowed a corporate travel agent to save time by issuing and distributing tickets, booking confirmations, and itineraries. This allowed the agent to focus on other tasks. Because online booking and the use of electronic tickets are now the standards, it is considerably simpler and more expedient for employees to look for and book travel arrangements directly. The most up-to-date systems for managing travel and expenses provide trip search and direct booking capabilities. These functions make use of analytics to discover the most suitable solutions for a certain meeting or event. This helps employees and delivers value.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#262626;">The majority of companies have a corporate travel policy that outlines who workers are allowed to book with, how much they are allowed to spend, and what kinds of travel expenses they are permitted to incur. Organisations frequently provide a portal or app with approved suppliers, routes, and pricing limitations for their employees, making it easier for employees to look for and book travel, as opposed to leaving employees to surf the entirety of the internet on their own.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#262626;">Here are five core benefits of </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>using a travel agent for business trips</u></span></a><span style="color:#262626;">, which can be accomplished either by contracting the work out to a third party or by making use of an intelligent travel system that is authorised to issue tickets for business trips.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div><h2><b><span style="color:#262626;">1. Better Rates And Discounts</span></b></h2><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#262626;">A corporate travel company can use its established contacts with airlines and hotels to negotiate better rates and discounts for its clients by using those relationships. Because of the high number of reservations that they place, travel agencies that serve a substantial clientele could potentially be eligible for better discounts.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><h2><b><span style="color:#262626;">2. Saves Employees Time</span></b></h2><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#262626;">When compared to employees scouring the internet every time they require a flight, hotel, or meeting place, employees who use an agency for business travel save a significant amount of time.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><h2><b><span style="color:#262626;">3. Direct Tickets</span></b></h2><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#262626;">Instead of employing a third-party organisation, a corporate travel agent with a valid ARC or IATA licence can offer tickets directly to employees of the company.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><h2><b><span style="color:#262626;">4. Reports About Routes, Hotels, and Sevices</span></b></h2><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#262626;">A corporate travel agency that is directed by a system gives data that illustrate the routes, hotels, and travel services that are used the most frequently. This information is used by travel managers to ensure that they have the appropriate preferred providers and that they can meet demand. Travel managers can investigate other low-cost or local possibilities in addition to volume savings from established providers to meet the requirements of their staff.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><h2><b><span style="color:#262626;">5. Budget Plans</span></b></h2><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#262626;">Managers may better plan for spending and manage their budgets with the assistance of in-house corporate travel management reports that are available on demand. The most advanced systems may link expenditures to specific projects and marketing efforts, making it straightforward to see how those costs relate to the achievement of corporate objectives.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><h2><b><span style="color:#262626;">6. Offers Traveller Support</span></b></h2><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#262626;">A </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>business travel firm</u></span></a><span style="color:#262626;"> may offer </span><b><span style="color:#262626;">traveller support</span></b><span style="color:#262626;">, which entails assisting employees with resolving problems that arise while they are away from the office. For instance, rescheduling flights that have been cancelled, providing safety advice in the event of civil disturbance or extreme weather, locating alternate routes, or making last-minute adjustments to schedules are all examples of services that may be provided. Companies have a responsibility to take care of their employees while they are away on business. Having a corporate travel system of record allows companies to keep track of where their employees are and how to reach them in case they require assistance or guidance.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Info sourced from </span>https://www.theodysseyonline.com/</div>
Business Trip Packing List And Advicehttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/business-trip-packing-list-and-advice2022-09-11T10:19:54.267000Z2022-09-11T10:10:04ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><br /></div><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/1c4a7196-54b5-4f0d-85f4-5a8676d7eab9/c657aa0d-7b3a-37f9-f9c6-7745a76e4759/85aaf766-e460-2e12-8f8d-44ab7ae24fef.png" style="--en-naturalWidth:850; --en-naturalHeight:476;"/><div><span style="color:#333333;">Getting your business trip packing list just right isn’t always easy. There are so many different elements that need to be balanced, such as casual clothing versus business attire, electronics, key documents, etc. Getting all your business essentials together for your next trip, especially international business travel, can be overwhelming. That’s why we’re sharing some essential business travel tips to help you get your work trip packing list just right.</span></div><h2><br /></h2><h2><span style="color:#0029a7;">The Ultimate Packing List for a Work Trip in 2022</span></h2><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">This </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>company travel agency</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;"> business trip packing list brings together all the travel essentials in one place to help you stay organized, no matter what your destination is. We’ll run through some of the basic items you’ll need to keep and some extra personal items that can make the trip easier.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><h3><span style="color:#0029a7;">Paperwork</span></h3><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Depending on your destination, you might need a fair amount of paperwork. If you work with a </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>professional travel agency that specialises in company travel</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;"> - your </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>company’s travel manager</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;"> can help ensure you have everything you need before your </span><b><span style="color:#333333;">company trip</span></b><span style="color:#333333;">. Some of the important ones are listed below, but always double-check with the requirements the destination may have as it varies from place to place:</span></div>
<div><br /></div><ol><li><div style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;"><span style="color:#333333;">Passport</span></div></li><li><div style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;"><span style="color:#333333;">Driver’s License</span></div></li><li><div style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;"><span style="color:#333333;">Photo ID</span></div></li><li><div style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;"><span style="color:#333333;">Business visa (if necessary) and/or proof of entry, work permit, etc.</span></div></li><li><div style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;"><span style="color:#333333;">Supporting documents from work for the purpose of travel</span></div></li><li><div style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;"><span style="color:#333333;">Contracts and memos needed for meeting</span></div></li><li><div style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;"><span style="color:#333333;">Travel Insurance</span></div></li><li><div style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;"><span style="color:#333333;">Boarding pass</span></div></li></ol><div><br /></div>
<div><i><span style="color:#333333;">Read More: </span><a href="https://smallbiztrends.com/2022/05/business-travel-tips.html" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#0035d9;"><u>business travel tips</u></span></a></i></div>
<div><br /></div><h3><span style="color:#0029a7;">Electronics and Accessories</span></h3><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Traveling often means long wait times, flight delays, and more free time than you might have expected initially. Traveling with electronic devices enables you to travel easily, be productive, and balance your time as needed.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><h4><span style="color:#0029a7;">Laptop</span></h4><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Your laptop is the most crucial part of your business trip, that much is certain. But while you might remember to pack it, make sure you keep peripherals and accessories with you too. That includes chargers that work with electronic sockets in your destination, Bluetooth accessories, and anything else you may need.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><h4><span style="color:#0029a7;">Laptop sleeve</span></h4><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Laptop sleeves are especially beneficial for a heavy laptop, but they can also work for lighter ones. Your travel bags often get jostled around and bumped, which is where laptop sleeves come in. They can protect your devices, and you can also keep peripherals or accessories depending on the type of sleeve and bag you’re using.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><h4><span style="color:#0029a7;">Noise Canceling Headphones</span></h4><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Depending on how you’re getting to the destination, good, high-quality headphones can really help. You can get some sleep on noisy flights and trains if needed with them. Plus, you can use them to take meetings on the go or listen to music and podcasts during long flights.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><h3><span style="color:#0029a7;">WIFI</span></h3><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Having wi-fi access is crucial, so look into ways to get internet access before you leave for your trip. Most major phone carriers offer roaming deals, but those can often be expensive. Don’t just rely on hotel rooms for the internet. You can get internet cards or a wireless card to use on the trip to ensure you have access to data and the internet.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><h3><span style="color:#0029a7;">Wallet and Money</span></h3><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Keeping your wallet is, of course, crucial. But you also should check whether there is a specific business card you need to be using on the trip. Keep some cash on you that you can use in emergencies if required and emergency credit cards.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><h3><span style="color:#0029a7;">Women’s Outfit Packing List for Work Trip</span></h3><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">For women, it’s important to pack things that balance work dress code and comfort while traveling:</span></div>
<div><br /></div><ul><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Dress clothes for any business meeting planned, with at least one pair of matching dress shoes to go with the different outfits</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Workout clothes and athletic shoes in case you want to use the hotel gym</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Bathing suit if there’s a hotel pool</span></div></li><li><div style="margin-bottom:56px;"><span style="color:#333333;">Yoga pants and casual clothing for the travel period</span></div></li></ul><h3><br /></h3><h3><span style="color:#0029a7;">Men’s Business Attire Travel Packing List</span></h3><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Men need to strike the same balance between work clothes and casual attire as women and pack items that work for business meetings, such as:</span></div>
<div><br /></div><ul><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Collared shirts</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Suit jacket</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Tie</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Casual polo shirts</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Dress shoes</span></div></li><li><div style="margin-bottom:56px;"><span style="color:#333333;">Atheltic shoes and activewear for hotel gyms</span></div></li></ul><h3><span style="color:#0029a7;">Toiletries</span></h3><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Getting your toiletries to fit with TSA-approved guidelines is always a challenge. Save space by using smaller pouches to store your personal care items and check for travel-sized toiletries where possible so you can pack for a business trip faster and don’t forget essential items.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><ul><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Travel-sized plastic bottles that you can wash and reuse as needed for trips</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Toothpaste</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Toothbrush</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Floss/interdental brushes</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Shampoo and conditioner in travel-sized plastic bottles</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Skincare items</span></div></li><li><div style="margin-bottom:56px;"><span style="color:#333333;">An eye mask is an often forgotten item, but it can help you get some shut-eye as an eye mask is effective at blocking light.</span></div></li></ul><h3><br /></h3><h3><span style="color:#0029a7;">Other Essential Items for Your Business Travel Packing List</span></h3><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">You can pack faster if you know what additional items you’ll need for your business trip. These items don’t take up much space and can be taken on a carry-on or in checked baggage.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><ul><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Breath Mints to take at regular intervals in between business meetings</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Office supplies such as post-its, pens, highlighters,</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">A packing cube for shorter trips. You can also get multiple packing cubes if you’d like to take more items but are having trouble fitting them in</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Business cards</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Notebook</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#333333;">Healthy snacks</span></div></li><li><div style="margin-bottom:56px;"><span style="color:#333333;">Reusable water bottle with a built-in filter. Remember that the TSA has a liquid limit for toiletries, and that also extends to liquids that you may be travelling with, such as water, soda, and juice. Don’t fill the reusable water bottle before you leave. Instead, fill it up after you’ve gotten through security to save time.</span></div></li></ul><h2><span style="color:#0029a7;">Packing for Business Trips – Hand Luggage Only Flight</span></h2><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">If you’re trying to save some time during your travel, take only a personal item and/or a carry-on bag with you. Carry-on luggage doesn’t need to be checked in, so you can get your boarding pass faster and make it through security without much hassle. Plus, you’ll be able to quickly get out of the airport if you’re not waiting for baggage on the carousel.</span></div>
<div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">For up to a three-day business trip, hand luggage gives you just the right space since you take only what will fit in the bag. However, don’t forget to check airline requirements for carry-on bag dimensions to ensure you can take it on the flight with you.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><h2><span style="color:#0029a7;">Packing for an Overnight Work Trip</span></h2><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">For overnight work trips, you might be able to get away with a small carry-on bag or even a travel backpack.</span></div>
<div><br /></div><h2><span style="color:#0029a7;">Packing for a Long Work Trip</span></h2><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">If you’re planning a longer trip. If your hotel room has the space, you can hang up clothes easily and even take items for personal time to support your well-being.</span></div>
<div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Try to think about items you absolutely need and take into consideration baggage allowances that the airline might have. If it’s an extended trip, it might be better to pack more, so you don’t have to buy too much stuff throughout the trip.</span></div>
<div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">.</span></div>
<div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#000000;">Source: https://thebusinessjetsetter.weebly.com/blog/business-trip-packing-list-and-advice</span></div>
Travel Industry Insights: SMEs And Domestic Travel May Lead To Business Travel Recoveryhttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/travel-industry-insights-smes-and-domestic-travel-may-lead-to-business-travel-recovery2022-08-13T07:25:56.375000Z2022-08-13T07:21:24ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><h1><span style="font-size: 20px;"><span style="color:#000000;">Border rules, duty of care, corporate budgets, fewer routes, tech alternatives and sustainability concerns will impact the recovery</span></span></h1></div>
<div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">Small-and-medium enterprises and domestic trips for work are among the potential drivers for a near-term recovery in business travel, a segment hit hard by the pandemic, according to industry experts.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">Factors that could speed up business travel's recovery include reopening borders, accelerating Covid-19 vaccine campaigns, brighter global economic growth, so-called "Zoom fatigue" and companies seeking face-to-face meetings with clients to get a competitive edge over rivals, Derek Sadubin, managing director of CAPA Centre for Aviation, said during a CAPA Live event in 2021.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">On the flip side, employers' hesitancy to get back on the road, employee duty of care, tighter corporate travel budgets, including the use of </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>travel agents for business</u></span></a><span style="color:#191919;">, and companies' paying greater attention to their carbon footprint could drag down the segment, he said.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">"CFOs are taking to travel budgets very carefully and looking at how some of the savings that have been accrued through the pandemic can be locked in for the longer term," Mr Sadubin said. "There's also the question of rising costs and complexity of travel that's going to flow from the reduced number of airline frequencies and city pairs that are available for business travellers."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">Business travel and the </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>agencies managing bookings etc for businesses</u></span></a><span style="color:#191919;"> were hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic that shut borders, forced millions to work remotely and prompted companies to slash costs.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">Corporate travel is vital for airlines. While it makes up just 12 per cent of airline passenger traffic, it accounts for roughly 20 to 30 per cent of airline revenue, according to CAPA.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">In 2020, global business travel spending shrank to just under $700 billion, down from $1.43 trillion in 2019. The Star Alliance group of airlines estimated that 25 per cent of business travel is at risk in this environment, creating a $50bn black hole for the corporate travel industry. For airlines, who collectively earned $700bn in passenger revenue in 2019, losing a quarter of their revenue from this premium travel segment translates to $400bn to $500bn in lost sales.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">SMEs, which have more flexibility and faster decision-making than larger corporations and multinationals, could drive a near-term recovery for business travel, according to a panel of SME representatives at the CAPA event.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">"SMEs will start to travel before the large corporates because corporates will have a more sophisticated plan, they have to get approvals and they like to play it safer than SMEs," said Danny Lau, managing director of Kam Pin Industrial. "SMEs take more </span><b><span style="color:#191919;">flexible business travel arrangements</span></b><span style="color:#191919;"> from their </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>agents</u></span></a><span style="color:#191919;"> and they’re ahead of the curve to go visit overseas clients if the location is open for travel."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">Further complicating companies' decision-making for air travel is the price volatility of plane ticket fares, said</span><b><span style="color:#191919;"> </span></b><span style="color:#191919;">Elise Weber, co-founder of London-based Skytrax.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">"This price volatility is a challenge and means more uncertainty, it means travel budget planning is more challenging than before," she said.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">Predictions for the slow and difficult recovery of business travel have been wide-ranging.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">Understanding the future of offices and the return to work will help provide some clarity, Neil Glynn, managing director at Credit Suisse and head of its European Transport team, said, noting that 2022 will be a transitional year for many companies.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">Internal company travel will likely take a "significant haircut" compared to external-facing business travel, he said.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">There is some evidence that younger employees are eager to travel, Richard Clarke, managing director and senior analyst at Bernstein, said.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">"It gives them the headspace of being away from [the] office and meeting clients," he said. "If companies don’t allow business travel, they may have a problem attracting talent."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">Companies are unlikely to significantly cut business travel spending due to environmental concerns, Mr Clarke said.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#191919;">Firms will likely find other ways to reduce their carbon footprint but they're unlikely to make sweeping changes to their air travel plans in the next two-to-three years, especially with long-haul trips that are carbon culprits but also important for organisations, Mr Glynn said.</span></div>
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<div><sub><span style="color:#000000;">Article sourced from </span><a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/</u></span></a></sub></div>
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Travel Agent Insight: Trip Insurance Is Worth The Costhttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/travel-agent-insight-trip-insurance-is-worth-the-cost2022-08-13T07:19:19.684000Z2022-08-13T07:18:17ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="color:#444444;">Ask any </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>corporate travel agency</u></span></a><span style="color:#444444;"> and they’ll agree it’s wise for anyone booking vacations to buy travel insurance.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#444444;">Amie Miller and Sara Newbury - two top travel agents, each said more and more of their clients are buying the insurance to protect against potential pandemic-related disruptions.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#444444;">"I don’t think I’ve sold anybody (a vacation) without insurance since COVID-19," Miller said.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#444444;">"If it’s international, we won’t book it without travel insurance," Newbury said. "If a guest declines travel insurance they have to sign a waiver."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#444444;">AAA Travel </span><a href="https://insights.ohio.aaa.com/pandemic-prompts-more-travelers-to-consider-travel-insurance" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1955a5;"><u>recently surveyed 1,126 people</u></span></a><span style="color:#444444;"> in the U.S. The survey found that more than half planned to travel at least once overnight by 2021’s end. Of those would-be travellers, nearly one-third intended to buy travel insurance because of COVID-19.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><b><span style="color:#444444;">Insurance</span></b><span style="color:#444444;"> can be purchased through a </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>reliable corporate travel agency</u></span></a><span style="color:#444444;"> and direct through insurers online. It’s available for international and domestic vacations. Newbury estimates between 50% and 60% of her firm’s clients buy insurance for domestic trips and more than 90% for international </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>business destinations</u></span></a><span style="color:#444444;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#444444;">Types of travel insurance vary. Vacation-goers can insure their baggage and also themselves with emergency medical coverage or accidental death. Trip cancellation insurance is available, too, but it’s not comprehensive. Plan details will spell out the specific incidences in which a cancellation by either the host or guest is covered.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#444444;">AAA says pandemics and epidemics historically haven’t been covered prior to COVID-19. Providers shifted to introduce at least some coverage in this specific pandemic, and AAA advises consumers to consult travel industry experts before buying a plan.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#444444;">Reimbursement is returned in the form of cashback or travel credits. Credits typically last up to two years and are valued by people fully intent on taking a vacation.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#444444;">"The money’s already there. They don’t have to worry about having to set more aside," Newbury said.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#444444;">Newbury said none of her clients so far have had to cancel a trip because of COVID-19. Miller said she had four cancels for that reason. They were insured and now have credits.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#444444;">"It’s too much money for most people," Miller said of the prospect of not insuring a trip. "They save for vacation most of the year, they don’t just want to throw that money out of the window."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#444444;">Both Miller and Newbury encourage travellers to stay on top of ever-changing regulations when it comes to COVID-19.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#444444;">For example, Newbury explained that travellers must test negative before travelling overseas including to Hawaii. Miller emphasized that a negative test is needed before returning, too, whether the traveller is vaccinated or not.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#000000;">Source: </span><a href="https://www.dailyitem.com/business/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>https://www.dailyitem.com/business/</u></span></a></div>
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Why Travel And Travel Expenses Are Difficult To Managehttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/why-travel-and-travel-expenses-are-difficult-to-manage2022-07-26T05:19:13.588000Z2022-07-26T05:15:46ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><div style="margin-top:15px;"><span style="color:#171719;">As companies focus on reconnecting with clients, vendors, partners, and even employees they haven’t seen face-to-face in two years, </span><a href="https://tripactions.com/blog/state-of-business-travel-and-expense-q1-2022%E2%80%9D%20with%20%E2%80%9Chttps://tripactions.com/blog/state-of-business-travel-and-expense-q1-2022?utm_medium=Partner&utm_source=Skift&utm_campaign=USA%7CSkift%7CScaling%20Travel%20and%20Expense%20Policy%7CWV" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>business travel is coming back in a big way</u></span></a><span style="color:#171719;">. For </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>corporate travel management companies</u></span></a><span style="color:#171719;">, though, the return may include a bumpy — and more expensive — ride.</span></div></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#171719;">A big reason: The time spent reviewing and managing employee expenses has risen dramatically over the last few years, but for many companies, the travel expense submission and approval process remains overly cumbersome and antiquated. This is especially true as digital and contactless payments move into the mainstream.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#171719;">"Before the pandemic, I would get maybe two daily alerts when travellers were booking rates that exceeded policy limits," Holly Bemrose, travel manager, RWE Group UK, Ireland and Asia, told Skift. "I’m getting about 20 each day now."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#171719;">Bemrose said the company has approximately 2,000 regular travellers, and she expects its global travel spend to be somewhere between $19.5 million (£15 million) and $26.1 million (£20 million) this year. Those alerts she has been receiving point toward the higher end of that estimate. For example, one UK hotel that RWE’s travellers frequent used to average $119 (£91) per night. Now, that average is closer to $156 (£120) per night.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#171719;">"I’m definitely seeing that suppliers are trying to reap back some of the money they lost," Bemrose said. "I understand why. It’s happening across the entire travel industry."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#171719;">The increase in costs is about to make a hard job even harder for Bemrose’s peers in the corporate travel landscape, which TripActions explores in a new report, "How Businesses Can Scale Travel & Expense Policy." As stated in the report, a recent survey of finance leaders conducted by TripActions shows that travel and entertainment is the sixth-largest category of spend for companies — yet it’s the most difficult category to manage.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><b><span style="color:#171719;">What’s the secret to making this hard job easier?</span></b></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#171719;">"We hear a lot of frustration from companies that have cobbled together separate systems for travel booking, corporate cards, and expense management," Kate McCarthy, vice president of user experience at TripActions, told Skift. "They’ve made it work, but not without endless headaches. One problem is that travellers don’t always know what’s in-policy for them. This means that finance teams have to spend a lot of time reviewing expense reports and may end up rejecting some expenses, which is a frustrating experience for everyone involved."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div><h3><b><span style="color:#171719;">Keeping Employees Happy</span></b></h3><div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#171719;">Managing travel expenses isn’t just about the bottom line. In the midst of "The Great Resignation," it’s also a crucial way to create a more positive experience for employees who are tired of the inevitable paperwork trail that follows their work travels.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#171719;">"One of our biggest [historical] complaints was the process of submitting expenses," Bemrose said. "These employees had to spend time away from their friends and family, and then, they had to come into the office and scan their receipts within a certain time frame. Sometimes, the trip didn’t feel worth it because they would spend so much time completing their expense reports."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#171719;">Of course, streamlining spending for travellers is just part of the struggle — finance teams then have to reconcile incurred expenses, which can take significant time.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#171719;">"No one wants more paperwork or busywork," McCarthy said. "Not travellers, and not the finance team that has to process the expenses. Any time you can reduce annoyances for employees, the happier they’re going to be. And right now, in this competitive hiring environment, companies need every advantage they can get to attract and retain talent."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#171719;">Yet despite the need to reduce inefficiencies and eliminate cumbersome processes, many companies have failed to prioritize that reduction of annoyances. As a result, plenty of finance leaders are still using an outdated approach to </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>corporate travel management</u></span></a><span style="color:#171719;"> and expense, including line-by-line reviews of costs and an equally lengthy waiting period for employees who need to be reimbursed — and it’s holding back their business.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div><h3><b><span style="color:#171719;">Listening to Travellers and Adopting New Solutions for Travel, Corporate Card, and Expense Management</span></b></h3><div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#171719;">So what’s the trick to increasing those satisfaction levels? It starts with something simple: Listening, which is something that Bemrose has been able to do during the past two years of uncertainties.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#171719;">"Before the pandemic, travel was a system," she said. "When it worked, it worked. When it didn’t, our travellers would shout about it. During the pandemic, I was suddenly talking to them and spending time on the phone with them. It created a really good relationship with my frequent travellers. Rather than just looking at booking travel and submitting expenses from a strategic, data-focused level, I’ve been able to learn about individual pain points and how to make life easier for them."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#171719;">In addition to listening, </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>companies</u></span></a><span style="color:#171719;"> can also </span><b><span style="color:#171719;">increase happiness with travel management</span></b><span style="color:#171719;"> by helping get rid of the need for any extra back-and-forth communication. And reaching that goal begins with policy enforcement. As McCarthy said, travellers don’t always know what’s in-policy for them, which can cause a spike in out-of-policy spending, as the one Bemrose has seen.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">-</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#171719;">Enforcing policy, in turn, makes it easier for the finance team to do their job. And even though many companies are not yet taking advantage, there is a way to make enforcing policy seamlessly.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Info from </span><a href="https://flyingaroundinabusinesssuit.tumblr.com/post/690815161331761152/why-travel-and-travel-expenses-are-difficult-to">https://flyingaroundinabusinesssuit.tumblr.com/post/690815161331761152/why-travel-and-travel-expenses-are-difficult-to</a></div>
Advice For Business Travellers In 2022https://businesstravel.postach.io/post/advice-for-business-travellers-in-20222022-05-21T09:11:54.890000Z2022-05-21T08:48:36ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><br /></div><img style="--en-naturalWidth:570; --en-naturalHeight:367;" src="https://www.siliconindia.com/news/newsimages/Business.jpg" /><div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#000000;">While some countries began to relax their coronavirus travel restrictions around January 2022, others continued with theirs. For example, suppose you're planning a business trip overseas. In that case, the requirements for travel may differ depending on your vaccination status and the nations you'll be visiting. Is now a good time to go overseas for a business trip in 2022, with the situation still possibly precarious?</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#000000;">For the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated our lives, and now that Omicron has been named as a variant of concern, this may continue. As a result, it's understandable that COVID-19 is generating a lot of buzz. The last two years have also been a time of reflection, with a refocus on new future priorities as a result.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#000000;">This year, global corporate travel spending is predicted to grow by more than 37% to more than $1 trillion. However, the ordinarily lucrative industry will not fully recover until 2024. Last year's recovery was hampered despite companies like Express Test offering rapid testing to help the business industry stay connected. Things like an increase in Covid cases, novel variations, unequal vaccination rates, and supply chain issues contributed to the industry's decline.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#000000;">Today, we live in both a COVID and a post-COVID world. Businesses owe a different responsibility of care to their travelling employees than they did previously. Your roles and obligations as the </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>person in charge of handling corporate travel</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> at your firm will have changed dramatically. Travel arrangements and how they are booked and managed are changing to reflect our new reality - </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>corporate travel companies</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> like TravelManor have already adopted this new way of </span><b><span style="color:#000000;">booking business travel</span></b><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="color:#000000;">As restrictions are easing and the government is </span><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhsturt/2021/08/24/5-tested-tips-for-returning-to-the-office/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#337ab7;"><u>advising us to get back to the office</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;">, we wanted to offer some advice and guidance. So here are a few tips for businesses to consider when thinking about business travel.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><b><span style="color:#000000;">Duty of Care </span></b><span style="color:#000000;">- Businesses are responsible for taking the appropriate precautions to safeguard their employees' physical and emotional well-being and safety. In various respects, a global health crisis has made this challenging, and it's critical always to prioritize team members well-being.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:justify;"><b><span style="color:#000000;">Research </span></b><span style="color:#000000;">- Check out the travel tips for the places you want to visit on the internet. This will tell you if they accept tourists from the United Kingdom and if you need to get vaccinated. You may be required to provide proof of immunization or a negative COVID-19 test. Remember that the UK still has restrictions in place for persons entering the nation, so consider what you'll need to return.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><b><span style="color:#000000;">Travel Policy </span></b><span style="color:#000000;">- It's a terrific moment to sit down and review your company's travel policy, updating and perfecting it as new information becomes available. The preceding two years have supplied a wealth of knowledge that will aid in the development of a business travel strategy.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><b><span style="color:#000000;">Flexibility </span></b><span style="color:#000000;">- Massive cancellations and interruptions in almost every industry have underlined the significance of flexibility, not just in business but in all aspects of life. For future-proofing against unforeseen catastrophes, make sure your processes and plans are as adaptable as they are feasible.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:justify;"><b><span style="color:#000000;">Budgets </span></b><span style="color:#000000;">- Many businesses have faced financial challenges due to decreased consumer spending and municipal lockout restrictions following COVID-19. Sticking to your travel budget is more important than ever.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><b><span style="color:#000000;">Insurance </span></b><span style="color:#000000;">- Almost every </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>travel expert at various corporate travel companies</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> we spoke with stressed the significance of purchasing travel insurance. However, not all insurance policies are created equal, and not all provide blanket coverage, so how can you know which one is suitable for you? The most important thing for travellers is to purchase travel insurance that includes cancellation coverage if they contract COVID.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#000000;">With the goal of</span><b><span style="color:#000000;"> </span></b><span style="color:#000000;">allowing people to reconnect with their passion for travel, 2022 will see not only people reuniting but also the preparation of a trip become as significant as the journey itself. As a result, the 2022 traveller's considerations, needs, and wishes have evolved, with concerns not in our language before the pandemic, such as travel corridors, quarantine, PCR tests, and digital health passes.</span></div><img style="--en-naturalWidth:570; --en-naturalHeight:367;" src="https://www.siliconindia.com/news/newsimages/special/Z7X3WH5B.jpeg" /><div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Info from</span> <a href="https://corporatetraveltalk.wordpress.com/2022/05/21/advice-for-business-travellers-in-2022/">https://corporatetraveltalk.wordpress.com/2022/05/21/advice-for-business-travellers-in-2022/</a></div>
Travel Planning During Uncertain Timeshttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/travel-planning-during-uncertain-times2022-05-02T09:53:57.631000Z2022-05-02T09:38:55ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="color:#333333;">Travel is picking up, no doubt. But we are navigating a new world where planning for the unpredictable, more than ever, is part of the itinerary. Quandaries are prompting travellers to make adjustments, from being over-packed with snacks to paying bribes, and to dive deep into the dual reservoirs of patience and flexibility. </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>Corporate travel agencies</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;">, hotels and other industry operators, building on what worked last year and recalling what failed, have also become wiser to coronavirus-induced obstacles and opportunities, prioritizing outdoor activities, coping with reduced capacity and promoting alternative, less congested retreats.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#333333;">Even for seasoned travellers, this year will be a test run. The goalposts keep moving.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#333333;">"When you travel to different countries, you have to play by all the rules and regulations," said Mr. de Soto, who is based in Dubai. He tacked on three more nights to his 10-day vacation since the United Arab Emirates would not allow him back into the country without a negative test result.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">On his 14th day, when he again tried to leave Tanzania, he was told he still tested positive. That is unless he handed over $80. Mr. de Soto’s driver spoke up, saying he had overheard the same man charge a Russian $50. A deal for $50 was struck and Mr. de Soto got his negative result.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Aside from carrying spare cash, Mr. de Soto had another takeaway from travelling during a pandemic: "You need to be very flexible."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div><h2><span style="color:#121212;">Do the windows open?</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">Wendy Perrin, who runs a travel-advice website, </span><a href="https://www.wendyperrin.com/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>WendyPerrin.com</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;">, has made five round-trip drives during the pandemic from her home in New Jersey to Georgia, to help care for a relative in Atlanta who was in hospice. On the first trip last June, she stopped for gas and shopped in an attached convenience store, an experience that traumatized her.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">"Many of the people inside were not wearing masks even though it was posted on the door," said Ms Perrin, who is scrupulous about wearing one. "People from all over are walking around, breathing on the bin of doughnuts, everybody touching the coffee pot."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">From then on, Ms Perrin would look for restrooms in breezy welcome centres at state lines and eat at outdoor restaurants or drive-throughs. And that didn’t mean being stuck with fast food. She searched online for award-winning cafes and barbecue joints, ordering takeout about 20 minutes in advance so it would be ready to grab.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Ms Perrin’s husband and two sons sometimes accompanied her, and she researched lodgings with free-standing cabins and external entrances, not communal lobbies where unventilated air could be shared. She found that the windows at chain hotels were often sealed, so she preferred historic inns where the windows open and breakfast might be served in an outdoor garden. </span><a href="http://stevensonridge.net/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>Stevenson Ridge</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;">, in Spotsylvania, Va., fit the bill, featuring private cottages from the 18th and 19th century that are spread across the wooded property.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">"One of the questions I’d ask is ‘Was somebody in that room last night?’" Ms Perrin said. "I want as little of somebody else’s air as possible." Just in case, she’d leave the door open for a few minutes to air it out. Now vaccinated, she nevertheless continues to try her best to stay out of convenience stores attached to gas stations, calling them "the scariest places on the highway."</span></div>
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<div><a href="https://www.farmhouseinn.com/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>Farmhouse Inn</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;">, in California’s Sonoma County wine country, is another property finding itself favourably positioned to weather a pandemic, with ample land and external entrances to guest rooms. Its Michelin-starred restaurant began serving dinner outdoors for the first time in its 20-year history. Nightly complimentary wine tastings also moved outside, and spa services became open-air experiences, the doors to treatment rooms left ajar.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#333333;">The practices might continue forever, said Joe Bartolomei, the inn’s co-owner. State mandates closed nonessential hotels for months in 2020 and early 2021, so he is listening to feedback as business rebounds.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">"A great lesson for us has been all about adaptability," Mr Bartolomei said. "I didn’t want to strip away amenities so I had to figure out a way to keep them available." S’mores around the fire pit at night remain a tradition, for instance, but instead of ingredients in glass canisters and communal tongs for guests to finger, the graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows are pre-bagged.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div><h2><span style="color:#121212;">Bumpy, but not impassable, roads ahead</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">For Americans and American-owned travel businesses, international travel remains tricky. The U.S. Department of State’s website shows a discouraging picture of advisories from country to country, predominantly "Level 4: Do Not Travel." However, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, recently said that Americans who have received E.U.-approved vaccines will be allowed in its 27 member states this summer.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">The paroxysms of lockdowns and other tightened restrictions around the world presented obstacles to All Roads North, a Venice, Calif.-based </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>travel business specializing in custom-designed trips</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;">. The company has detoured from a fairly even split between planning international and domestic routes for their clients to almost 100-percent domestic.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">"We’ve had to change the way we operate in a number of different ways," said Sam Highley, the company’s founder. "People want to avoid major cities and hotels with long corridors, make fewer stops, see the layout for dining at hotels that might impact their ability to social distance, stay in stand-alone cabins, cottages, ranches or private homes out in nature."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons are booked for the summer, Mr Highley said, so he is steering people toward less obvious places in Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. The local guides he partners with have also learned to adjust. Naturalists will meet clients at the trailhead rather than riding together in a vehicle. A fishing guide who used to accompany guests into a shop to get flies and a license now arranges it all in advance to minimize touchpoints.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Boundless Journeys, a nature-driven travel operator based in Stowe, Vt., shrank group sizes from 16 to 12 and added extra vans, with windows rolled down, to space out passengers. The company has seen more people gravitating toward outdoorsy destinations like Washington State’s San Juan Islands, reached by ferry from Seattle and offering an agenda of hiking, sea kayaking and whale watching.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div><h2><b><span style="color:#333333;">Travel Trends That Will Define 2022</span></b></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">"What we learned is we want to make sure all of the pieces or enough of the pieces are functioning in place to allow for a great experience," Matt Holmes, the company’s founder, said. Still, after rescheduling hundreds of clients’ trips last year for this year, he is already seeing people postpone international July trips until the fall, expressing concern about surges in cases around the world and conflicting rules and regulations.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Michael T. Osterholm, an epidemiologist and director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, cautioned that the B.1.1.7 variant, first detected in Britain, is shown to be more easily transmissible as well as affecting younger people. For adults who are vaccinated, he said, "If there was ever a time for a great, romantic vacation, this is it. Leave the kids at home."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">I</span><span style="color:#666666;">"I have to manage their expectations," Jemica Archer said of her travel agency clients. "Americans like to rush, but we have to learn to relax."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div><h2><span style="color:#121212;">Counselling patience</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">Jemica Archer, who owns a pleasure travel agency (which is actually different to a </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>corporate travel agency</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;"> like </span><b><span style="color:#333333;">TravelManor</span></b><span style="color:#333333;">) lost almost all of her revenue in 2020 because of cancelled destination weddings and honeymoons. On a personal level, she gave up vacations to Spain and Ghana. Ms Archer is fully vaccinated and leaving soon for the </span><a href="https://sun.palaceresorts.com/en" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>Sun Palace</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;"> in Cancun, an all-inclusive resort that recently underwent a $40 million overhaul.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">"It’s only operating at 60-percent capacity, so I’m going now while it’s quiet. I like it quiet," she said.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Most of Ms. Archer’s clients are expressing interest in sandy destinations rather than urban ones. Lately, she has been sending them to Beach House, an all-inclusive, 21-suite resort in Turks and Caicos. Rooms have assigned areas on the beach to curb crowding.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">Patience is a quality she has learned to underscore, erring on the side of over-communicating to prepare people for last-minute changes, including </span><a href="https://www.garda.com/crisis24/news-alerts/466851/jamaica-authorities-to-tighten-nightly-curfew-nationwide-april-17-may-8-update-25" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>curfews</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;">, after clients came back from Jamaica disappointed that they couldn’t visit reggae and dance clubs.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">"I have to manage their expectations," Ms. Archer said. "Americans like to rush, but we have to learn to relax."</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#333333;">And perhaps slow down as people try to get back up to prepandemic speed. Last year, from mid-March to mid-July, Melissa Goodwin, the founder of </span><a href="https://www.girlgottahike.com/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>Girl Gotta Hike</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;">, suspended her woman-oriented day hikes and multiday backpacking trips through New York’s Hudson Valley, Catskills and Adirondacks. When the business restarted, she and other participants wrongly assumed they could pick up where they left off. Instead, participants got winded much sooner going uphill, and sometimes Ms. Goodwin had to shoulder their gear. Fostering a sense of encouragement and camaraderie helped.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#333333;">"After spending so long inside," Ms. Goodwin said, "we should aim to have patience with ourselves and each other."</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Article found on </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">https://www.nytimes.com/</a></div>
Leisure Travel Leads Recovery - Business Travel To Follow Soonhttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/leisure-travel-leads-recovery-business-travel-to-follow-soon2022-01-24T15:45:54.263000Z2022-01-24T15:39:53ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="color:rgb(102, 102, 102);">A</span><a href="https://www.sabrehospitality.com/resources/research/beyond-the-room/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:rgb(0, 178, 180);"> new industry report</span></a><span style="color:rgb(102, 102, 102);"> by Sabre Hospitality Solutions suggests traveller confidence is returning and highlights strategic themes for hoteliers to capture returning travellers.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/1c4a7196-54b5-4f0d-85f4-5a8676d7eab9/a05b5041-f719-410b-8425-66fdd0ca1f25/afcdcde1-bdb7-5d53-2b4a-695712183418.jpg" style="--en-naturalWidth:1536; --en-naturalHeight:1024;"/><div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><b><span style="color:#000000;">The recovery of travel</span></b></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div><ol><li><div><span style="color:#646464;">Bookings with ultra-short windows (<7 days) declined for the fifth consecutive month, while longer-term booking windows are increasing at the same pace. This points to a return of traveller confidence to make longer-term plans revolving around travel.</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#646464;">Despite recent surges of Covid-19, APAC shows the highest rate of consumer confidence on the backs of declining unemployment and talks of easing restrictions to allow internal tourism. APAC bookings are driven by all channels – OTA, GDS, and Booking Engine.</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#646464;">In NAM and LATAM, booking engine transactions exceeded 2019 levels in March, confirming a high demand for leisure travel via direct channels. International travel searches are on the rise as consumers are in the "dreaming" phase for future travel.</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#646464;">EMEA market performance is up 7% month-on-month driven by direct channel and OTA, fuelled by talks about travel corridors in countries with high vaccination rates.</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#646464;">A higher percent of vaccinated people is found in the travelling population than in the general population (13.9% vs 5.7%), thus monitoring vaccination progress across source markets could point to returning travellers.</span></div></li><li><div style="margin-bottom:21px;"><b><span style="color:#646464;">Business travel</span></b><span style="color:#646464;"> may recover sooner and stronger than expected, with 80% of companies considering travel or </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/business-travel-agencies/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>planning travel</u></span></a><span style="color:#646464;"> within 1-3 months.</span></div></li></ol><div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#646464;">At its current pace, the world could reach herd immunity before a universal vaccine passport becomes the standard. Hoteliers will likely have to establish their own safety protocols around vaccination-proof, understanding that enforcement will be a nightmare for hotel staff.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><b><span style="color:#646464;">Key distribution themes for hoteliers</span></b></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div><ol><li><div><span style="color:#646464;">Focus on the Direct Channel – one of the quickest recovering channels. Utilise digital acquisition campaigns focused on your target audience to raise visibility and awareness of your property.</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#646464;">Stay Flexible – be ready to adapt to changing market trends when selecting distribution channels and promotional techniques.</span></div></li><li><div><span style="color:#646464;">Do More with Less – Monitor your digital promotions to identify the best performing campaigns and focus resources and funds on those.</span></div></li><li><div style="margin-bottom:21px;"><span style="color:#646464;">Prepare for returning business travel and related </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/business-travel-agencies/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>business travel services</u></span></a><span style="color:#646464;"> – don’t wait until demand returns, get corporate programmes in place to be ready for the inevitable and make sure to check out this </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/blog/new-business-traveller-etiquette/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>business traveller guide</u></span></a><span style="color:#646464;"> beforehand.</span></div></li></ol><div> </div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Article from </span><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>https://thebusinessjetsetter.weebly.com/blog/leisure-travel-leads-recovery-business-travel-to-follow-soon</u></span></div>
Top Must-Know Business Travel Hackshttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/top-must-know-business-travel-hacks2022-01-24T15:39:23.160000Z2022-01-24T15:35:26ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><h1><span style="color:#5f5f5f;">If you’ll soon be getting back in the skies or on the road for business travel, take note of these smart tips.</span></h1></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#5f5f5f;">.</span></span></div><img src="https://cdn-images.postach.io/1c4a7196-54b5-4f0d-85f4-5a8676d7eab9/e910b1d9-71dc-11ca-c523-ecc13ff5dbf8/87d432d9-198a-e034-1175-a7bc1e0ecbe2.jpg" style="--en-naturalWidth:5403; --en-naturalHeight:3666;"/><div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#5f5f5f;">.</span></span></div>
<div><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/travel-service/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>Business travel</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> is beginning to pick back up thanks to the rise in vaccination rates. This means that many business travellers, many of whom used to travel frequently, have to once again figure out the best "travel hacks" to ensure safe and efficient trips.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Frequent travellers know that constantly being on the road or in the air can feel exhausting and overwhelming if you aren’t adequately prepared. That’s why a panel of Executive Board members shared some of their best strategies to make </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/travel-service/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>travelling for work</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> easier. </span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#5f5f5f;">.</span></span></div><h3><b><span style="color:#000000;">1. PREPARE IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS FOR OFFLINE USE.</span></b></h3><div><span style="color:#000000;">An essential "hack" is to remember to prepare important documents that you are working in for offline use. That way you can maximize the value of your travel time and continue to keep up with your business’s demands when your devices are in aeroplane mode or you lack a proper Wi-Fi/mobile connection. And don’t forget to complete any documentation requirements for your destination country in advance.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#5f5f5f;">.</span></span></div><h3><b><span style="color:#000000;">2. KNOW THE SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR YOUR DESTINATION. </span></b></h3><div><span style="color:#000000;">As an entrepreneur who travels to client sites, it is important to know the safety protocols of each client location in advance. Some may require preregistration to ensure there is adequate space for drop-in meetings, some may require proof of a recent negative COVID test, and some may need to see your vaccination card to meet regulatory requirements. Leave yourself ample time to get through check-ins.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#5f5f5f;">.</span></span></div><h3><b><span style="color:#000000;">3. STOCK UP ON COVID TESTS.</span></b></h3><div><span style="color:#000000;">Stock up on COVID-19 tests so you are always prepared. Take a test before you leave so you don’t travel across the country only to find out that you can’t attend the meeting because you are COVID-positive. As the federal government considers mandatory testing, tests will be in short supply, so stock up and beat everyone to the testing line.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#5f5f5f;">.</span></span></div><h3><b><span style="color:#000000;">4. KEEP UP WITH YOUR HEALTHY HABITS.</span></b></h3><div><span style="color:#000000;">Take care of your health and do not let a travel schedule become your excuse for not exercising, eating healthy, or sleeping enough. Book hotels that have the facilities that allow you to make healthier choices more easily. By doing this, you can maintain a healthy immune system and a healthy mind, which are key to performing at your best no matter where you are in the world.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#5f5f5f;">.</span></span></div><h3><b><span style="color:#000000;">5. ACT LIKE A LEADER.</span></b></h3><div><span style="color:#000000;">A leader must always act like a leader, especially during the holidays. Infrequent travellers become confused, small children get irritated easily, and frustrations run high. Remaining calm, being helpful and having patience are abilities that are vital when managing a business. Putting others first is a critical skill, and travel is a real-world opportunity to test that skill.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#5f5f5f;">.</span></span></div><h3><b><span style="color:#000000;">6. INVEST IN NOISE-CANCELING HEADPHONES.</span></b></h3><div><span style="color:#000000;">With wireless and a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones, travel can be a very productive time. In the air, turn off your IM software so you can stay dialled in without distraction. Blurred backgrounds can make airport lounges great spots for video calls. Car rides are great for connecting with folks using old-fashioned (and very appreciated) non-video calls. Last, try to get some quality sleep!</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#5f5f5f;">.</span></span></div><h3><b><span style="color:#000000;">7. KEEP EXTRA MASKS ON HAND.</span></b></h3><div><span style="color:#000000;">Along with getting vaccinated, keep a pair of sealed disposal masks in every bag (including your purse, laptop bag, and suitcase), because you never know when you are going to need that extra pair (or encounter another person who does).</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#5f5f5f;">.</span></span></div><h3><b><span style="color:#000000;">8. TRAVEL LIGHT.</span></b></h3><div><span style="color:#000000;">It’s never a good idea to travel with things you can do without. Entrepreneurs who want to get in and out quickly can save themselves time and trouble—especially at airport check-ins—by simply packing the essentials they require. Doing so will also encourage you to focus on more important things, like the journey and planning ahead.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#5f5f5f;">.</span></span></div><h3><b><span style="color:#000000;">9. HIRE A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT.</span></b></h3><div><span style="color:#000000;">One of the challenges of frequent travel is being offline a great deal and having to deal with a number of logistical details. Entrepreneurs should consider hiring a virtual assistant to manage tasks like transport booking, sending low-priority emails, and other things. This saves time and effort and also frees them up to focus on important tasks. There are similar </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/blog/personalisation-of-corporate-travel/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>benefits of a corporate travel agency</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;">’s help. </span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#000000;">10. FIND TIME TO RECHARGE.</span></b></div>
<div><span style="color:#000000;">Extensive travel can be taxing on the body and the mind, with time zone changes and "offline" time meaning extensive catch-up on work tasks can be required. Find time in your schedule to recharge with a walk, yoga, workout, meditation, or whatever helps you ground your mind and body.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#5f5f5f;">.</span></span></div><h3><b><span style="color:#000000;">11. CONSIDER WAYS TO SAVE TIME.</span></b></h3><div><span style="color:#000000;">As an entrepreneur, time is your most valuable commodity. If you can, travel by private jet; it’s more convenient, you have more control, and it can save you a hefty amount of time. You can attend to more business deals in a day, and even better, you’ll have more time for your family. </span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Original article from </span><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>https://www.fastcompany.com/</u></span></a></div>
Planning Your First Overseas Business Trip? Here Are Our Top Tipshttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/planning-your-first-overseas-business-trip-here-are-our-top-tips2021-11-25T05:04:53.179000Z2021-11-25T04:59:41ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="color:#04284a;">Planning your first overseas business trip can be exciting yet daunting and slightly nerve-wracking at the same time. Travelling for business is a different ballgame to travelling for pleasure, and requires a stricter routine to make for an all-around successful trip.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#04284a;">It may look glamorous on the outside, but generally speaking, business travel is exhausting and can become extremely repetitive, but don’t let this put you off! It can also be a great way to see the world at the expense of your boss, just make sure you follow these top tips when planning your trip…</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#04284a;">Take Hand Luggage Only</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#04284a;">When packing for trips, we’re all guilty of overpacking and taking items we haven’t worn in about six years ‘just in case’. You need to think minimal, pack essentials and stick to a neutral colour palette that can be easily mixed and matched.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#04284a;">Taking a carry-on will save you time by skipping the baggage reclaim area and heading straight to the airport exit. You also won’t need to worry about having your bag damaged or misplaced, just be sure to check what you can pack in your carry-on bag and that the dimensions are in line with your chosen airline.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#04284a;">Book Your Rental Car in Advance</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#04284a;">After a tiring flight, the last thing you want to do when you land is to try to locate a reliable rental car. You also don’t want to risk not being able to access a vehicle, as this will only eat into valuable time.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:#04284a;">Instead, be sure to book ahead and have your rental car confirmed before you embark on your business trip. This will enable you to select a car you’re comfortable with but also save time and stress when you land. You’ll be on your way to the hotel in no time! </span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#04284a;">If you’re </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>working with a business travel agency</u></span></a><span style="color:#04284a;"> - they can take care of booking your car rental.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#04284a;">Fight the Jetlag</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#04284a;">Jetlag can have a hugely negative impact on your basic daily functions and performance, which is far from ideal when on a business trip. It’s important that you try your best to </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/blog/jet-lag/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>fight the jet lag</u></span></a><span style="color:#04284a;"> and stick closely to your usual daily routine. The first rule is to avoid any alcohol on your flight as this will make you feel worse. Instead, try and relax with a film or get lost in a great book.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#04284a;">Make sure you set your timepiece to local time as soon as you board the plane to help you comfortably ease into the new time zone. Once you’ve checked in to your hotel room, it might be tempting to collapse into bed but resist the temptation!</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#04284a;">This will only make you feel more tired later, so instead, head for a run around the local area or try out a nearby restaurant. You’ll be thankful for it when you’re feeling fresh in the morning.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#04284a;">Take a Power Bank</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#04284a;">There’s nothing worse than landing somewhere new and finding your phone is almost out of battery. Ensure your smartphone has enough charge at all times by packing a handy power bank into your hand luggage. They’re lightweight, inexpensive and a complete lifesaver in a tricky spot!</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#04284a;">These tips can all contribute to a smooth and successful business trip without delays. Try them on your next business trip abroad and return refreshed and with good news about what you got up to while </span><a href="http://away.To">away.To</a><span style="color:#04284a;"> ensure a seamless itinerary and bookings for flights, accommodation etc match your needs and business budget - it’s best to work with a </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>business travel agency</u></span></a><span style="color:#04284a;"> like </span><b><span style="color:#04284a;">TravelManor</span></b><span style="color:#04284a;">.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Article from </span><a href="https://thebusinessjetsetter.weebly.com/blog/planning-your-first-overseas-business-trip-here-are-our-top-tips">https://thebusinessjetsetter.weebly.com/blog/planning-your-first-overseas-business-trip-here-are-our-top-tips</a>\</div>
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Consolidating Your Travel Program? Consider These Five Thingshttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/consolidating-your-travel-program-consider-these-five-things2021-09-15T05:19:04.845000Z2021-09-15T05:15:38ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><div style="margin-top:12px;"><span style="color:#666666;">As you start to lay the groundwork for consolidating your corporate travel program, here are some important factors to consider:</span></div></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div><h3><span style="color:#666666;">1. Balance standardization and localization</span></h3><div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#666666;">An important part of consolidating a travel program is to standardize processes and policies across different geographies, as it makes the program more efficient. But while having a globally consistent approach has many advantages, ignoring market-specific nuances can be a big mistake.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#666666;">For example, having an integrated visa offering may not be a priority for employees in Singapore, but it would be a key priority for local employees in India as they require visas for most of their international travel. Similarly, having a standard tax reclaim process will not work across offices due to different regulations.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#666666;">Striking the right balance between standardization and localization is key, especially in a region as varied as Asia Pacific.</span></div><h3><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></h3><h3><span style="color:#666666;">2. Understand cultural differences</span></h3><div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#666666;">Related to the previous point, you also need to factor in cultural differences - both organizational culture, as well as diversity in markets.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#666666;">Corporate culture - which impacts employees' expectations and behaviour - can vary widely between companies, and so an approach that works for one organization may not work for another. For example, trying to enforce stringent pre-trip approval processes in an organization where employees are generally given a lot of autonomy and freedom to take decisions probably won't be well received.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#666666;">Similarly, practices that are successful in one country may not translate well somewhere else. In some countries, travellers are very comfortable using self-servicing tools, while in others there is a greater expectation for high-touch service.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#666666;">These cultural differences will impact how much of a change you can make and how quickly you can implement it. Take inspiration from previous large-scale projects that involved a global effort in your organization, such as the transition to enterprise resource planning (ERP) software or expense partner changes. Be patient and work on charting out the stages of transition depending on each location's ability and speed to adapt, while being sensitive to the cultural and local norms along the way.</span></div><h3><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></h3><h3><span style="color:#666666;">3. Get organizational buy-in</span></h3><div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#666666;">Travel is inherently emotional and personal, so having support across the organization is vital to the program's success. It's not just buy-in from the C-suite that is important, but also from other stakeholders like finance, risk management, legal and compliance, HR, administrative assistants and/or travel arrangers, and of course the travellers themselves. Equally important is having an efficient mechanism to collect and act on feedback.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#666666;">As countries continue to grapple with controlling the spread of the virus, in many ways the travel experience will probably be less seamless than it was before the pandemic - at least until a vaccine becomes widely available or treatment is developed. This makes it more important than ever for companies to focus on the wellbeing of their travelling employees and find opportunities to simplify the travel experience where possible, such as partnering with one of the many </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>corporate travel agencies</u></span></a><span style="color:#666666;"> out there.</span></div><h3><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></h3><h3><span style="color:#666666;">4. Review your technological capabilities</span></h3><div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#666666;">In some countries, online booking tools may not be common, and the types of services provided typically comprise traditional booking methods with high-touch services. Different countries may also have their own preferred global distribution systems and are subject to differing airline rules, regulatory limitations and fare filing mechanisms. Employee preferences also play a big role - in China, for example, employees prefer using mobile devices to complete their tasks while those in Japan prefer using their desktops.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#666666;">Gain an understanding of where the levels of technology are in each of your markets. Find out how many systems or programs are being used to ensure the smooth operations of each market, and then work out the process of aligning these technologies across all your locations, so you can improve the overall workflow and easily retrieve information from a central system. Most importantly, remember to ensure that robust data protection measures are put in place to keep all your information secure.</span></div><h3><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></h3><h3><span style="color:#666666;">5. Visualize and align on what success looks like</span></h3><div><br /></div>
<div><span style="color:#666666;">Having a clear and aligned view of success will help you prioritize the non-negotiables and keep you focused. Develop a clear timeline and have a list of short- and long-term KPIs to keep you on track.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#666666;">Discuss with your major stakeholders and develop a list of requirements when consolidating your travel programs, such as duty of care, employee wellbeing, cost savings, policy compliance and sustainability. Speak to a travel agent like </span><b><span style="color:#666666;">TravelManor</span></b><span style="color:#666666;"> that specialises in </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>corporate travel needs</u></span></a><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#666666;">There's no doubt that consolidating a travel program can be a complex endeavour, and perhaps the biggest mistake I've seen companies make is to underestimate the preparation that's required. If you do your research, gain deep insights into your organization, and work with an experienced partner who can help you draw up a roadmap and guide you on how to implement these changes, you will set yourself up for success - and the results will be worth it. You will create a better </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>corporate travel experience for your travelling employees</u></span></a><span style="color:#666666;"> while simultaneously improving efficiencies and saving money.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Article from </span><a href="https://thebusybusinesstravellerblog.blogspot.com/2021/09/consolidating-your-travel-program.html">https://thebusybusinesstravellerblog.blogspot.com/2021/09/consolidating-your-travel-program.html</a></div>
How To Stay Safe During Your Business Tripshttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/how-to-stay-safe-during-your-business-trips2021-07-12T10:49:28.164000Z2021-07-12T10:37:56ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="color:#666666;">Travelling During Lockdown</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#212121;">It is important to remember that there is still a pandemic out there and no cure in sight. Travelling has been allowed, some Airbnbs and hotels have opened, however, this is mainly for business-related travelling only.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#212121;">It’s still high-risk travelling, even if it is for work. But there are ways you can be safe. Here are a few things you can do before leaving home and once you have reached your destination.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#212121;">Do your research</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#212121;">It is important to do your research before your trip - a </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>corporate travel planning business</u></span></a><span style="color:#212121;"> can help with this. Although the regulations in every province are the same, a city might have its own extra rule on the side. Find out what one usually does when one arrives at your destination. This is especially important for the Airbnb or hotel that you are going to be staying at. If you’re not somebody who usually reads up on hotel policies, now is the time to be that person. Many places have changed their policies and rules to adjust to the current times and being prepared will help avoid any problems. It is also important to know what protocols the Airbnb/hotel has in place to protect guests and staff from Covid-19. Call your place of accommodation ahead of your trip.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div>
<div><b><span style="color:#212121;">Air travel is the best way</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#212121;">Using an aeroplane to travel is quicker and you spend less time being in the same space as other people. Most business trips are usually outside of one’s city and long-distance travelling by bus, for example, isn’t advisable. There are stops along the way and this could heighten the risk of contracting the virus. Using your own car is another safer option, especially for short-distance trips.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div>
<div><b><span style="color:#212121;">Disinfect your room</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#212121;">Although many places are being cautious, do your part in being extra cautious too. Bring your own surface sanitiser and wipes to disinfect your room in a way that’ll make you feel comfortable during your stay. While you’re doing this, open a window or two to let in some fresh air.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#212121;">Try to avoid using items that everyone uses like the mugs for coffee or cutlery.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#212121;">Although Airbnbs are only open for </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>business purposes</u></span></a><span style="color:#212121;">, try booking an entire apartment or a secluded room. Hotels have lobbies where you’ll be in close proximity to many people, so Airbnbs may be a safer choice because you can check in and out without ever seeing anyone.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#212121;">Make sure you get tested as soon as you get back home</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#212121;">As much as you might not have serious symptoms, it would be of benefit to you and the people you live with, to get tested. If not, then go into self-isolation until you feel that it’s safe to leave your isolation area.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="color:#666666;">.</span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#212121;">Always remember to wash your hands before and after doing any activity, always wear your mask and wash it too.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#212121;">For more advice for your business trip or if you’re looking for a reliable and informed </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>corporate travel planning</u></span></a><span style="color:#212121;"> agency - check out </span><b><span style="color:#212121;">TravelManor.</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Article from https://thebusybusinesstravellerblog.blogspot.com/2021/07/how-to-stay-safe-during-your-business.html</span></div>
The Perks And Woes Of Business Travelhttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/the-perks-and-woes-of-business-travel2021-06-25T15:16:43.041000Z2021-06-25T15:13:40ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div>Business travel – anybody who has done it, despises it, and anyone who hasn’t, aspires about it. Corporate travels, especially international ones have always been one of the most glamorous parts of the job. Whether it is a week-long stay in Paris or merely a 2-day visit to Singapore, there is something about filling your passport with these stamps that inspires many. However, anyone who has actually done serious business travelling (or works at a <a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none">corporate travel agency</a>) will tell you, that it is not as rosy as it seems. Sure, there are various perks of getting to explore the world while working, but it comes with its own set of woes, and here are some of them.</div>
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<div><b>The free travel perks</b></div>
<div>First things first, there is no doubt that travelling is an exciting and adventurous experience, even if it is done for work. But it is only the first time that you enjoy it to the fullest - smooth visa processes, benefits of corporate bookings, and squeezing in time for sightseeing - everything adds to the excitement of work-related travel.</div>
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<div>But, when you get the hang of it, you realise that these travels are mostly accompanied by a tight schedule of business meetings and a jam-packed list of things to do. Finding the time to actually enjoy the new places, and gathering the energy to go out is a challenge that every business traveller grapples with.</div>
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<div><b>Sightseeing</b></div>
<div>Despite the struggles and challenges, one of the biggest perks of work-related travel is squeezing in that one leisure day for sightseeing on their <a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none">travel itinerary</a>. The chance of enjoying the views of beautiful hills, iconic places and more has been one of the best highlights of business travel, especially when the destination is dreamy and exciting.</div>
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<div>However, this too is balanced out by the mere number of not-so-exciting business trips that you are bound to take – to remote locations with no coverage, or crowded places with language barriers. Landing into trouble on different steps is a part of the norm for frequent travellers.</div>
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<div><b>The newness of it all</b></div>
<div style="text-align:center;">One of the most important aspects of business travel that adds to the stress and joy has to be the newness of the place. Most business travellers are used to solo trips and the challenges that come with it. From the probability of missing connecting flights or losing baggage to the possibility of falling ill due to the drastic climate changes, business travellers have experienced it all and much more.</div>
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<div>However, they have also come up with easy ways to tackle these issues. One of the most simple trade secrets that most people will agree upon has to be opting for reliable travel insurance and in the case of frequent travellers, the multi-trip travel insurance options cover everything that could go wrong at competitive premiums. Whether it is medical expenses, delay or cancellation charges or anything else, these schemes turn out to be the most reliable companion for the business traveller.</div>
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<div>Speak to <b>corporate travel experts at a travel agency</b> like <a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none">TravelManor</a> about the best options for your travel and business needs.</div>
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<div>Article sourced from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/</div>
Preparing For A Business Trip - Here Are Some Tipshttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/preparing-for-a-business-trip-here-are-some-tips2021-05-13T18:42:15.592000Z2021-05-13T18:37:37ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><br /></div><img style="--en-naturalWidth:1000; --en-naturalHeight:667;" src="https://bmmagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/shutterstock_374824489.jpg" /><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><h2><span style="color:#333333;">Travelling for business is often a necessary evil, depending on your job and workload, but if the trip is well organised - perhaps by a </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>business travel agency</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;">, you can get all the work done that you need to finish before returning home.</span></h2><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><h2><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color:#333333;">It is important that you take some time to prepare for your business trip so that you can be as organised and efficient as possible while you are away.</span></span></h2><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">Business trips can be stressful and chaotic, so you want to have everything in place before you go so that the trip is productive and as enjoyable as possible. You should avoid leaving everything until the day before you go away so that you don’t have to deal with any added pressure on the days leading up to your trip. Here are eight tips on how you can best prepare for a business trip and the different things you will want to consider.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><h3><span style="color:#333333;">Make Sure You Have a Passport… and One That it is Valid</span></h3><div><span style="color:#333333;">This may seem like an obvious thing to do before any trip, but you will be surprised at how many people forget their passport before they go on a trip. Your head can be so full of other things that the most obvious thing is easily forgotten.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">You also need to make sure that your passport is valid for up to six months from the final day of travel. This six-month validity passport rule is a general guideline that you will come across if you are travelling internationally. It is important that you check your passport validity, as you may not be allowed to travel if you don’t have six months left on it.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">Whether you don’t have a passport, or it isn’t valid for long enough, there are fast track passport services available that allow you to get a same-day passport. Getting an </span><a href="https://www.passports-office.co.uk/booking.asp" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#e84c3c;">urgent passport</span></a><span style="color:#333333;"> will likely require a meeting at a passport office, but you will be able to pick up your new passport on the same day! You can book urgent appointments here. Make an appointment as soon as you spot your passport needs renewing. Select your nearest passport office and you can even request a same-day fast track appointment!</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><h3><span style="color:#333333;">Get Travel Insurance</span></h3><div><span style="color:#333333;">Travel insurance is essential. You must make sure that you are covered by insurance for any form of travel, and especially a business trip. You may find that your company will provide or subsidise your travel insurance for you, but you cannot assume this, and you must investigate it before your trip.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">You may think that if you are only going away for a few days and are travelling on an internal flight to somewhere else in the country, but you should still get travel insurance. You can get insurance to cover loss or theft of your devices, as well as health cover.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">Travel insurance doesn’t have to cost the earth, so by shopping around at a comparison site you can get a good deal and rest assured during your trip that you and your possessions are all covered.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><h3><span style="color:#333333;">Check the Company’s Travel Policy</span></h3><div><span style="color:#333333;">If you are employed by a company, then it is important that you have a read through of their company travel policy before you head off on your business trip. It is essential that you are familiar with the company rules when it comes to business trips and that you take advantage of the tips and suggestions that your work has to offer you.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">Travel policies can get complicated and it’s often easier and less stressful when businesses use a </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>business travel agency’s services</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;"> to handle employee business travel arrangements, within the scope of that business’s travel policy.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">You should also find out about expenses that are available to you and whether you should be charging your accommodation costs to a company credit card or if you will be reimbursed after you have paid for it all yourself. These are the sort of issues you should clarify before your trip so that you are fully aware of spending limits, etc. before you travel.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><h3><span style="color:#333333;">Find Decent Accommodation</span></h3><div><span style="color:#333333;">Your business trip will be a whole lot more enjoyable if you have somewhere decent to stay. If you are booking your own accommodation then make sure you shop around for some of the best deals, at some of the best hotels in the area.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">You should also try to book your accommodation as soon as possible, as hotels that are popular for business professionals often get booked up quickly, and you don’t want to end up a hotel you didn’t want to stay at. Therefore, you should consider booking your accommodation as soon as your business trip is confirmed.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">If you don’t want to stay in a hotel, then you might consider booking a serviced apartment instead so that you get the perks of a hotel but your own space and privacy to relax in.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><h3><span style="color:#333333;">Wi-Fi is an Essential</span></h3><div><span style="color:#333333;">It is important that you have access to Wi-Fi throughout your business trip, and while you will likely have access in your hotel, you should also consider investing in a portable wireless device. Having a wireless device to plug into your laptop means that you can work on the go and make use of travel time such as train journeys or flights.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">A portable wireless device is a great way to get access to several devices at one time, wherever you are, without having to spend extra money on a local SIM card or pay for a Wi-Fi connection.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><h3><span style="color:#333333;">Pack Wisely</span></h3><div><span style="color:#333333;">It is important that you pack wisely when you are away and only take with you what is necessary. You will likely need to look smart when meeting with clients and other colleagues during your trip, so you should make sure you have a few different options of clothing if you are there for a few days.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">If you are worried about your clothes becoming creased while they are packed away in your suitcase then you can inquire about having them ironed at the hotel you are staying at. A lot of frequent business travellers take a spare change of clothes in their hand luggage with them in case their hold luggage gets lost during the journey.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">While you will want to stay looking smart when working while you are away, make sure that you take something more casual with you to wear as well, in case you decide to go for a drink or something to eat in your spare time in the evening.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><h3><span style="color:#333333;">Stay Healthy</span></h3><div><span style="color:#333333;">As a business trip can be stressful and hectic, you may find that you don’t look after yourself properly. You should be sure to eat as healthily as you can (even at business meetings and event dinners) and be sure to keep hydrated. Eating too much junk food and drinking too much alcohol can make you feel groggy and lethargic, which is not ideal when you have work to do.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><h3><span style="color:#333333;">Currency</span></h3><div><span style="color:#333333;">Again, this seems like a more obvious way to prepare for any trip, but it is essential that you consider what currency you will need when you land. Be sure to check what currency the country uses that you are travelling to, and if you can, make sure you have some change in that currency for when you land. Trying to pay for a $1 bottle of water with a fifty-dollar bill will not make you popular with the shop owner.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">Going on a business trip can be made a lot less stressful if are well organised. If you are, you should find your time away to be efficient and successful.</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><div><span style="color:#333333;">Expert business travel agencies like </span><b><span style="color:#333333;">TravelManor</span></b><span style="color:#333333;"> can take care of many of the above elements - reducing the stress of preparing for your business trip - allowing you more time to prepare for the reason you’re taking a </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>business trip</u></span></a><span style="color:#333333;">...</span></div><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><h2><span style="font-size: 8px;">.</span></h2><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color:#000000;">Article from https://www.bmmagazine.co.uk/</span></span></div>
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New Ways Of Travelling For Businesshttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/new-ways-of-travelling-for-business2021-02-16T12:54:34.484000Z2021-02-16T12:52:43ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">After six months of lockdown, Alert Level 1 was indeed a milestone but the reopening of our borders on 01 October didn’t necessarily herald a return to normality. Indeed, travel may look very different for months to come.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Oz Desai, </span></b><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">General Manager Flight Centre Business Travel, believes that while travellers are keen to get back on the road, it is not without some trepidation: "Research tells us that business travellers are keen to travel once more, not only because of zoom-fatigue and the importance of face-to-face meetings but because they’re craving an escape – and business travel offers new experiences, bleisure opportunities and personal enjoyment. But travellers are still weighing the pros and cons, especially when it comes to COVID rules and regulations."</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Are you one of those looking to travel again? Here are 10 tips for business travel:</span></div>
<div>.</div><ol><li><div style="padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px;margin-bottom:29px;"><b><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Study up on your destination</span></b></div></li></ol><div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Keep tabs on government notifications for your destination and stay on top of developments for your own region as well as any places you intend travelling. Will you need to produce a negative COVID test on arrival? Will you be required to self-quarantine? And if so, for how long? Does your intended destination have a curfew in place? How will their lockdown regulations impact your travel plans?</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">"Knowledge and preparation can reduce anxiety around travelling," says Desai. "Make sure you get your information from a trusted source – and arm yourself with detail. </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>Corporate travel management</u></span></a><span style="color:#4a4a4a;"> companies are well placed to answer all your questions and address any concerns."</span></div>
<div>.</div><ul><li><div style="padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px;margin-bottom:29px;"><b><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Travel direct – if you can</span></b></div></li></ul><div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Perhaps the most daunting part of business travel at the moment is navigating air access and available air routes, including transit destinations (with their own requirements).</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">If possible, fly direct. Not only will it simplify matters in terms of COVID red tape, but you’ll avoid spending more time in other airports – reducing COVID touchpoints. </span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Desai points out that with reduced airlift, direct flights to many destinations are not a possibility at the moment. Your best bet? Chat to an </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>expert in corporate travel management</u></span></a><span style="color:#4a4a4a;"> to plot your most direct and hassle-free route.</span></div>
<div>.</div><ul><li><div style="padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px;margin-bottom:29px;"><b><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Source flexible booking options</span></b></div></li></ul><div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Checking the small print has never been more important. A travel company like Flight Centre Business Travel will make sure you will have flexibility in terms of postponements, cancellations, refunds or vouchers. This is critical should your trip be postponed due to circumstances (for example, border closures) out of your control.</span></div>
<div>.</div><ul><li><div style="padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px;margin-bottom:29px;"><b><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Check that your accommodation has the ‘stamp of approval’</span></b></div></li></ul><div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">In South Africa, the Tourism Business Council of South has developed comprehensive health and safety protocols for all tourism-related facilities, establishments and accommodation. Importantly, the TBCSA protocols have received the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) stamp of approval. A corporate travel manager should make sure to check the establishment’s TBSCA accreditation within South Africa – and will ensure accommodation establishments have the WTTC ‘Safe Travels’ stamp when you are travelling abroad.</span></div>
<div>.</div><ul><li><div style="padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px;margin-bottom:29px;"><b><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Pack well</span></b></div></li></ul><div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">It’s never a bad idea to have a few extra cloth masks tucked away, just in case. Don’t forget to pop a travel-sized (max 100ml) bottle of hand sanitiser into your carry-on bag – and a pack of sanitising wipes always comes in handy.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Other ideas? A few buffs if you’re going to be exercising while away, your own snack packs for the flight, a good quality travel pillow – and tons of patience and a sense of humour!</span></div>
<div>.</div><ul><li><div style="padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px;margin-bottom:29px;"><b><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Get insured</span></b></div></li></ul><div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Chat to your </span><b><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">expert travel manager</span></b><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">, if you don’t have one - check out </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>TravelManor</u></span></a><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">, about the best insurance cover for your trip – now is not the time to wing it.</span></div>
<div>.</div><ul><li><div style="padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px;margin-bottom:29px;"><b><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Check-in online</span></b></div></li></ul><div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">If you can, check-in online wherever possible. This includes flights, shuttles and hotel accommodation. It is just another way of reducing COVID touchpoints.</span></div>
<div>.</div><ul><li><div style="padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px;margin-bottom:29px;"><b><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Manage your stress and look after your health & wellbeing</span></b></div></li></ul><div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Business travel has always come with a particular set of stressors. Long flights, jet lag and lack of sleep to name a few. You can guard your immune system by getting enough sleep and eating a healthy diet – build this into your trip by considering an extra night at your destination to relax, prioritising exercise while away, eating well, keeping hydrated and practising standard health & safety measures (wearing your mask, washing your hands etc.).</span></div>
<div>.</div><ul><li><div style="padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px;margin-bottom:29px;"><b><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Consider bleisure</span></b></div></li></ul><div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Bleisure travel, essentially tacking leisure opportunities onto the end (or beginning) of a business trip, is on the rise. Micrometrics reports that 75% of business travellers would like to go on a bleisure trip; 60% of all business trips are now lengthened with ‘bleisure days’; and 87% of bleisure travellers are satisfied with their work-life balance.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Desai believes that bleisure is going to become increasingly important. Not only because travellers are keen to get out and explore again, but because a leisure experience will make travelling under current conditions worth the effort. </span></div>
<div>.</div><ul><li><div style="padding-top:5px;padding-bottom:5px;margin-bottom:29px;"><b><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">Use an app</span></b></div></li></ul><div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">President Cyril Ramaphosa has asked all South Africans to use the Covid-19 tracing app – COVID Alert SA – a nifty app available on Apple and Android. Put simply, it uses Bluetooth technology to identify other phones with the app installed and alerts you (anonymously) if you’ve been in close contact with any other user who has tested positive for coronavirus in the past 14 days.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">A long list of countries around the world are using similar apps, shining on a spotlight on using apps to navigate life during COVID-19. And there are many.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#4a4a4a;">In terms of business travel, travel experts will handle everything from booking your flights, hotels or ground transport to updating you on the weather at your destination so you know what to pack. Your travel expert will alert you to any flight changes. Now, in this ever-changing COVID world, is not the time to go at it alone.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Article sourced from: </span><a href="https://corporatetraveltalk.wordpress.com/2021/02/16/new-ways-of-travelling-for-business/"><span style="color:#000000;">https://corporatetraveltalk.wordpress.com/2021/02/16/new-ways-of-travelling-for-business/</span></a></div>
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Is It Safer To Fly Or Drive For Business? 5 Health Experts Weigh Inhttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/is-it-safer-to-fly-or-drive-for-business-5-health-experts-weigh-in2020-11-18T09:39:06.073000Z2020-11-18T09:34:03ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="color:#000000;">Despite the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continuing to rise, </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>corporate travel management</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> companies think about how many countries are easing their travel restrictions. Most aren’t quite sure what to do or how to travel this year.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">"The debate now is what do people think is the safest journey right now, is it by car or is it by plane?" he said. He threw the question out to his more than 19,000 followers on Twitter and said that of the 100-plus responses, about 80 percent were in favour of short road trips and thought they would be safer than flying.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">One complicating factor is that if you visit a hot spot, you might have to self-quarantine for 14 days before going back home or the office.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">The Washington Post spoke with five health experts to find out whether there's a right answer to the questions so many are mulling over.</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#000000;">Expert 1: There's "no such thing as safe travel"</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">A CDC epidemiologist says there's "no such thing as safe travel". With over a hundred thousand deaths right now in the United States due to the coronavirus, Allison Walker, a senior epidemiologist in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Travelers' Health Branch, believes "there's really no such thing as safe travel."</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Whether you're driving or flying for business, there may be health concerns due to a variety of factors.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">"Different modes of transportation have different risks. When you have people in close proximity and you're not doing social distancing, if people aren't wearing masks or people don't have access to hand washing, all of those things are risk factors," she said. </span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">When asked whether there was a lesser of two evils, Walker said that both are equally pressing, "because if you're spreading it, someone else is getting it."</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#000000;">Expert 2: Driving is much safer </span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Crystal Watson, the senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, acknowledged that the best practice is to keep social distancing and avoid interacting in groups with new people.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">"It's also important to be able to maintain your mental health, and part of that is trying to take some time off and maybe going somewhere other than your house," she said. </span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Watson said that for those who are travelling, she believes driving is a "much safer" choice than flying.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">"You're only in the car by yourself or with a family who you are probably in residence with anyway. And you have minimal interactions with people when you stop to get gas or get food if you go through the drive-through. Those are pretty minimal risks to take," she said. </span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">And if your </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>corporate travel management agent</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> managed to make a booking at a hotel along the way, Watson considers it a low risk. "As long as you're not hanging out in the bar or the common areas with lots of people, it's a reasonable thing to do to stay somewhere while you're on a road trip or going on vacation."</span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#000000;">Expert 3: Travellers can control the challenges of a road trip </span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">A risk mitigation company executive believes travellers can control the challenges of a road trip. Robert Quigley, senior vice president and regional medical director at risk mitigation company International SOS, warned that both road trips and air travel carry their own risks.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">"Both of them have their challenges, but I think the one you can control a little better is the motor vehicle as opposed to the aeroplane," he said.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">He said he would have liked to believe that airlines would continue practices like keeping middle seats empty, but realises that is not sustainable as airlines have said they will have to increase capacity to break even. For people hitting the road, Quigley recommends doing significant research and planning in advance - a corporate travel </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>manager</u></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> like </span><b><span style="color:#000000;">TravelManor</span></b><span style="color:#000000;"> can help with this. He warned that even when driving, travellers will encounter all manner of hazards in the form of gas pumps, doorknobs and other areas that have seen high traffic.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">"I think that there's no better time than now to really do your homework," he said. </span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#000000;">Expert 4: Gear up when flying</span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;"> The executive dean at Emory University School of Medicine advises gearing up for a trip by plane Carlos del Rio, executive dean at Emory University School of Medicine, who is flying to Miami to see his son in a few weeks believes he will be able to do it very safely. Rio recommends wearing an N95 face mask as well as protective eyewear, which could be goggles or a face shield. </span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">"Whenever possible, travellers should practice social distancing when they're going through security, boarding, and using airport services and facilities.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">"Also carry hand sanitiser and disinfecting wipes," he said. </span></div>
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<div><b><span style="color:#000000;">Expert 5: One's destination for a road trip is a concern </span></b></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">The director of Harvard's Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics is concerned with the destination</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Marc Lipsitch, director of Harvard's Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, notes there are different safety considerations for road trips depending on the method.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">"Regarding road trips, there is nothing inherently dangerous about travel with a household group in a car," he said in an email. "Travel by bus, in particular, may be a more concentrated exposure to a poorly ventilated and dense environment, while train travel is perhaps intermediate in the US."</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">One's destination for a road trip is another cause of concern to Lipsitch.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">"Given the heterogeneity in the epidemic across the country, there is, of course, the risk of going from a low-transmission to a high-transmission community and thus increasing one's exposure," he said.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">If you stop at a hotel during your road trip, Lipsitch notes that there is a risk for contracting the coronavirus by touching common surfaces in your guest room.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">"While there is, of course, a risk of transmission through fomites (inanimate objects) that could present a potential concern from staying in a hotel, for example, I am unaware of any evidence that this is a large risk," he said. "The relatively modest risk of transmission in households suggests to me that you can't catch this disease easily from sitting on a sofa where a sick person was."</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Article sourced from: https://www.iol.co.za</span></div>
Travellers Share Tips To Stay Safe From Coronavirushttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/travellers-share-tips-to-stay-safe-from-coronavirus2020-08-04T11:32:21.438000Z2020-08-04T11:29:28ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><div style="margin-top:15px;"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">For travellers who normally fret about forgetting passports, shaving kits or clean underwear, there is a whole new set of concerns as they prepare to hit the road again after being housebound amid the coronavirus pandemic.</span></span></div></div>
<div>.</div><img src="https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/07/30/USAT/af1d4fc5-6f92-46fe-895a-3439fc52f011-GettyImages-493575252.jpg?crop=3499,1968,x1,y327&width=660&height=372&format=pjpg&auto=webp" height="298" width="528" /><div>.</div>
<div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">With stay-at-home orders being lifted, those who travel frequently for business or pleasure are mapping their own strategies on items and procedures they'll need to stay safe at airports, on planes, in hotels or just trying to get from place to place.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">"We never thought about everything we touch from the time we leave our home," says <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/team/peter-greenberg/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Peter Greenberg</span></a>, travel editor on "CBS This Morning" and host of the <a href="https://petergreenberg.com/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">"Travel Detective" </span></a>series on PBS.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">As one who has logged hundreds of thousands of miles on assignment, Greenberg doesn't plan to go to absurd lengths to avoid the virus ("I refuse to turn myself into a hazmat suit"), but he says he has a number of ideas that should help minimize the risk.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Besides having a mask, he says he plans to fastidiously wear gloves when travelling. On planes, he says he will bring his own bottled water to minimize contact with the flight attendant. In hotel rooms, he says he will <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/hotels/2020/03/18/coronavirus-road-see-how-sanitize-your-hotel-room/5041000002/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">ditch the bedspread</span></a> and run the drinking glasses under hot water for more than two minutes to sanitize them.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Greenberg considers those to be common-sense precautions. "After that, I go with God," he says.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">It's not just <a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:rgb(17, 85, 204);">corporate travel companies</span></a> and <a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:rgb(17, 85, 204);">travel experts</span></a> like Greenberg and <b>TravelManor</b>. Regular travellers, some of them constantly on the road and others now retired looking forward to leisure trips, answered our call to offer their own travel tips that go beyond the basics:</span></div>
<div>.</div><h3><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Study up before you go</span></h3><div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Gene Rivers, who sells real estate in Tallahassee, Florida, says he studies airlines, hotels and ground transportation he'll be using before he goes on a trip to see what precautions they are taking to find the safest alternatives.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">"Risk goes up when flight attendants or restaurant waitstaff or hotel check-in staff are not behind Plexiglass shields or not wearing masks or not cleaning counters after every customer leaves," he said in an email. "I like planes that honour the spacing rules and minimize contact, like boarding from the last seat forward."</span></div>
<div>.</div><h3><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Consider getting a UV wand</span></h3><div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Susan Smith, a retiree in Naples, Florida, says that among her precautions is a UV wand, a device that uses ultraviolet light that can be waved over surfaces to kill bacteria. On a large scale, UV light is being tested as a way of sanitizing New York City's subways. </span></div>
<div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">She says she also is packing slippers but will stop short of bringing her own sheets. "That’s what the UV wand and Lysol are for."</span></div>
<div>.</div><h3><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Bring your own pillow</span></h3><div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Paula McCombie of South Barrington, Illinois, says she will bring her own pillow to any hotels. And that's only the start. McCombie also says she will keep hand sanitizer in a small spray bottle along with sanitizing wipes. "I plan to wipe down the areas that I touch while in my seat on the plane," she says. "Upon arriving, I will be washing my hands very well in the nearest facility." </span></div>
<div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">.</span></div><h3><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Avoid connecting flights</span></h3><div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">McCombie also said she plans to avoid connecting flights to avoid spending time in another airport. That's one less location where she might come in contact with the virus.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">.</span></div><h3><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Pack your own snacks</span></h3><div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Michael Altneu of Gilbert, Arizona, who works in global supply management, said he'll pack a two-week supply of healthy snacks for an upcoming trip to China. Why that much? Because "I am most likely facing a 14-day quarantine once China allows U.S. citizens to <a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:rgb(17, 85, 204);">resume corporate travel</span></a>, and I'll be staying in a hotel, not of my choosing." </span></div>
<div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">.</span></div><h3><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Heck, pack your own meals</span></h3><div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Scott Smith, a regional business manager, doesn't stop at snacks. He says he brings along his own breakfasts and lunches – and he has been on the road continuously throughout the pandemic except for one week in March. His biggest beef: "No state, city or town has the same restrictions," he says.</span></div>
<div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">.</span></div><h3><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Use disinfectant wipes</span></h3><div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);">Cindy Wilkerson, who works in the insurance industry in Sacramento, California, said she's going to use disinfectant wipes at hotels but otherwise plans to put her faith in the cleaning staff. "I’m going to trust that the hotel is doing its job. Maybe I’m too trusting? I think the risk is small that I will contract COVID from a hotel room," she said in an email.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:rgb(48, 48, 48);"><span style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);">Article from: </span></span><a href="https://thebusybusinesstravellerblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/travellers-share-tips-to-stay-safe-from.html" rev="en_rl_none">https://thebusybusinesstravellerblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/travellers-share-tips-to-stay-safe-from.html</a></div>
What is non-essential travel?https://businesstravel.postach.io/post/what-is-non-essential-travel2020-06-03T07:02:32.589000Z2020-06-03T06:55:34ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><b>Most governments have advised against all non-essential travel in an attempt to stop the spread of the killer Corona Virus.</b></div>
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<div>But what does "non-essential" travel actually mean?</div>
<div>.</div><img src="https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/NINTCHDBPICT000571271888.jpg" /><h2><b>What is non-essential travel?</b></h2><div>The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) can advise against all but essential travel to a particular destination, but whether travel is classed as ‘essential’ or not is a decision decided by the person travelling.</div>
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<div>‘Essential’ travel could include urgent family or business commitments.</div>
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<div>The FCO says only you can make an informed decision based on the risks.</div>
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<div>No travel is completely safe, but the official advice always aims to put individuals’ safety first.</div>
<div>British citizens, for example, who decide that they do still need to travel abroad are warned to be fully aware of the increased risks in doing so.</div>
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<div>This includes the possibility they could not be able to get home if restrictions are put in place.</div>
<div>The Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has urged all British travellers to return to the UK now while commercial flights are still operating.</div>
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<div>Dominic Raab's plea comes as international travel is becoming more difficult with the closure of borders, airlines suspending flights, airports closing, and further lockdowns being introduced daily.</div>
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<div>He said: "We are strongly <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/11184561/non-essential-travel-explained/" rev="en_rl_none">urging UK travellers overseas to return home</a> now where and while there are still commercial routes to do so.</div>
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<div>"Around the world, more airlines are suspending flights and more airports are closing, some without any notice.</div>
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<div>"If you are on holiday abroad the time to come home is now while you still can."</div>
<div>.</div><h2><b>Can I still travel?</b></h2><div>.</div>
<div>The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has updated its advice to say all non-essential travel within the UK should be avoided in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus.</div>
<div>The travel ban only applied initially to international travel, however, the new guidance now advises against holidays within the UK.</div>
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<div>The guidelines state: "Following on from the government’s guidance on social distancing in relation to COVID-19, people should avoid travelling unless it is essential.</div>
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<div>"This guidance is for people planning to visit second homes or holiday premises during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.</div>
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<div>"Essential travel does not include visits to second homes, camp sites, caravan parks or similar, whether for isolation purposes or holidays. People should remain in their primary residence.</div>
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<div>"Not taking these steps puts additional pressure on communities and services that are already at risk."</div>
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<div>The best is for people to contact <a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none">corporate travel agencies</a> like <b>TravelManor</b>, to enquire whether they’re allowed to <a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none">travel</a> and how they can make their <a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none">business travel arrangements</a> easily and safely.</div>
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<div>Article source: https://corporatetraveltalk.wordpress.com/2020/06/03/what-is-non-essential-travel/</div>
MOST BUSINESS TRAVELERS PREFER COMPANY, SAYS SURVEYhttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/most-business-travelers-prefer-company-says-survey2020-03-11T12:56:47.776000Z2020-03-11T12:51:41ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="font-size: 20px;"><span style="color:#222222;">As a </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#222222;">corporate travel agency</span></a><span style="color:#222222;">, we like to know what business travellers are all about. We found this brief article about a survey done on corporate </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>business traveler</u></span></a><span style="color:#222222;"> and thought we’d share the insight.</span></span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#222222;">MORE THAN 75 percent of Americans prefer travelling with colleagues over flying solo when travelling for business, according to a nationwide survey conducted by Comfort Hotels.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#222222;">Comfort, Choice Hotels International’s upper-midscale brand, conducted the survey among 1,100 Americans for better understanding of how travel impacts their work relationships.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#222222;">The survey results underline the value of the "work family" and reveals that 60 percent of respondents are willing to sacrifice a raise to work with the colleagues they like.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#222222;">Almost 65 percent consider work relationships as important as their relationships at home, while 59 percent agreed they spend either the same or more time with their work colleagues as they do with their families at home.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#222222;">A majority, 86 percent, said they keep in touch with former colleagues.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#222222;">We’re inclined to agree that colleagues that travel together are happier. </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color:#1155cc;"><u>Book your next business trip</u></span></a><span style="color:#222222;"> (with your work bestie) through </span><b><span style="color:#222222;">TravelManor</span></b><span style="color:#222222;"> - they get you.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color:#000000;">Article source: https://www.asianhospitality.com/survey-75-percent-of-business-travelers-prefer-company/</span></div>
How to get the most value out of travel, for companies and employeeshttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/how-to-get-the-most-value-out-of-travel-for-companies-and-employees-22019-11-06T19:46:32.859000Z2019-11-06T19:43:39ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><br /></div><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/DtRNEIXODBMY5lpqri5ygrqNHR9KHmbuoPS_RKtAwD-QUfl7zN_DIyM46782bK4-BSTOe9haE0rVu8U8mDIE_MBJhD6_p0SKEx7ZAUnsqcUrBG0hST8mu6Z581Tn4EJWvnjQ4Rjd" height="288" width="602" /><div><span style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);"><u><span style="--en-markholder:true;"><br /></span></u></span></div>
<div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Corporate travel has been on an unprecedented growth trajectory in recent years. As business models become increasingly global, companies will spend $1.7 trillion by 2022to send their employees travelling around the world. Corporate travel is the top growth market with Australia’s travel market, jumping 11 per cent to 21.3 million travellers in the 12 months to March 2018 and with business travel spend increasing 6 per cent to over $16 billion in the same period.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">In fact, the prospect of travel and having a good corporate travel policy has become a recruitment question and a means of attracting talent for many companies. Our travel policy data found that 44% of business travellers would actually leave a job due to poor travel policy, while 50% say that a company’s travel policy would impact their decision to take a job. With travel now having a direct impact on a businesses’ bottom line, we’re seeing examples of greater flexibility in travel policies to reflect the desire, status and expectations of employees.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">However, despite this, best practices and processes for managing travel and expense (T&E) are overlooked or often poorly implemented in Australia, leading to cost and productivity inefficiencies, limited strategic oversight of travel management, and frustrated employees. To secure return on investment (ROI) and business benefit from travel, companies must consider the following steps when developing their corporate travel policies and programs.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Use data to determine what’s working and what’s not</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">In an ideal world, employees comply to a T&E policy, with effective checks and balances in place to measure a variety of different types of ROI possible from travel. In reality, companies and employees fail to follow best practice – our research found that 95% of companies allow travellers to spend outside the program and 80% don’t believe they have the most up-to-date supplier information they need to optimise savings. Travel is often booked out of policy, simply because it does not meet the employees’ requirements.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">To achieve best practice in travel buying, companies must first understand what their employees are doing and what exactly they need. By analysing data, companies can track out-of-policy bookings, check how many days in advance bookings are being made and identify lost savings. These insights can then guide companies to introduce new and different measures like using a central corporate card, alerts as prompts and showing pricing options during booking, to change employee behaviours, increase savings and compliance, and ROI.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Focus on enhancing the traveller experience, over savings</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Business travellers’ expectations and their needs are changing, fuelled by a new generational workforce and an emerging middle class. Travel employees want to exercise greater freedom, and are looking for personalisation, information and choice. They want the same experience, whether they book leisure or business. They want their journey to be unique and expect suppliers to take into considerations their needs and preferences. They want to be able to book, re-book, change a flight or hotel and claim an expense, anytime and anywhere through all their devices.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Yet today, many travel policies prioritise monetary spending over employee satisfaction and convenience, leading to a situation that puts policy over people. Companies must build more people-first travel policies that take their employees needs into account. For example, the on-trip stage of any business trip can be the most challenging, from ensuring the safety and care of employees’ to reducing out-of-pocket expenses and dealing with disruptive itinerary changes. By using technology and intelligent tools, companies can support their employees through on-trip automated alerts to reduce the risks of error or frauds, tracking costs effectively through receipt captures, and improved messaging.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Invest in technology that creates smarter business travel</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">While travelling for business is key to unlocking new opportunities for growth and expansion of both employees and organisations, the right technology is key to removing the challenges of business travel and the expense process. Companies are already starting to benefit from a number of innovative and intuitive solutions that save time, money and keep employees happy.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Technology providers like Amadeus are working to integrate T&E tools with everyday office applications to create a friendly user interface and make the booking experience easier. The benefits are twofold: employees can easily book and manage travel arrangements without ever leaving their daily business environment; and companies can increase adoption and compliance to policy, and have greater visibility over travel costs.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Artificial intelligence and data analytics will also impact the future of online booking, and give companies better insight into their travellers. Companies could utilise advanced search algorithms to ensure search results comply with the travel policy and meet travellers’ personal needs and preferences. Trip ‘intention detection’ could be used to proactively propose best trip options directly on the messaging platform used by the traveller. Data analytics can give companies insight into why flights are expensive and whether or not the trip is necessary.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Technology was once expected to eliminate the need for business travel. But today it is critical to ensuring simple, stress-free and rewarding journeys for travelling employees. It’s also the solution for companies to regain control on their travel investments and achieve a holistic view over the entire booking and expense process.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">Companies can also use the services of a </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);"><u>business travel booking company</u></span></a><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">, like </span><b><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">TravelManor</span></b><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">, to make sure all their </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);"><u>travel arrangements</u></span></a><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"> are in order, whilst helping to </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);"><u>keep the travel costs down</u></span></a><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Article source: https://thebusybusinesstravellerblog.blogspot.com/2019/11/how-to-get-most-value-out-of-travel-for.html</span></div>
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How to Have A Productive Business Trip?https://businesstravel.postach.io/post/how-to-have-a-productive-business-trip2019-11-06T19:42:00.743000Z2019-11-06T19:38:50ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">- Do not only fill you planner with things that are work related, you can spare time for yourself and take a break.</span></div>
<div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">- Frequently, companies look for the cheapest flights in order to save a little money but this may contribute to lost time and unnecessary exhaustion.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom:11px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">- If you have a long flight, take advantage of the time you have on the plane.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Making </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);"><u>business travel bookings</u></span></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> through </span><b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">TravelManor</span></b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">, and taking </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);"><u>business trips</u></span></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> are usually fast and can be stressful. In some cases, if we are not prepared ahead of time, we can suffer from negative external impacts such as flight delays, loss of luggage, jetlag, loss of time on transfers and waits in security lines. Knowing that these factors can hardly be eliminated, what can be done to minimize them in order to have a more productive business trip?</span></span></div>
<div><br /></div><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bsxzaYU5QZT0bQ1PbOadkYYFihW1p1-CCd_svN6ulrcUEL8ATc5deAIYQKXu62gHOEoc5TExZ6sBXu-H4Lxq63YdVW6Ih0L5MA9Iu7VjyqpeaVNNrxRUg5i2XOpjCCiJJ5MXkfdD" height="225" width="300" /><div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">During business trips, people tend to deliver a lot of information and receive a lot of information as well. This process usually happens in a short amount of time. That is why being organized is crucial. First, it is important to make sure that the tasks you have at work are being taken care of by someone who will supervise them while you are away. Second, always know how to manage your time, have a planner and make sure everything is written down ahead of time. Do not only fill you planner with things that are work related, you can spare time for yourself and take a break. Finally, make sure you take with you all the digital information you need, your documents, insurance, flight information and all the presentations or what you need to meet with your customers.</span></span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">When </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/corporate-travel-management/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);"><u>traveling for business</u></span></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">, you may not always be able to choose when you have to travel but it is always wise and beneficial to look at the flight options the airlines offer and choose the one that will best fit with your timing. Therefore, it is a good idea to explore your options before the trip, investigate travel times from one place to another in order to schedule your tasks in the most efficient way and make the time most productive.</span></span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Frequently, companies look for the cheapest flights in order to save a little money but this may contribute to lost time and unnecessary exhaustion. If you’ve spent three hours at the airport, you made connections and the hotel you were booked at was also very far from the airport, you will surely arrive exhausted and might want to rest right away. Those are mistakes that can be avoided when trips are planned and the time is managed well.</span></span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Travel insurance is essential for any type of trip, so a business trip is no different. Having a good travel protection plan means that you have coverage for the unexpected. A travel protection plan may cover you in case you have a medical emergency or if you unfortunately encounter some kind of flight delay. For those who travel frequently, AXA Assistance USA offers a Platinum Plan which provides coverage of up to 100% of the insured trip cost for covered unforeseen events.</span></span></div>
<div><br /></div><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Iepu3v3Dq0_BrZzgOIsgOQtk3XagiCzUr040-B7lybP-1uiugk1_2XQ-Q5NFY8jyRU-CwQEv67qlZPr6ZChJTkgh16uR4OktwgR4sosYYyPilGnshomcrqIU-zz2LiRSIir_cNJ8" height="200" width="300" /><div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Another important aspect of </span><a href="https://www.axatravelinsurance.com/blog/-/asset_publisher/pCNTXoGW5IRy/content/how-to-have-a-productive-business-trip-?redirect=%2Fblog&inheritRedirect=true" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color: rgb(62, 132, 6);">business travel</span></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> is to pack intelligently. Business trips can be affected if we take a lot with us, so consider packing only the necessary things. Check the weather at your destination and pack accordingly.</span></span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Don’t forget to bring the electronic devices and accessories necessary for your trip, such as a computer, chargers, camera, if necessary, tablets, and electrical adapters. Make sure the electronics are fully charged before leaving your home that way you can use them without worrying about finding a power station during the trip.</span></span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">If you have a long flight, take advantage of the time you have on the plane. Although you will probably not have internet, you can write emails to send later, review or finish presentations, check information, make notes, or simply bring an interesting book. If you travel at night, that is a perfect opportunity to rest and save energy.</span></span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">If you are caught in unfortunate circumstances such as the delay of your flight, issues due to weather, or if you get where you need to be earlier than expected, don’t worry too much, make the most of it! Take advantage of the extra time, catch up on personal aspects, take a walk or get to know the city, if time allows.</span></span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Of course, it is okay to do non-work activities during your trip, as long as everything is well planned and only if the timing works just fine. In that case, get some rest and clear your mind. Get some exercise, visit a park, try new food. Enjoy the little free time as much as you can and make the trip memorable, not only for business but also for the discoveries.</span></span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It doesn’t matter if it is a business trip or not, traveling in general doesn’t have to be stressful. If you know how to organize your time, your business trip will not only be an opportunity for career growth, it will also be an occasion for you to travel to another place, meet different people and make new discoveries.</span></span></div>
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<div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Article source: </span><a href="https://communalnews.com/2019/07/26/how-to-have-a-productive-business-trip/" rev="en_rl_none"><span style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);"><u>https://communalnews.com/2019/07/26/how-to-have-a-productive-business-trip/</u></span></a></span></div>
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What One Should Consider For Business Travelhttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/what-one-should-consider-for-business-travel2019-07-17T12:39:06.352000Z2019-07-17T12:36:25ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><div style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.38;"><img alt="Airplane" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/TBavJmimrvMxsOOO9GfY9c8rlwLcQnyFh8mAW6vWcgsAOwZfoT_5Bq1nZ5wSfh3hHKplOx2VQpTwV-ESwn8jtcudrnCZIQ2v9HLCm7Ujo2I14iW9yuNAkmtBqZGhEjRcLKodpTDa" width="602" height="400" style="border: none; " /></span></div></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">Nowadays the choice of business travel is not just confined to one parameter; one has to consider the other aspects too, apart from the price, the factors like convenience, loyalty programs and their rewards, elite status benefits.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">Every airline offers a business class or premium travel class. Since there are so many airlines on the runway, so what makes a business section of each airline is different from the others. The cabins of United Airlines are different from those of Delta, Singapore or Air Canada Airlines.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">The analysis aids us to stick our nose in the right direction, going through the premium facilities of the airlines, indeed which then firms our ultimate decision to choose a particular airline to travel.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.38;"><img alt="Business Loyalty Program" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6HRFXA1XzsWWues6eSX8zLNV6A6IWxvgJ3OHcykfCejoseL3BahymiIA02YpI20nvU4kL2X-3lwMHrPwFMjyGUO57j1qo9oRXU6eNPwyq9o34h_FYWl5q293DPUcbZvPg9E7zkKP" width="602" height="391" style="border: none; " /></span></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">Seeing these gradings, one can easily decide the ups and downs of each airline’s business travel.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">Let’s see a few factors which can help us.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold;">Few Considerations to make a Business Travel</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">The quest that arises is, which airline is best suited for business travel? The answer depends from person to person according to his or her preferences and situations which direct us in different directions while selecting a premium class product.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">Look for these aspects while making a choice of airline for your business travel:-</span></div><ol style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 11.5pt; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; margin-left: 11pt;"><div style="margin-top: 8pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1.38;">Cost</span></div></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 11.5pt; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; margin-left: 11pt;"><div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1.38;">Elite Status Benefits</span></div></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 11.5pt; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; margin-left: 11pt;"><div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1.38;">Convenience</span></div></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 11.5pt; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; margin-left: 11pt;"><div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 43pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1.38;">Loyalty program and rewards</span></div></li></ol><div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">Let’s see the importance of each one by one.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold;">1. Cost of the class</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">Most travelers think that when it comes to buying airfare, the cheapest ones will save them. This may hold true for the ones who belong to the mediocre group, but at the same time, they have to face some issues like discomfort, tiredness, and etc.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">Now, you have to raise the stakes of expenditure and pay a bit more than the regular airfare to enjoy some extra services and facilities. Spend those piles of money if and only if you are some easy earning dollars professional, in no catch.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">Opt for the business class if you work for Fortune 500, or if you are some known singer celeb, or a minister.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">While buying a ticket, make sure you use the travel credit card or some </span><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/guide/top-business-credit-cards/" style="font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(0, 40, 104); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline;">business credit card</a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">. Moreover, do see the applications of airlines like American Airlines, United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, or </span><a href="https://www.faremart.com/airlines/Aeromexico-flights-AM" style="font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(0, 40, 104); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Aeromexico App</a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;"> where they offer not only upgrade options but also one can get the access to see more deals on car rents, hotels, travel conveniences.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold;">2. Elite Status Benefits</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">American Airlines is the airline which provides the best elite status. The flying experiments don’t establish some basis for spending the needs; the benefits of elite status are one gets easy upgrades in less money when one attains a certain position in the hierarchy of tiers, plus systemwide upgrades, and some miles all beginning at the middle tier.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">Don’t hesitate to switch the airlines in the fear that you may lose your status, guess what, you will not lose the status instead you will be upgraded. A firm example is of JetBlue airlines who made a policy that a person can earn Mosaic status by spending 1250 dollars in a period of quartile with the airline.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold;">3. Convenience</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">Whichsoever airline you choose business travel must ease the journey of your team and yours. FareMart fulfills this condition without any hassle. The experience while booking a premium cabin for oneself is made a lot smoother, and interaction with the platform is a child’s play. The FareMart makes it a lot more robust than even one can think.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">The business travel to the destination place must have an abundance of routes so that there is no wait time for the next catch. The business class travel thrives this much at least. If overseas travel is needy, then what’s the fun if he can not have a single flight or direct flight to the destination for a premium user.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">The product quality of the business cabin of the airline plays a key role in one’s 14 hours or longer long-haul flights. The fully flat Japan Airlines Sky suite versus the angled flat berths of legit American plane can make a big difference when it comes to comfort and the money that you have paid for the quality. Compromise of any product, whether it is a meal, beverages, blankets, or rest, is not acceptable.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">Make sure that you get all the above at the best worth with all other amenities.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">Some other things to take into consideration are like customer service, airport location, and on-time performance must be part of the convenience. The thought of considering is that if one is traveling in business cuisine then whatsoever be the fault in the airline, lost baggage, traditional delays or any ‘xyz’ reason be, the shifting of the premium traveler must be done with a wink of an eye, wasting no time of traveler as well as of the system.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold;">4. Loyalty Programs</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">One’s mileage points can get him the business travel if he is a regular flier with revenue-based frequent flyer programs. Various kinds of miles are a good suit for different amounts, so there’s a firm equation to create trustworthy airline reward points.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">The business rewards programs are offered by almost every airline nowadays. One pivotal account is opened for every registered business. Now every time the flier books a </span><a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/245588" style="font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(0, 40, 104); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline;">business or premium class for the flight</a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">, his points will be added to his account.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">Business travel or premium cabin for traveling is not a choice of some ordinary person in the population. This is only made possible by some big companies or if you are fortunate enough to travel in the premium class.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">To smooth this process over even more - use experienced </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za/" style="font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline;">corporate travel agencies</a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;"> for all your </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za/" style="font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline;">business travel management requirements</a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">, like </span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold;">TravelManor</span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;">, who has connections and expertise in various fields of the </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za/" style="font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline;">travel</a><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.95652; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-variant: normal;"> industry.</span></div>
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<div><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.38; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-variant: normal;">Article source: </span><span style="font-size: 13px;">
https://flyingaroundinabusinesssuit.tumblr.com/post/186351079292/what-one-should-consider-for-business-travel
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‘Bleisure’ travel is on the risehttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/bleisure-travel-is-on-the-rise2019-05-07T20:08:30.642000Z2019-05-07T07:37:15ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><div style="line-height: 2.03478; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 20pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #999999; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Business travelers happier when adding leisure as 'work perk'</span><br /></div></div>
<div style="line-height: 2.03478; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 20pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial;">
<img src="https://www.eturbonews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/0a1a-37-696x522.jpg" />
</span><br /></div><div style="line-height: 2.03478; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 20pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="line-height: 2.03478; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">As millennials make up a growing share of the workforce, they’ve begun to capitalize on a new, unofficial work perk. "Bleisure" travel – the trend of blending business with leisure activities on business trips – is on the rise, providing a greater quality of life and work/life balance to those who take advantage of it.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 2.03478; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 20pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to the second annual State of Business Travel Survey, 90 percent of millennials have engaged in bleisure travel in the past year compared with 81 percent of Generation Xers and 80 percent of baby boomers. While all three generations benefit from bleisure travel, recent industry reports say millennials have led the way in normalizing the trend. A major reason may be that they’ve identified a budget friendly opportunity: Nearly half (49 percent) of millennials say they’ve extended business travel into a leisure trip or scheduled a vacation around business travel to save on vacation costs.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 2.03478; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 20pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">"National’s new research shows that workers in general, and millennials in particular, are increasingly blending business travel with leisure activities, with nearly a third citing their desire to explore specific destinations as the number one reason to do so," said Frank Thurman, vice president of marketing for National. "And business travelers of all ages clearly believe that bleisure travel helps them maintain a healthier work/life balance."</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 2.03478; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 20pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Better Travel, Better Life</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 2.03478; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 20pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Across all three generations, those who engage in bleisure travel are significantly more likely to be satisfied with their quality of life (93 percent vs. 75 percent) as well as their work/life balance (87 percent vs. 64 percent) while on the road than non-bleisure travelers. In addition, the survey shows that bleisure travelers are more likely to prioritize self-care on the road than non-bleisure travelers, which includes following a healthy diet (42 percent vs. 29 percent) and exercising (57 percent vs. 31 percent).</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 2.03478; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 20pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Keeping It Secret</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 2.03478; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 20pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Despite these benefits, however, millennials are leading another trend: bleisure travel stigma. Nearly half (45 percent) of millennials feel they should avoid telling others about taking time for fun or personal activities while on a business trip compared with 40 percent of Gen Xers and 30 percent of baby boomers. However, this trend may change as today’s junior-level employees become tomorrow’s managers. According to the survey, 76 percent of bleisure-traveling bosses and supervisors report encouraging their teams to take time for themselves while on business trips, compared with only 51 percent of bosses and supervisors who don’t partake in bleisure travel.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 2.03478; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 20pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Staying Connected, Making It Simple</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 2.03478; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 20pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Regardless of what bleisure activities they pursue, business travelers look to technology to keep them more connected than ever. For example, 93 percent of frequent travelers prefer travel brands with technology that simplifies travel. And business travelers use an average of 3.1 travel apps when they travel for business.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 2.03478; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 20pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unsurprisingly, millennials (46 percent) are significantly more likely than Gen Xers (37 percent) and baby boomers (35 percent) to say they always choose travel brands based on the technology they offer.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 2.03478; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 20pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">To get the best out of bleisure travel - use the services of </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #1155cc; font-variant: normal; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap; text-decoration: underline;">corporate travel companies</a><span style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><span style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-weight: bold; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">TravelManor</span><span style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;"> has an </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #1155cc; font-variant: normal; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap; text-decoration: underline;">expert team of travel planners with ample experience</a><span style="line-height: 2.03478; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Article source: <a href="https://www.eturbonews.com/244456/bleisure-travel-is-on-the-rise">https://www.eturbonews.com/244456/bleisure-travel-is-on-the-rise</a></span></div>
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How to Safeguard Your Tech, and Your Money, While Travelinghttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/how-to-safeguard-your-tech-and-your-money-while-traveling2019-03-27T10:49:21.019000Z2019-03-27T05:46:11ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><span style="font-size: 14px;">
<img src="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2019/02/05/business/05ITINERARIES-01/merlin_150070794_f8a0eea7-70a8-4f7a-b271-cd62b52ebac4-superJumbo.jpg?quality=90&auto=webp" /></span><span style="line-height:1.38;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #666666; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Experts strongly recommend not connecting to unsecured public Wi-Fi systems anywhere in the world, not only at coffee shops but also in airports and hotels. </span></span></div><div><br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Travel companies were hit by one data breach after another last year — firms including Marriott, British Airways, Delta Air Lines and the travel booking site Orbitz.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marriott estimates that as a result of its breach — in which the reservation database of Starwood-branded hotels in its portfolio was hacked — 383 million guest records could have been affected and 5.25 million unencrypted passport numbers were possibly compromised. And experts expect breaches in the travel sector will continue.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Travel companies are a prime target of cyber thefts" because they have "highly sensitive, personally identifiable information," said Eva Velasquez, chief executive of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a national nonprofit organization in San Diego that supports victims of identity theft and seeks to broaden public awareness.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">But travellers do have options to protect their information.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bruce McIndoe, president of WorldAware, a risk management company, recommends creating a "digital persona" when booking travel or making other online transactions. This can include setting up a new, disposable phone number using a service like Google Voice and RingCentral to screen any calls based on caller ID and to forward these to the phone number that you want to protect.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mr McIndoe also suggests creating what he calls a throwaway email address, to be used only when booking online, to protect your actual personal or work email from theft. You can also keep your home and work addresses private with a service like <a href="http://iPostal1.com">iPostal1.com</a>, <a href="http://PhysicalAddress.com">PhysicalAddress.com</a> and <a href="http://PostScanMail.com">PostScanMail.com</a>, which can create a new mailing address for you. And you can rent a post office box from the United States Postal Service, though this cannot be used for many online transactions.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are many steps you can take to protect any device you bring on business trips. If you work for a large company or service provider, like a law or accounting firm, your employer may be able to provide clean devices, even some with special protections appropriate for whatever destination you visit.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before leaving on a trip, Sam Rubin, a vice president of the Crypsis Group, a cybersecurity consulting firm, advises all travellers, regardless of the size of their employer, to make sure their laptops are encrypted, via software like BitLocker for Windows laptops or FileVault, for Macs. He also suggests backing up data regularly, installing application updates and deleting unneeded and old data from devices.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Global Business Travel Association, a trade group for a </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #1155cc; font-variant: normal; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap; text-decoration: underline;">business travel agency</a><span style="line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">, suggests using a privacy filter on your laptop and tablet screen when you’re travelling. To prevent theft, lock your devices when you’re not using them, through a PIN, password protection or physical locks and alarms. The group also recommends using a juice-jack protector — attached to the end of your USB cord — to protect against data skimmers when you plug the cord into a public charging station. If you bring your own charging device, you won’t need a public charger.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Experts strongly recommend not connecting to unsecured public Wi-Fi systems anywhere in the world, not only at coffee shops like Starbucks but also in airports and hotels, among other places. If you must use these, Si-Yeon Kim, chief risk and compliance officer of American Express Global Business Travel, suggests minimizing the number of documents you open and being careful of whatever information you transmit.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 1.48696; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 19pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Christel Cao-Delebarre, the global privacy officer in London for Carlson Wagonlit Travel, </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #1155cc; font-variant: normal; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap; text-decoration: underline;">a travel management company, advises being "very careful</a><span style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;"> about speaking with colleagues and possibly sharing confidential information in public places." She also urges travellers not to leave confidential documents unattended either in conference or guest rooms at hotels and elsewhere.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.48696; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 19pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">When it comes to working online, Mr Rubin advises using two-factor authentication on all Internet-accessible accounts. He suggests locking and password-protecting your mobile phone and configuring it to automatically lock after a period of inactivity, and using secure passwords, with a different password for each device and account. Password managers like LastPass and Keeper can help you remember and manage these.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.48696; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 19pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">As for making purchases online, consider signing up for a credit card to be used only for such transactions. You also can set up a virtual credit card for a one-time purchase whose cost you can limit. Some of these can also be used to pay for recurring charges; those amounts can also be limited. Virtual credit cards are issued by companies such as Bank of America, Citi, Capital One, American Express and <a href="http://Privacy.com">Privacy.com</a>. According to Mr Rubin, if the virtual credit card is compromised, it should have no impact on your physical card.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.48696; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 19pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Another payment option, possibly more secure than credit cards, is PayPal, said Robert Austin, president of KoreLogic, a cybersecurity company.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.48696; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 19pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">BCD Travel, another </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #1155cc; font-variant: normal; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap; text-decoration: underline;">travel management company</a><span style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and </span><span style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-weight: bold; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">TravelManor</span><span style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;"> advises against posting pictures online of your itineraries, tickets or boarding passes. It also urges travellers to never leave their boarding passes and tickets on an aeroplane or in a hotel room and to shred these once you’ve used them, all steps to keep cyberthieves from obtaining your travel details. Another protective measure is to use digital boarding passes issued by the airline, and apps like BCD’s TripSource, TripLingo, Apple Wallet and Google Pay. This information will be protected by the security code on your mobile phone even if the phone is lost or stolen.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.48696; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 19pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">John Reed Stark, former chief of the S.E.C.’s Office of Internet Enforcement and author of "The Cybersecurity Due Diligence Handbook," advises setting up your credit card account to automatically notify you of all transactions via email or its app, which he said will make you aware of every transaction as it occurs. He also suggests setting up a separate email account for these alerts, so you can easily track them and not clog up other accounts.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.48696; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">To further track any suspicious activity, he advises subscribing to a credit and identity monitoring company — such as Experian, TransUnion or Equifax — that can provide alerts relating to your credit rating, credit cards and banking.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 1.48696; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 19pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">For additional protection, Mr Rubin suggests the purchase of an individual cybersecurity insurance policy, offered by companies like Chubb and NAS Insurance. Although such policies have long existed for businesses, individual policies are a new development.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.48696; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 19pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group, a travel research company, said his company had found that a growing number of travellers were becoming uncomfortable with sharing their personal information with travel sellers.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.48696; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.48696; font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Georgia; color: #333333; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">"The lesson for travel suppliers here is that no matter how good they think their cybersecurity hardware and software practices are, they may never be good enough," Mr Harteveldt said. "Sadly, there will be one hacker a step ahead at some travel company."</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; font-variant: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Article source: </span><span style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://flyingaroundinabusinesssuit.tumblr.com/post/183743551032/how-to-safeguard-your-tech-and-your-money-while">https://flyingaroundinabusinesssuit.tumblr.com/post/183743551032/how-to-safeguard-your-tech-and-your-money-while</a></span></div>
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</span></div>HOW TO GET THE MOST VALUE OUT OF TRAVEL, FOR COMPANIES AND EMPLOYEEShttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/how-to-get-the-most-value-out-of-travel-for-companies-and-employees2019-01-04T10:09:48.304000Z2019-01-04T10:05:43ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><div><br /></div>
<div><img src="https://www.dynamicbusiness.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Security.jpg" style="cursor: move; -webkit-user-select: none; display: block; margin: auto;" /></div></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38;"> </span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Corporate travel has been on an unprecedented growth trajectory in recent years. As business models become increasingly global, companies will spend $1.7 trillion by 2022to send their employees traveling around the world. Corporate travel is the top growth market with Australia’s travel market, jumping 11 percent to 21.3 million travelers in the 12 months to March 2018 and with business travel spend increasing 6 percent to over $16 billion in the same period.</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In fact, the prospect of travel and having a good corporate travel policy has become a recruitment question and a means of attracting talent for many companies. Travel policy data found that 44% of business travelers would actually leave a job due to poor travel policy, while 50% say that a company’s travel policy would impact their decision to take a job. With travel now having a direct impact on a businesses’ bottom line, we’re seeing examples of greater flexibility in travel policies to reflect the desire, status, and expectations of employees.</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt;"> However, despite this, best practices and processes for managing travel and expense (T&E) are overlooked or often poorly implemented in Australia, leading to cost and productivity inefficiencies, limited strategic oversight of travel management, and frustrated employees. To secure return on investment (ROI) and business benefit from travel, companies must consider the following steps when developing their corporate travel policies and programs.</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">DID YOU KNOW? A </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za/" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline;">corporate travel agency</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"> can assist in setting up suitable travel policies, whilst reducing the aforementioned risks and increasing business travel benefits. Always consider a </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za/" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline;">reliable, reputable and experience corporate travel expert</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"> - such as </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za/" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration: underline;">TravelManor</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;"> - to set up your business’ </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-weight: bold; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">travel policies</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">.</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-weight: bold; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Use data to determine what’s working and what’s not</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt;">In an ideal world, employees comply </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38;">with</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt;"> a T&E policy, with effective checks and balances in place to measure a variety of different types of ROI possible from travel. In reality, companies and employees fail to follow best practice – our research found that 95% of companies allow </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38;">travelers</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt;"> to spend outside the program and 80% don’t believe they have the most up-to-date supplier information they need to </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38;">optimise</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt;"> savings. Travel is often booked out of policy, simply because it does not meet the employees’ requirements.</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">To achieve best practice in travel buying, companies must first understand what their employees are doing and what exactly they need. By analysing data, companies can track out-of-policy bookings, check how many days in advance bookings are being made and identify lost savings. These insights can then guide companies to introduce new and different measures like using a central corporate card, alerts as prompts and showing pricing options during booking, to change employee behaviours, increase savings and compliance, and ROI.</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-weight: bold; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Focus on enhancing the traveler experience, over savings</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Business travelers’ expectations and their needs are changing, fuelled by a new generational workforce and an emerging middle class. Travel employees want to exercise greater freedom and are looking for personalisation, information, and choice. They want the same experience, whether they book leisure or business. They want their journey to be unique and expect suppliers to take into considerations their needs and preferences. They want to be able to book, re-book, change a flight or hotel and claim an expense, anytime and anywhere through all their devices.</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Yet today, many travel policies prioritise monetary spending on employee satisfaction and convenience, leading to a situation that puts policy over people. Companies must build more people-first travel policies that take their employees needs into account. For example, the on-trip stage of any business trip can be the most challenging, from ensuring the safety and care of employees’ to reducing out-of-pocket expenses and dealing with disruptive itinerary changes. By using technology and intelligent tools, companies can support their employees through on-trip automated alerts to reduce the risks of error or frauds, tracking costs effectively through receipt capture, and improved messaging.</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-weight: bold; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Invest in technology that creates smarter business travel</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">While traveling for business is key to unlocking new opportunities for growth and expansion of both employees and organisations, the right technology is key to removing the challenges of business travel and the expense process. Companies are already starting to benefit from a number of innovative and intuitive solutions that save time, money and keep employees happy.</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Technology providers like Amadeus are working to integrate T&E tools with everyday office applications to create a friendly user interface and make the booking experience easier. The benefits are twofold: employees can easily book and manage travel arrangements without ever leaving their daily business environment, and companies can increase adoption and compliance to policy and have greater visibility over travel costs.</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Artificial intelligence and data analytics will also impact the future of online booking, and give companies better insight into their travelers. Companies could utilise advanced search algorithms to ensure search results comply with the travel policy and meet travelers’ personal needs and preferences. Trip ‘intention detection’ could be used to proactively propose best trip options directly on the messaging platform used by the traveler. Data analytics can give companies insight into why flights are expensive and whether or not the trip is necessary.</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px 38pt; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">The technology was once expected to eliminate the need for business travel. But today it is critical to ensuring simple, stress-free and rewarding journeys for traveling employees. It’s also the solution for companies to regain control of their travel investments and achieve a holistic view over the entire booking and expense process.</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin: 0pt 0px; line-height: 1.38;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">Article source: </span><a href="https://www.dynamicbusiness.com.au/technology/how-to-get-the-most-value-out-of-travel-for-companies-and-employees.html" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(20, 170, 245); font-family: Roboto; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; line-height: 1.38; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;">https://www.dynamicbusiness.com.au/technology/how-to-get-the-most-value-out-of-travel-for-companies-and-employees.html</a></div>
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MAKE RISK MANAGEMENT A CRUCIAL PART OF YOUR BUSINESS TRAVEL PROGRAMhttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/make-risk-management-a-crucial-part-of-your-business-travel-program2018-08-10T13:16:51.310000Z2018-08-10T13:14:42ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><img src="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54ad5d33e4b0a068ced51bd4/t/5b369ab0aa4a99effd537d7a/1530305275669/Depositphotos_169234120_xl-2015.jpg?format=1500w" width="1188" height="793" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-user-select: none; display: block; margin: auto; cursor: zoom-in;" /></div>
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<div><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When unexpected, less-than-ideal chaos starts to affect your business travelers or organization, what is your game plan to manage potential risk?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Given recent events, this is top of mind for us, so we've gathered a few potentially high-risk scenarios as well as how </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">corporate travel agencies</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> should help to mitigate them.</span></p><b style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Traveler Safety Risk</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can't always know what is going to happen in the world, but you </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">can</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> always know where your travelers are, and most importantly, if they are safe. Using </span><a href="http://www.cadencetravel.com/travel-blog/2017/1/23/how-big-of-a-role-does-traveler-safety-play-in-your-managed-travel-strategy" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(184, 184, 184); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SafeToGo</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, we give you 24/7 access to a dashboard identifying the locations of each traveler. In addition, we closely monitor situations affecting upcoming or current issues and send out proactive communications and support options. (This has been especially crucial during the past few weeks of weather-related travel complications.) However, this insight is only possible if your team's travel reservations are being made through your TMC, which makes increasing adoption of your travel program a major priority.</span></p><b style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Corporate Liability Risk</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If there is any gray area between traveler and corporate responsibility when things go wrong, you'll want to make that black and white ASAP. According to </span><a href="http://www.cadencetravel.com/s/ISOS_Duty_of_Care.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(184, 184, 184); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">this</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in-depth download on Duty of Care, "Common law regarding negligence requires employers to exercise reasonable care to prevent or mitigate the impact of foreseeable hazards. If they fail to take reasonable steps to prevent these risks, they will be found in breach of Duty of Care." On the bright side, we have you covered. For starters, the SafeToGo technology mentioned above earns some serious Duty of Care points. We can also help you consider your responsibility for lost luggage, injuries or unforeseen costs during a business trip (or even a </span><a href="http://www.cadencetravel.com/travel-blog/2016/6/3/traveling-for-business-and-pleasure-thats-called-bleisure" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(184, 184, 184); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">bleisure</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> trip). Perhaps travel insurance at your cost should be a mandatory part of every booking? Whatever you decide, we can help you incorporate the details of risk management into your travel policy and even automate applicable details within your online booking tool for immediate compliance. </span></p><b style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monetary Risk</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sure, mistakes happen. But unnecessary and unforeseen costs add up and can put a </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">huge </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">unwanted dent in your travel budget. The good news is that most monetary risks can be avoided by proactive communications from an effective account manager. For example, we monitor late purchasing behavior, unused tickets, costly cancellations and the fine print (we see you, basic economy!) and make sure your travelers are aware of the least expensive options for managing bookings.</span></p><b style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If risk management is a component you'd like added to your travel program, contact </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TravelManor </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- an </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">expert and reliable corporate travel agency</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(10, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><b style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;"><br /><br /></b><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Article source: corporatetraveltalk.wordpress.com/2018/08/10/make-risk-management-a-crucial-part-of-your-business-travel-program/</span></div></div><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" /></div><div><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" /></div>
A Corporate Travel Policy: How it Will Save Your Company Time and Moneyhttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/a-corporate-travel-policy-how-it-will-save-your-company-time-and-money2018-08-10T13:14:47.401000Z2018-07-10T09:55:23ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 7.5pt;"><div><br /></div>
<div><img src="https://www.visiontravel.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/GettyImages-468153365.jpg" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-user-select: none; display: block; margin: auto; height: auto;" /></div></div><b style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most companies, large and small, have employees going out to conduct business. They may be driving to a local area, going by train to a regional location or flying around the world. Corporate travel may be as little as once a month, or as much as several personnel travelling for business each week. As a business owner, CEO, or CFO, it is to your advantage to have a corporate travel policy and a </span><a href="https://www.visiontravel.ca/corporate-travel/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">travel management service</span></a><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. In this article, we will discuss what a corporate/ </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/blog/efficient-business-travel/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">company travel policy</span></a><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is and the various benefits of having a travel policy.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 11pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><h4 dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 7.5pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is a Corporate Travel Policy?</span></h4><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A corporate travel policy is a document that details the parameters and guidelines pertaining to all corporate travellers including board members, executive management, employees, corporate guests, candidates, etc. Essentially, anyone who will travel on behalf of your organization. An in-depth policy will cover booking guidelines, preferred vendors, expense management and reporting, communication and much more – virtually anything that your company would like to set as a guideline concerning travel on behalf of the company. It is important that a travel policy remain up-to-date and all of your company travellers are provided with a copy.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 11pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><h4 dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 7.5pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Travel Policy Benefits</span></h4><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cost Containment</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Companies with extensive travel requirements develop guidelines and processes for booking travel, many of which are designed with cost containment in mind. Your travel policy is your vehicle to clearly communicate those processes to your travellers. It outlines how your business travellers should book their travel and which vendors to use – and in what circumstances. Plus, when business travellers follow the processes outlined in their company’s travel policy, it can significantly streamline your data capturing which is key when you are in negotiations with vendors and suppliers. Having accurate data helps you understand your annual spend on corporate travel, develop comprehensive insights into your travel needs, build your budget and identify areas for further cost savings.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 11pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For example, without a corporate travel policy, your business travellers may be booking their own travel using a number of different sources instead of utilizing the company’s mandated online booking tool or travel management company. This is problematic and costly for a number of reasons:</span></p><ul style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; margin-left: 23pt;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You don’t have accurate data to demonstrate your travel spend and frequency – suppliers often extend preferred rates and discounts based on volume</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; margin-left: 23pt;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Preferred rates and useful discounts your company has secured are not being used</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; margin-left: 23pt;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You could be spending significantly more</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre; margin-left: 23pt;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your travellers are spending too much time doing internet research</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Time</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Expanding on the above example, by clearly outlining booking procedures, a corporate travel policy also reduces the amount of time employees spend researching and booking their own travel arrangements, thereby freeing them up to be more productive on the job. Whether you direct your employees to contact a travel advisor at their travel management company, or you’ve implemented an online booking tool, both options significantly expedite the booking process for all employees by providing instant access to all published rates and inventory which are within policy.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Negotiated Rates </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As touched on above, a corporate travel policy plays a vital role in the negotiation and enforcement of preferred rates. For companies doing large-volume travel, the ability to clearly demonstrate how often you book with a specific vendor is integral in order to secure discounts or useful add-ons for your business travel. Once these lower rates are negotiated, it is imperative your business travellers use these vendors; in this way, the company will begin to realize savings. Negotiated rates can be secured with airlines, hotels and vehicle rental vendors. The corporate travel policy will communicate to your employees what is expected of them concerning travel. Over time, you may gain even better rates, based on the amount you have spent with a specific vendor.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Safety</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If your traveller’s plans change unexpectedly or they find themselves in an emergency, your travel policy should clearly communicate what action to take so they are prepared ahead of time. It should detail your company’s communication procedures while also explaining what actions to take in a particular set of circumstances. For example, in the event that a computer glitch or severe weather has caused last-minute flight cancellations, your business traveller will know instantly who to contact at any time of day.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In times of trouble, it is important you and your travellers know how to stay in touch and all parties are well-aware of their responsibilities.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Expense Reporting </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A corporate travel policy details parameters for meals, tips, entertainment, alcohol consumption and much more to provide concrete guidelines for expenses and expense reporting. It can also mandate the usage of an expense tool, which will help manage traveller receipts, therefore making expense reporting more efficient. These tools can save considerable time and effort for both the traveller and your accounting department, providing itemized reports in a clear, concise manner.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Traveller Satisfaction</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Employees need a clear understanding of how to conduct themselves and what the rules and expectations are of them while they’re on the road and representing their company. A corporate travel policy will outline these guidelines and remove any questions the traveller may have.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 11pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"> </span></span></p><h4 dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 7.5pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Summary</span></h4><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It can be difficult to keep track of the comings and goings of all your employees when they’re frequent travellers, not to mention the expenses. With corporate travel being noted as the second largest controllable expense on the company ledger, a comprehensive, updated travel policy helps control costs, set clear expectations, mandate tool usage and much more.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 11pt;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you don’t already have </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/blog/efficient-business-travel/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">company travel policies</span></a><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TravelManor</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> can assist you with developing a </span><a href="https://www.travelmanor.co.za/blog/efficient-business-travel/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">travel policy for business</span></a><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - one based your company’s unique culture, travel behaviours, negotiated rates and policies.</span></p><b style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;"><br /><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Article source: </span><a href="https://visiontravel.ca/2016/09/28/corporate-travel-policy-save-time-money/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Roboto; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://visiontravel.ca/2016/09/28/corporate-travel-policy-save-time-money/</span></a></p><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" /></div><div><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" /></div>
Bleisure Travelers are Hungry for Sunshine, Sightseeing, and Cuisinehttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/bleisure-travelers-are-hungry-for-sunshine-sightseeing-and-cuisine2018-06-20T07:58:07.417000Z2018-06-20T07:54:24ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; font-size: 28px;"><div><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(153, 153, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">New insights released by Expedia Group™ Media Solutions, the advertising arm of Expedia Group, reveal that domestic and international bleisure travel is booming, and business travelers are invested in making the most of their time away from home. The findings, from a multi-national study commissioned by Expedia Group Media Solutions and conducted by Luth Research, spotlight the behaviors, influences, resources, and preferences of American, British, Chinese, German, and Indian bleisure travelers—or business travelers who extend their trip for leisure.</span></div></div></div><div><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 13.5pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unveiled today at Phocuswright Europe, shows that on average, across the five countries, bleisure travelers take more than six business trips per year, and more than 60 percent of business trips during the last year were extended for leisure purposes. In the U.S., bleisure travel conversion is consistent with the multi-national average of 60 percent, revealing a nearly 40 percent increase in American bleisure travel since 2016.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 3.75pt 3.75pt 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On average, 72 percent of bleisure travelers said there are destinations they have visited or will visit in the future for business that they would like to extend for bleisure, but what makes a destination appealing for bleisure travel? Fifty-six percent said they are more likely to consider a bleisure trip in a destination with great food and restaurants, closely followed by approximately 50 percent influenced by beaches, weather, nature, historical monuments or sightseeing. This further validates the importance of experiences and activities for all travelers, and illustrates an opportunity for marketers to attract bleisure travelers from around the world.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The study provides a deeper look at the influences and motivations of the growing and valuable bleisure audience, and the actionable insights will empower marketers to strategically target and convert these travelers within the condensed research and booking window," said Andrew van der Feltz, Senior Director, EMEA & APAC for Expedia Group Media Solutions. “By showcasing unique experiences and activities, which are influential factors during the decision-making process, every destination, hotel, restaurant, attraction, airline, and more, can entice business travelers to extend their trip for leisure."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Converting to Bleisure</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Business trips lasting 2-3 nights are most likely to result in bleisure trips (50 percent), as are trips where the business destination is far away, or more than 400 miles from home (49 percent)Leading factors that influence bleisure travel decisions include traveling to a destination with great entertainment (48 percent) and visiting an iconic or bucket list destination (43 percent); easy-to-navigate destinations, proximity to the weekend and additional personal costs required to extend the trip for leisure are also influential factors</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bleisure Research & Booking Resources</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Approximately 80 percent of bleisure travelers spend 1-5 hours on research during both the inspiration and planning phases, which is more condensed than more traditional leisure booking windows. Before deciding to bleisure, 68 percent of travelers conduct research using a search engine, 47 percent use travel-related websites – including OTAs, airline and hotel sites, and review sites – and 44 percent use destination websites. Most bleisure travelers personally research and book accommodations (61 percent), airfare (42 percent) and dining (38 percent) for the leisure portion of their trip. Making use of </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">corporate travel agencies</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> could reduce the additional costs and ensure an expedient booking process and thus a more ‘bleisurefull’ journey.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Willingness to Travel for Bleisure</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two-thirds of past bleisure trips were in the same city as the business trip, but more than 80 percent of bleisure travelers are willing to travel from the business destination for leisure. On domestic and international trips, more than 50 percent of bleisure travelers are willing to travel 1-2 hours via car from the business destination for the leisure portion of their trip, and more than 28 percent would travel 1-2 hours via plane. When traveling domestically between the business and leisure destinations, 38 percent of bleisure travelers are unwilling to travel via bus and 25 percent are unwilling to travel via plane.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bleisure Budgets & Payment Preferences</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Compared to a typical vacation, 57 percent of bleisure travelers spend the same amount of money or more on a bleisure trip, and more than 75 percent save money specifically for bleisure travel. When on a bleisure trip, credit cards are the leading preferred payment method (69 percent), followed by cash (47 percent) and debit or ATM cards (44 percent)More than two-thirds of bleisure spend is allocated to hotel, airfare and dining for the leisure portion of the trip.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Key Takeaways for Marketers</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bleisure Travel is Booming: Sixty percent of business trips convert to bleisure, and with travelers taking more than six business trips per year, on average, there’s a profound opportunity to reach and entice this valuable audience. Bleisure Knows No Boundaries: There is nearly equal likelihood of bleisure travel for both domestic and international business trips, and travelers are willing to travel away from the business destination for leisure. Destination To-Do’s: With nearly 70 percent of business trips being for conferences, there is an opportunity for destinations to encourage extending for leisure by highlighting activities and experiences to drive repeat visitation. Condensed Path to Purchase: Most bleisure travelers spend less time on research than they would on a leisure trip, so marketers have a shorter window to strategically target and influence behavior and purchases with call to action messaging. In Market Targeting: Bleisure travelers may not book everything in advance, highlighting opportunities for marketers to reach and convert travelers in-trip – especially for ancillary products like dining, tours and activities, entertainment and transportation.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Booking in advance has definite benefits, especially when letting </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">corporate travel agencies</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, such as </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TravelManor</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, handle the </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">bleisure travel arrangements and travel options</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 3.75pt;"><div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"> </span></span></div></div></div><div><b style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Article source: </span><a href="http://www.oaoa.com/people/lifestyle/article_e94c76a2-ca33-5b49-bf35-323d70c578b3.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Roboto; color: rgb(20, 170, 245); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.oaoa.com/people/lifestyle/article_e94c76a2-ca33-5b49-bf35-323d70c578b3.html</span></a></p><br style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" /></div>
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10 Tips for Solo Female Travellershttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/10-tips-for-solo-female-travellers2018-06-20T07:54:23.642000Z2018-02-20T05:54:04ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><img style="-webkit-user-select: none; background-size: 20px 20px; background-image: linear-gradient(45deg, rgb(238, 238, 238) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 100%), linear-gradient(45deg, rgb(238, 238, 238) 25%, white 25%, white 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 100%); cursor: zoom-in; height: auto; background-position: 0px 0px, 10px 10px;" src="https://www.thenational.ae/image/policy:1.678162:1511440896/wk24-travel-on-the-move-women-travellers.jpg" width="1423" height="949" /></div>
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<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">While our area of interest leans more towards business travel from a </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">business travel agency</span></a><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> point of view, solo travelling when you are on business is probably more the norm than the exception and if you have some free time, taking in the local tourist spots would then usually also be done solo. Therefor we thought it apt to share this excellent article. Enjoy the read!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Solo travel is on the rise these days, and single female travelers may face some particular threats and obstacles while on the road—so France-based (and female) TPG International Contributor Lane Nieset highlights 10 tips and tricks to help women take a safe and savvy solo getaway:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">I’ve had my fair share of experiences—both good and bad—while traveling by myself, from post-college backpacking through Europe to exploring far-flung locales around the globe. There are certainly hazards out there, and at times, being alone might feel more lonely than exciting. But while you can’t avoid every danger or setback, there </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">are</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> ways to be more aware, cautious, prepared and empowered while you’re out there exploring the world Marco Polo-style, as a modern-day woman.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Here are my 10 tips for other solo female travelers:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Try to blend in. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">When I studied abroad in Paris during college, my professor said that wherever you go, you should learn how to say these six phrases and you’ll be golden: Hello, Goodbye, Thank You, How Much Does that Cost?, Where are the Toilets?, and I love You. I couldn’t agree with him more; these simple gestures make all the difference when it comes to respecting a culture. The same goes for dress code and clothing: a scarf can double as winter wear, as well as something to cover your hair or shoulders if you are in a Muslim country. This also goes for revealing or flashy clothing—save it for the nightclub. Even in sexy cities like Miami, you’re going to draw attention, and it may not always be the kind you want.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Talk to Strangers. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">As a child, parents and teachers always taught us to shy away from strangers, but one of the best ways to explore a city is by striking up a conversation with someone you don’t know. For instance, I’ve met new friends on trains who’ve started sharing their tips about particular destinations, and by the time we arrive at our final stop, they’ve become my travel partners. Look up from your smartphone, step outside of your comfort zone and go on a new adventure, whether it leads you to a hidden (and delicious) restaurant recommended by the bartender who just served you, or to a speakeasy club that’s filled with locals. In high-end hostels like Europe’s Generator, you could even book a private room, but still enjoy the social setting hostels are known for—and make a friend to go out with that night. Just remember to use common sense and never disclose </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">too</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> much information about yourself.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Be Prepared for a Plan B. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Travel doesn’t always go smoothly. Planes are late or cancelled; trains get delayed; you might miss your ferry and have to wait a day or two for the next one. While airport information desks and airline attendants make it easier to handle these types of situations, it’s not always the case for other modes of transportation. My boyfriend is notorious for missing flights and has no fear of finding a last-minute spot to sleep in anywhere from Kazakhstan to Bangkok, but I’m the opposite—situations like this stress me out while I scramble for a solution.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">I was once stranded at a train station outside of Venice in the middle of the night because my overnight connection was delayed three hours. For a woman on her own, a situation like this can be disconcerting, since many open-air train stations in Europe lack security, attendants, and any type of social setting like a café or restaurant. If you find yourself in a similar situation, try to find a well-lit spot that’s not deserted. Not an option? Train stations are typically near hotels, so try walking to a nearby spot and explaining your situation to the concierge. Most hotels are fine with allowing a woman on her own to sit in the lobby or hotel restaurant and wait for a few hours until her train arrives.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Use Social Media & Smartphone Apps. While you shouldn’t flash your new iPhone 6 around, prepare for your next journey by glancing at maps and recommendations on your phone. This way you have a general idea of where you’re heading and can avoid standing out too much like a tourist with a giant paper map. Social media is also a great way to find out about local events and attractions, as well as connect with locals. Book a room at a hotel, hostel or </span><a href="https://thepointsguy.com/2014/12/4-resources-for-finding-short-and-long-term-accommodations/" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1723c6;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Airbnb</span></a><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> while on the road, maybe even snagging a last-minute deal.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">While I was exploring the coast of Croatia, I booked my B&B for the next night via iPad and not only found an incredible rate on a sea-view room, but also had a lovely welcome drink with the Croatian owner and daughter, who gave me great recommendations for things to do. Think Tinder is just for meeting your next boyfriend (or rendez-vous)? The app is also a way to get ideas for things to do from locals, and maybe even meet in a public group setting. Just be careful and once again use your common sense and female intuition.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Dine Alone—And Love It.</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">One of the main concerns most travelers have is dining alone. Telling the hostess (who may not even speak English) you want a table for one may seem intimidating, but there are ways around the awkwardness.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Breakfast and lunch are the easiest meals for eating solo. I can’t even talk before coffee, so a table with me and a newspaper is the perfect plan for breakfast at a café. Same goes for lunchtime: bring a book if you need to feel entertained during your meal, or take advantage of some free WiFi. Often when I find myself sitting solo at a café or park, I’ll jot down my trip-notes and personal thoughts in a small, stylish notebook that can fit in my purse.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">At dinnertime, when it seems like everyone else is out with friends, on dates, laughing and conversing, I’ve found that tables seem too stuffy, so I opt to dine at the bar. Bartenders have a gift for gab, and can make great dinner companions. But remember, you took this voyage alone for a reason—whether it’s your own </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Eat Pray Love</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> moment or a work trip—so consider simply savoring some alone time, free of distractions. (That is, aside from taking food pics for Instagram.)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Don’t Announce Your Room Number. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Most hotels have gotten savvy when it comes to keeping guests’ room numbers private at check-in. It’s better to have the check-in person write down the room number instead of announcing it out loud for others to know where you’re staying. When getting into an elevator or walking to your room, stay mindful of unwanted company; if a person makes you feel uncomfortable, as soon as possible, get off, pick up your pace, or switch directions. Share your itinerary with a close friend, parent, roommate, so that someone knows where to find you in case of an emergency. And a last word of advice when staying at hotels or going out on the town alone: don’t drink past your own limit. We know those craft cocktails at the hotel bar look cute and all, but when you’re on your own, you put yourself at risk when you can’t stay aware of yourself and your surroundings.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Guard Your Bags & Valuables. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">A </span><a href="http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/baggage-locks" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1723c6;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">TSA-approved lock</span></a><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> not only helps keep your bags (relatively) safe at the airport, but can also be used while staying in hostels and napping on trains. The same goes for keeping an eye on your purse, backpack and smartphone. I know a few women who have set their phones on a table while having lunch or a coffee, and the minute they looked away, it was gone.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Keep your passport safely stored at your hotel and stay aware of your bag in crowded places and on public transport. The Paris metro, for instance, is notorious for pickpockets who slash bags open and steal what’s inside. You should even be careful at clubs, especially when dancing with a handsome stranger. One second my friends were kissing a dark-eyed beauty, the next they realized their wallet was no longer in their cross-body purse. Always have spare copies of your passport and identification, just in case those go missing, too.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Carry Local Currency.</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Whether you withdraw money at an ATM or convert your dollars at the airport, always carry local currency in case of an emergency—and never pack it in a checked-in bag while flying. Depending on the country, some restaurants and taxi drivers may only take cash, or your credit card may not work with certain vendors (even with the international EMV chip). Having cash is also useful at local markets, or when your Uber driver fails to show and you need to hail a taxi. I also like to keep spare cash and an emergency credit card in a separate bag (usually stored safely at the hotel) in case something happens to my wallet or purse. For those in a real rut, </span><a href="https://www.westernunion.com/us/en/home.html?redref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&tid=t_p_in" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1723c6;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Western Union</span></a><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> is a great resource for friends or family to wire you money. (This has saved friends of mine who “lost" their purses at nightclubs in Paris.)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Wander, but Use Caution.</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> I love learning my way around a new city—wandering through different neighborhoods during the day, figuring out how to navigate local transport, and finding great restaurants, cafes, bars and shops, but I always try to discover where not to go, especially at night.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">When I first moved to Nice on the Cote d’Azur of France, I was told by locals that walking alone in the Old Town at night wasn’t the safest bet; women had been mugged, beaten up and grabbed in the street. As I result, I avoided unlit areas, tried to walk on busier streets, and kept my phone close at hand in case I needed to call for help.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">But I also quickly learned to avoid speaking loudly on the phone or to a friend when walking at night, as my French isn’t always perfect. If you’re not fluent or can’t get a hang of an accent, speaking loudly will draw attention to the fact that you’re a tourist, and potentially an easy target.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The lesson? Do your exploring in daylight, and be prepared to get back to your lodging safe and sound at night, even if that means a direct taxi ride versus braving the subway. And always keep a card with your hotel’s name and address on it (especially for that moment when your trusty phone battery dies) that you can give to the driver to ease communication.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Take a Tour or Try a Local Activity.</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Free walking tours exist in most major international cities, and are a haven for solo travelers, because not only can they help you get your bearings and learn more about the culture, you’re with a crowd of people for a few hours and may find someone to meet up with for the next few days, or even make a new friend.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Other local activities can provide the same perks. If you’re in Bordeaux, sign up for a wine tasting. In Tulum, try a yoga class or week-long retreat. Go on a kayaking trip in Norway. Making connections with people who have similar interests can make the world feel smaller—and inspire you to keep traveling. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Treat solo travel as an opportunity to learn more about yourself </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">and</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> the world. Let loose, but take simple precautions like these to stay safe without worrying too much. You’re on vacation, after all.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"> </p><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><div><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Ask your </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">corporate travel agent</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> to work in some ‘bleisuring’ into your next business trip! Need some good advice? Why not connect with </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">TravelManor </span></a><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#202026;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">today.</span></div></div></div>The Expert-Approved Guide to Sleeping on a Planehttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/the-expert-approved-guide-to-sleeping-on-a-plane2018-02-20T05:52:58.427000Z2018-02-20T05:45:17ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><div style="text-align: center"><img style="-webkit-user-select: none;background-position: 0px 0px, 10px 10px;background-size: 20px 20px;background-image:linear-gradient(45deg, #eee 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 75%, #eee 75%, #eee 100%),linear-gradient(45deg, #eee 25%, white 25%, white 75%, #eee 75%, #eee 100%);" src="https://greatist.com/sites/default/files/styles/article-main-large-752/public/SleepPlane2-1800.jpg?itok=C5kZ88vF" /></div></div>
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<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">We regularly work with </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">corporate travel agencies</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> and one of the things their client’s regularly complain about, is how they struggle to sleep on a plane and then have to be fresh and ready for that early morning business meeting. We found this great blog with a few super-easy tips to help you nod off at a few thousand miles in the air.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">While a few lucky folks can pass out easily upon takeoff, for most of us, quality in-flight sleep is a struggle. And that can lead to exhaustion and several nights of playing catch-up when you arrive at your final destination.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Beyond the tips you likely already know—invest in earplugs, an eyemask, and a pillow; wear comfy clothing; and book a first class ticket with a lie-flat seat (#lifegoals)—here are more ways you can rest en route.</span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: 19pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:19pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><b>10 Secrets for In-Flight Sleep</b></span></div>
<div><h3 dir="ltr" style="margin-top:33pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:15pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">1. Score a window seat.</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">If you can reserve a window seat, lean against and rest your head on the side of the plane. (It's a lot easier than trying to fall asleep on a neck pillow while basically sitting upright.) Bonus: You can also control your light exposure.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The best way to guarantee you can pick your seat? Build status with an airline. “I tend to fly one airline group as much as possible so I have status," says Damian McCabe, CEO of McCabe World Travel, who has logged more than 100,000 miles in the air this year alone. McCabe says perks can include a better seat and priority boarding. (Plus there’ll be more space for your carry-on.)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Also, make sure you can stretch out your feet, says Alyx Brown, a sports chiropractor at Arvada Sport and Spine Group. It's more than just a comfort issue—it's also better for your circulation (more on that below). McCabe recommends using the airline’s website or sites like SeatGuru to pick the best seat possible and get additional details (like legroom inches and proximity to bathrooms) that aren’t always available when booking online.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="margin-top:33pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:15pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">2. Bring some comfort items.</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Remember your favorite teddy bear as a kid? Think of this as the adult version. “I take a shawl and a good pair of socks, and I always have music because it helps to relax," McCabe says.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">So now's the time to put that broken-in sweater, super-soft faded t-shirt, and chill playlist to good use. Falling asleep when you’re in the midst of 200 people and 38,000 feet up in the air is all about making yourself feel as at-home as possible.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="margin-top:33pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:15pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">3. Uncross your legs.</span></h3><h3 dir="ltr" style="margin-top:33pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#434343;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">When you cross your legs, you clamp down on one side, which could restrict blood flow (and </span><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dvt/travel.html" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#4d4d4d;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">increase your chances</span></a><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#434343;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> of a blood clot if your flight is more than four hours). “You could also torque your low back," says Karena Wu, P.T., the clinical director for ActiveCare Physical Therapy. Because your lower half is slightly twisted either to the right or left (depending on which leg you crossed), and your upper body is still facing straight ahead, you add a small amount of additional stress to your lumbar. If you fall asleep that way, you’ll likely wake up at some point and immediately cross your legs the other way because you’re subconsciously trying to even out that twist.</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">A better way to sit: “Keep your legs straight, with a slight bend to your knees," Brown says. “You want to avoid any blood pooling in the lower part of your body." If you’re petite, Wu also suggests shifting your entire body to the side, and leaning your shoulder into your seat.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="margin-top:33pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:15pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">4. Lean back.</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Reclining your chair will help ease some of the pressure on your lower (lumbar) spine. With less pressure on your back, it’ll be easier to fall asleep.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The second best position is sitting up straight. But if your abdominal muscles aren’t strong, you won’t have any lumbar support—and that can lead to lower back pain. The fix: a lumbar pillow, which helps to keep that curve in your low back, Brown says. “You can use a travel pillow or even a rolled-up jacket."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The worst thing you can do? Fall asleep leaning forward without any back support. “In that position, you’re putting the most pressure on the [spinal] discs," Brown says.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">And use those armrests: One study found that they helped alleviate back pressure. Rather than try to squeeze between them, rest your forearms on top to gently support your upper body and relieve your spine from doing all of the work. </span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="margin-top:33pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:15pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">5. Power down.</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">We all know that light exposure is a bad idea if you’re trying to sleep. The same holds true for the light produced by seatback TV screens, mobile phones, tablets, or laptops. Electronic screens are similar to sunlight, explains Haley Byers, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist who specializes in sleep. "So when you’re looking at that right before bed, you’re suppressing melatonin release."</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="margin-top:33pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:15pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">6. Avoid sleep aids, except melatonin.</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">“If you’re traveling alone, be very careful about using any sleep medicine unless you know how it affects you," says Max Hirshkowitz, Ph.D, chairman of the </span><a href="http://sleepfoundation.org/" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#4d4d4d;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">National Sleep Foundation</span></a><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">He adds that most over-the-counter sleep aids contain antihistamines, which are typically longer-acting and may leave you feeling groggy.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">If you really want some help, try melatonin. Though it’s not regulated or approved by the FDA, several studies have shown it might be useful in shifting your circadian rhythm. </span><a href="http://www.cet.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Arendt-2009-SMR.pdf" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#4d4d4d;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">One paper</span></a><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> suggests if your flight departs in the early evening (typical of eastward travel), you should take the melatonin before boarding.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="margin-top:33pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:15pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">7. Skip alcohol.</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Though it might be tempting—you’re on vacation, right?!—booze won’t help you sleep soundly. “Alcohol will initially promote sleep, but it's usually only in effect for three to four hours, and then you can’t get back to sleep," Hirshkowitz says. On top of that, you might wake with a headache and feel thirsty. That could lead to overcompensating with water—and we all know frequent bathroom trips won't make it easy to fall asleep.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="margin-top:33pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:15pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">8. Don’t eat too much.</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Try not to eat a meal within two hours of trying to sleep, Byers says. And watch what you eat: Overeating or having fatty foods might feel uncomfortable and make it harder to catch some zzzs. When you eat a big (or high-fat) meal, your heart needs to work harder to pump more blood to your stomach and intestines. Eating large quantities of fatty foods can also lead to changes that cause blood to clot more easily, something you want to avoid if you're on a long flight.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="margin-top:33pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:15pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">9. Plan ahead to beat jet lag.</span></h3><h3 dir="ltr" style="margin-top:33pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#434343;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Whether you’re traveling east or west can make a difference in your pre-flight plan. Heading east? Go to bed 30 to 60 minutes earlier than usual in the days leading up to your trip. “Then, try to get up 30 minutes earlier, so you’ve shifted the whole sleeping window a little bit earlier," Byers suggests. One study found a combination of shifting sleep cycles and using melatonin allowed subjects to avoid jet lag entirely. </span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#434343;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Research</span><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> also suggests if you’re traveling east on an overnight flight, you should avoid light exposure and try to sleep during the first half of the flight (likely when it’s night where you’re heading). Going west? Avoid light exposure during the second half of your flight to initiate a delay in your </span><a href="http://greatist.com/happiness/what-are-circadian-rhythms" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#4d4d4d;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">circadian rhythm</span></a><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">. The good news is if you’re flying west and you’re a night owl, you have an advantage, Hirshkowitz says.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Think about it: If you're flying from N.Y.C. to L.A., you're now three hours behind. So if it's 3 a.m. in N.Y.C. (and to your body), it's only midnight in California—an easier adjustment if you already like staying up late. You'll also get to "sleep in" the next morning. So if you have an 8 a.m. meeting in California, it might feel more like 11 a.m. to your body. The reverse—traveling east—is typically harder: Arriving at 3 a.m. local time, your body thinks it should only be midnight, and getting up at 8 a.m. will feel like 5 a.m.</span></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="margin-top:33pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:15pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">10. Set your watch to your new time zone.</span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:18pt;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">As soon as you leave your starting city, act as if you're already in the time zone of your destination, Byers suggests. For instance, if you feel like you need a cup of joe, only have it if you’d be drinking coffee at that time in your arrival city, Byers says. If it's 10 p.m., the answer is no—regardless of how you feel in your current time zone. The sooner you can start acclimating to your new destination, the better off you’ll be once you actually arrive.</span></p></div>
<div><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Once You've Landed</span></div>
<div><b><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></b></div>
<div><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;background-color:#ffffff;"><span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Stay up! “If you sleep all day, then you’re going to be up all night, prolonging the same issue," Byers says. If you nap, keep it short: 15 to 30 minutes. And accept that it may take a few days to feel completely back to normal: You can shift your circadian rhythm about one hour per day, several experts confirmed. So if the first day or two you’re groggy, hungry at odd times, or have GI issues, it’s just part of your body adjusting. Give it time, and soon you’ll be back to enjoying your vacay.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Original article source: </span><a href="http://thebusybusinesstravellerblog.blogspot.co.za/2017/11/the-expert-approved-guide-to-sleeping.html">http://thebusybusinesstravellerblog.blogspot.co.za/2017/11/the-expert-approved-guide-to-sleeping.html</a></div></div><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">If you are a regular business travel, jet lag might be something familiar to you. Why not ask your business travel agency to attempt to book flights with enough time to take that power-nap before heading into your first meeting. You will be surprised what </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">a good travel agent</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> can accomplish! Just ask </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">TravelManor</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /><br /><br /></b></div>Top Things to Do at Singapore’s Airport, Changihttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/top-things-to-do-at-singapores-airport-changi2018-02-20T05:38:09.150000Z2018-02-20T05:27:33ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><img style="-webkit-user-select: none;background-position: 0px 0px, 10px 10px;background-size: 20px 20px;background-image:linear-gradient(45deg, #eee 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 75%, #eee 75%, #eee 100%),linear-gradient(45deg, #eee 25%, white 25%, white 75%, #eee 75%, #eee 100%);" src="http://www.changiairport.com/content/dam/cacorp/our-expertise/2.5-engineering-the-future/xChangi,P20Airport,P20-,P20Runway,P20,28Night,29.jpg.pagespeed.ic.rM8K-_iEry.webp" /></div>
<div><br /></div><div>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Changi has taken 440 “Best Airport" awards since it opened in 1981, including</span><a href="https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2017/10/09/business-traveller-awards-2017/" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> Business Traveller’s “Best Airport in the World"</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> for 26 years in a row. In fact, it’s so much fun that some locals just go to the airport to have dinner, do some shopping or hang out, even if they’re not flying anywhere (strange, and sounds like a Kath and Kim episode, but true). For those who have yet to fly through Singapore, and for those who haven’t been for a while, here’s my list of Top Ten Things To Do at Changi Airport.</span></p></div><div><br /></div>
<div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Get a nature fix in the Butterfly Garden, Sunflower Garden and more</span></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></b></div><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">There’s nothing like a little burst of nature in between flights to shake off that cabin air. At </span><a href="http://www.changiairport.com/" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Changi</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> they really embrace Singapore’s whole Garden City image with five themed gardens throughout the terminals. My personal favourite is the Butterfly Garden where the sight of around a thousand butterflies and the sound of a waterfall can really lift your spirits. There’s also the Cactus Garden which has an open air bar and on some nights even has live music (just make sure you do as the man on the sign suggests and don’t be tempted to touch any of these plants). The Sunflower Garden is another chance to step into the fresh air and be a plane spotter amongst the flowers. Then there are two indoor gardens, the Enchanted Garden which features sensors that trigger bird sounds as you wander around and the Orchid Garden with rare and seasonal orchids surrounding a Koi pond. And don’t worry if you land in one terminal and want to see things in another one. The Skytrain makes it easy to zip between terminals and runs every few minutes. Just double check when you have to be back at your departure gate, buffer in enough time to return, and go explore.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /><br /></b><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Visit the Kinetic Rain Sculpture </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></b></div><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Beautiful and hypnotic, the Kinetic Rain sculpture is a piece of installation art featuring 1,216 bronze droplets that transform themselves into 16 different patterns and shapes. The sculpture was commissioned to take the place of the fountains that were originally found in the departure hall of Terminal 1, and have become the backdrop for many a Changi happy snap.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Ride the Giant Slide</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></b></div><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> The “world’s tallest slide inside an airport" isn’t the sort of thing you come across every day. When I first saw the 12 metre (that’s four storeys!) high slide in T3 I really wasn’t sure how I’d go. It looked rather intense, but in the name of research I put on my brave face and got into position. What happened next was an adrenalin rush with (hopefully) muffled squeals as I flew down, down, around, around and had an absolute ball doing it. To ride the slide you just have to spend $10 at the airport. Easy done. Especially when you consider how much fun it is to go…shopping at Changi. It can be a cruel thing to have a short connection in Singapore, especially when there’s more than 350 shops to check out. You have your designer stretches of the terminal with Prada, Burberry, Tiffany & Co, and so many more lined up in a row. Then there’s the high street fashion options, electronics, gifts and of course all of the cosmetics and fragrances. Not only do DFS have all the major brands covered, and the sort of wine and spirit selection that has eyes light up, they also have cocktail bar stations in the terminals. The clinking of ice in a cocktail shaker in the middle of an airport was enough to turn my head, and I noticed other travellers were equally happy to sample a Grey Goose concoction or two.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">I’m told Changi airport has people going around department stores in Singapore to make sure they have the cheapest prices at the airport. They’re so confident they have a price guarantee, where if you find an item cheaper in the city they’ll pay you twice the price difference. This is also the only airport I’ve found where you don’t even have to be flying to shop GST free. People on the land side can also get 7% off their purchases. Actually, all of those locals going shopping at the airport is starting to make sense. </span></p></div><div><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Have a Free Massage at the Airport</span></div>
<div><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></b></div></div><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Oh the joy of a massage after a flight. Or before one. Or in between. Oh, okay, I love a massage pretty much any old time. At Changi you can find free foot massage machines around the airport, and even some magic, full body massage chairs in. Now I’ve been in a few massage chairs in my time and usually I can take them or leave them. But the one I tried at Changi was absolute heaven. To the point that I almost put one on my credit card afterwards (yes, there is a store selling them nearby, and they do offer shipping to various countries). If you prefer a person to do your massage, you can also find plenty of those options around the terminals, though you do have to pay for that service. My personal favourite is at the SK-II Pitera Lounge in the Shilla Duplex in T3. I only discovered this one on my Changi travels in 2017 and their 30 minute head neck and shoulder massage is divine. It’s so good I almost don’t want to mention them as then they could get so busy that I won’t be able to get in next time! But if I am lucky enough to get back in next time I may have to try one of their facials and report back. Or if you’ve always wondered what a fish pedicure is like you can have fish massage your feet. Or rather, tickle as they nibble your feet. The “doctor fish" pedicure can be found in T1.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">But back to those free massage chairs. To find the full body ones, head to the The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck in T3. They’re just around the corner from there. The only downside is the people who decide to sleep in them. When I went back for a second massage (don’t judge me, it was 8 hours later!) there was a guy snoring loudly in one, which made the chair have to work all the harder to stop me tensing up. Apparently that happens quite a bit and personally I find that really selfish, especially when so many people want a massage and when Changi actually has designated rest areas and sleeping zones with comfy chairs made for just that thing. Or of course if you really want a good sleep you can… Spend the Night in a Changi Airport Hotel (T1, T2, T3) I’ll admit I haven’t slept in a lot of airport hotels, but the Crowne Plaza at Changi Airport is my number one with a bullet. It has gorgeous rooms, including a big bath, strong shower and super comfortable bed. There are runway view rooms for the plane spotters and big and small kids to enjoy, or you can do as I did and get a room looking over their pool for an oasis feel. The rooms are quiet – I heard a gentle sound in the distance a few times which I then realised was a plane (and considering a plane takes off or lands at Changi Airport every 100 seconds, that’s saying something). Breakfast was delicious, with a range of Asian and Western options and where I had fun creating my own little Yum Cha of a morning, and the pool is just beautiful and is the only one in Singapore to have palm trees inside the swimming area. The Crowne Plaza is found on the land side of T3, but if you are between flights and want to stay on the air side (that’s the side you fly in and out of, on the plane’s side of immigration) you can also get a room in one of the Ambassador Transit Hotels. These are a more simple affair, but offer the chance to sleep in a real bed and have a shower, and you can book for just six hours or more. Mind you, these are very popular so you want to book at least a couple weeks ahead. You can also check out the full list of Changi Airport Hotels on Booking.com for more ideas.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Take a Swim in the Airport Pool</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">(T1) While you have to be a guest at the Crowne Plaza to look up at the air control tower as you float in their pool, there is another one you can try inside the airport. The pool in T1 costs $13 to use, and includes a free (non alcoholic) drink at the bar. Transit Hotel guests get in for free, and even if you forgot to pack your swimmers in your carry on just sitting by the pool with a drink can be soothing in itself. Changi Experiences (T1, T2, T3) A relative newcomer to Changi Airport, the Social Tree (T1) is a nine metre tall interactive installation, with eight touch screen photo booths that allow you to take and share your own photo or video on the big screen and share with friends and family back home through email or social media. You can even save a copy of your image in the tree to reopen the next time you’re at Changi. Gamers can play free Xbox and Playstation 3 games in the Xperience Zone (T2) while movie fans can take a seat in one of the free cinemas (T2, T3) and relax with a recent release.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /><br /></b><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Eat up! </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></span></b></div><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">(T1, T2, T3) One of the things I love about Singaporeans is how much they love their food. And with around 120 places to eat and drink in Changi, the biggest problem is deciding what to have. A couple that I tried and loved are Pappa Mia (T1, land side) and the Peach Garden Noodle House (T1, air side), and there were plenty of others that I wish I had a chance to try. I’m already salivating over some of the things I’ll have the next time I fly through Singapore. Take a free tour of Singapore If you have five hours or more between flights you can take advantage of a free tour that Changi Airport provides of the city. You can’t book before you arrive at the airport, so if you want to do this one head for one of the City Tour stands and sign up as soon as you arrive. If you need a hand finding them, just ask the friendly folks at the Information Desks. The tour is a great introduction to the city if you haven’t been before. Our guide was funny and informative, and you get the chance to get out at the Merlion to take some pictures at one of the most photographed spots in Singapore. Sit back, check out the sights and relax knowing they’ll get you back in time to catch your flight and make it to your next destination.</span></p></div><div><br /></div>
<div><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Yes, there’s an awful lot to do at Changi Airport. Which may be why Singapore Airlines lets you check in 48 hours before your flight. What a great idea… get rid of your checked luggage and go on an airport adventure before your flight.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Original source attribution: </span><a href="https://flyingaroundinabusinesssuit.tumblr.com/post/171080521962/top-things-to-do-at-singapores-airport-changi">https://flyingaroundinabusinesssuit.tumblr.com/post/171080521962/top-things-to-do-at-singapores-airport-changi</a></div></div><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Note from the blogger:</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> Thank you Adventures All Round for an excellent and thorough article! If you are a regular business traveller to Singapore, make sure your</span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> Corporate Travel Agency</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> works in some ‘me-time’ for you at Changi Airport. Unsure about </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">which business travel agency to use</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">? Visit TravelManor’s website </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">here</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">.</span></p><br /></div>Improve Your Company’s Travel Policy Compliance with These 5 Strategieshttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/improve-your-companys-travel-policy-compliance-with-these-5-strategies-22019-01-04T10:09:48.841000Z2018-02-19T09:22:06ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div>
<p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">An August 2015 survey of over 350 corporate travel managers or buyers by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) revealed that </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">72% </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">of travel managers </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">have</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">not yet achieved their desired travel policy compliance level</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">.</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> With compliance being key to company savings as well as traveler safety, it’s important to consider strategies for improving adherence to and getting </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">advice on corporate travel policies</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Why Corporate Travel Policies Matter</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Corporate travel policies are important because they allow businesses to control the costs of sending employees on work trips, and they allow businesses to have some control over the employee’s travel experience and safety. A typical </span><a href="http://30secondstofly.com/corporate-travel-management/how-to-write-a-travel-policy/" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#009aef;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">travel policy</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> will cover items such as what vendors employees should use, how they should book travel, what costs are covered on a company card, and how reimbursement works. Some companies mandate these policies, whereas others are more flexible.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">In partially managed programs, some employees use the company’s Travel Management Company (TMC) and some don’t. Some organizations instead have internal travel managers who create and enforce policies, while others offer little guidance and have no dedicated TMC, internal travel manager, or team. The possibilities are endless…and rather exhausting!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Why Following Policies Is Critical</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">While there are many different manifestations of travel policies and people who oversee them, businesses face challenges when employees ignore policies such as requirements to book flights a week in advance, attach a hotel to a flight booking, adhere to per diems, use the designated online booking tool, or book through designated channels. These policy deviations affect potential savings. For example, if a company uses a TMC, the company only benefits from negotiated rates if that traveler books in channel.</span></p><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><div style="text-align: center"><img style="user-select: none; background-position: 0px 0px, 10px 10px; background-size: 20px 20px; background-image: linear-gradient(45deg, rgb(238, 238, 238) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 100%), linear-gradient(45deg, rgb(238, 238, 238) 25%, white 25%, white 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 100%); height: auto;" src="https://3gfnsu1re6fazqd1z2kr1ocm-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/airport-690556_1280-700x466.jpg" /><br /></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><div style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Booking flights at least a week in advance is a common practice intended to save companies money.</span></div></div><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Often, the reasons why employees ignore policies are because they are trying to find lower-price options (which reflects lack of understanding about the travel program’s structure and negotiated savings); they are not fully knowledgeable about the company’s policies; or they are unaware that the company’s policies are mandatory, according to a </span><a href="http://www.carlsonwagonlit.de/content/dam/cwt/countries/de/pdf/studie_compliance_en.pdf" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#009aef;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Carlson Wagonlit survey</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">. Whether you are the leader of a small business logging expenses on your laptop or a travel manager for a large corporation, there are strategies you can take to educate employees about your policies, which ultimately will improve compliance.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Approaches to Corporate Travel Policy Compliance</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">While perhaps most applicable to travel managers, these recommendations for improving adherence can be adopted by anyone who deals with travel expense reporting.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">1. Factor in employee satisfaction</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Often, company savings are valued over traveler satisfaction. One way businesses can improve policy compliance is by focusing more on improving the booking and travel experience for employees. In fact, 75% of the respondents from the ACTE survey said they believe improvements to traveler service can improve compliance because it can change travelers’ behavior. Luckily, most of them also agree that improving traveler satisfaction does not necessarily equate with higher expenses</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">How can businesses enhance traveler satisfaction, though? They can invite traveler feedback and use that feedback to shape future policy and vendor decisions. Forty-four percent of the travel managers from the ACTE study reported that they have no formal structure in place for traveler feedback; instead, they rely on ad hoc emails from employees. Travel managers (or others involved in T&E processes) can use a simple, free, online survey tool to collect data about employees’ experiences and preferences, or they can even conduct focus groups with travelers. The goal is to learn about their preferences and consider those preferences in relationship to future decisions about preferred channels or policy restrictions. While travel managers can’t let employee preferences hike up costs, if you happen to learn that a majority of employees would prefer a three-star versus four-star hotel if more funds could be allocated for dining, this approach would constitute more of a shift than an increase in costs.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">2. Get creative</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Some organizations are becoming more creative in their approaches to compliance. Following a GBTA conference in 2013, gamification (using social gaming strategies such as online badges and leaderboards to rank in-policy travelers) became a popular buzzword in the industry, and some thought it could enhance compliance. Gamification could be an inventive, fun, and cheap way to encourage travelers to use the corporate booking tool and book in-channel. While the CEO of the tech firm Rocketrip, Dan Ruch, told </span><a href="http://buyingbusinesstravel.com/feature/2224859-evolving-sector-managed-travel" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#009aef;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">BuyingBusinessTravel.com</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> that gamification has largely failed, he says the perceived failure is because the rewards ("digital high fives and gold stars") aren’t enough to incentivize employees. </span><a href="https://www.rocketrip.com/" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#009aef;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Rocketrip</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">, however, offers real financial incentive. It employs a unique algorithm that uses a company’s travel policy, employee parameters, and real-time price data to search for travel and encourage travelers to make choices (such as a less-desirable flight) to save the company money. Employees, in turn, get half the money that they saved the company.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">A 2015 Business Travel News (BTN) Group survey of 504 travel management professionals reveals that some businesses have tried creative strategies such as making watch lists, putting new employees on the watch list for a few months to ensure compliance and then removing them from the audit altogether. In this way, employees get a bit of freedom once they have gained the company’s trust and are fully aware of the policies. Other companies have explored approaches such as offering additional time off for travel if the employee books economy class for the flight.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">3. Educate employees on duty of care</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">It’s a commonplace in the managed travel world that travel policies should address duty of care—a company’s obligations to protect employees from harm while traveling. How duty of care is handled within different companies and even at different TMCs, however, differs. Some best practices include assessing risk prior to an employee’s trip and informing employees of potential risks and resources prior to the trip; developing a crisis management plan and confirming suppliers support the plan; and tracking travelers at all times.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Especially in light of recent terrorism events, it is important that travelers are aware of the resources that are in place for them. An added benefit of better communication about these policies is that they have the potential to enhance travel policy compliance. The BTN survey, for example, directly suggests that travel managers should consider using duty of care as a lever to enhance compliance. Hotels are a particular pain point in this realm. Many corporate travelers book hotels outside of the preferred channel; this may mean that the travel management company or travel manager then will be unaware of where the traveler is located. Many TMCs have technologies that allow immediate access to travelers’ whereabouts, but again this is only when travelers use the technology. Linking technology use to duty of care may help alleviate this concern.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">4. Make sure policies are accessible, clear, and up-to-date</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The 2015 ACTE report indicates, "corporate travel managers are </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">convinced</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> that communication drives up compliance." One part of communication is making sure travel policies are accessible, which is most likely when employees receive regular education on policies. Acendas maintains that new employee education is crucial, as are refresher courses for regular travelers. Also, BTN suggests that when line managers or budget owners are in charge of travel policy compliance monitoring, they often don’t know the policy well enough to enforce it. They recommend educating travel managers on policy and process, including training them on any online tools used by the company and making sure they have the contact information for directing their questions. Policies should also be made accessible for everyone’s reference on the company’s intranet, through the travel portal, and the online booking tool. Travel managers can also send email reminders to employees prior to travel.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Access and training can’t be helpful, however, if policies are not clear. The BTN study suggests that key terms (such as ancillary fees or restricted airfares) are often missing from policies, which may confuse travelers. Travel policy makers should make sure key terms are defined for travelers, and they should clearly describe any penalties in place for non-compliance. Another key way to make policies clear is to focus on keeping them up-to-date. With emerging technologies automating some travel processes, a yearly look at your company’s travel policy may remind you to delete policies that are no longer relevant or needed. At the same time, your business will want to make sure policies are continually refined, addressing trends like the sharing economy. Keeping policies accurate, easy to follow, and easy to find can encourage employees to comply.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">5. Take advantage of the right technologies</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Technologies that can increase traveler policy compliance come in many forms, and they probably deserve the most attention, since they have the potential to significantly improve policy compliance. An April 2013 Aberdeen Group Report, "End-to-End Visibility Into T&E Expense Management: Mobile Comes to the Table," shows that investing in an end-to-end solution (the entire process a traveler takes, from the actual travel to post-travel reporting and analysis) to travel management results in a 44% improvement in compliance. Exploring new technologies and ensuring they enable travelers to work within one system throughout the process can help companies maintain policy compliance.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Many TMCs have partnerships with online booking tools, which they use to track expenses and manage compliance—some even have their own proprietary software. Companies without a TMC may use an online booking tool (some require use of the tool; others do not), and some travelers are left to book on their own, follow policy, and hope for reimbursement. When it comes to choosing technologies, the best approach is to involve key stakeholders in the conversation, looking at where travel policy compliance has its biggest gaps and seeing what tools are available to help with these specific issues. For example, while flights are often heavily scrutinized, hotel bookings can be overlooked. Recently, Christopherson Business Travel added </span><a href="https://www.cbtravel.com/blog/2016/01/low-hotel-attachment-rates-christopherson-has-the-solution/?doing_wp_cron=1452696498.2889859676361083984375" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#009aef;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Hotel Attachment</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> to its suite of digital travel tools. Each day, the program identifies itineraries without hotel reservations, alerts the traveler, and allows the traveler to simply click to make the reservation, request a reminder, attach a hotel reservation made outside the itinerary, or waive the need for a reservation. Just getting an automated visual reminder could potentially enhance compliance. In fact, ACTE’s "A Best Practices Guide to Corporate Policy Compliance" notes that the use of online booking tools is driving higher compliance just through "the visual guilt factor."</span></p><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><div style="text-align: center"><span style="color: rgb(84, 104, 114);"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><img style="user-select: none; background-position: 0px 0px, 10px 10px; background-size: 20px 20px; background-image: linear-gradient(45deg, rgb(238, 238, 238) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 100%), linear-gradient(45deg, rgb(238, 238, 238) 25%, white 25%, white 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 100%); height: auto;" src="https://3gfnsu1re6fazqd1z2kr1ocm-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/holiday-complex-461633_1280-700x466.jpg" /></span></span></span><br /></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><div style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Hotels can be a forgotten part of travel policy compliance.</span></div></div><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Christopherson’s Hotel Attachment is only part of their robust AirPortal 360, which provides travel managers with a full dashboard to track travel spending, security, policy compliance, and more. Online booking tools like Deem and Concur not only offer robust analytics on the expense reporting side, but they make booking travel easy for road warriors. Travelers can book their own travel, but their choices are integrated with pre-set information regarding your company’s preferred providers, negotiated rates, and travel policies. Employees are kept informed about any out-of-policy selections, and the tools streamline pre-trip approvals. With Concur, employees can change itineraries through their smartphones, and they can snap a photo of a receipt, which turns it into an expense entry.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Danielle Fisher, a marketing manager who is a Concur user tells us that Concur is "a very user-friendly system. It allows you the freedom of choosing between airlines and flight times while ensuring you stay within your company’s travel expense perimeters." Fisher notes that her company "has green, yellow, and red levels set up for ticket prices. If you book a red-level flight, you have to log a reason for booking the flight. It keeps people accountable." As Fisher notes, an online booking tool like Concur seems to combine ease of use and a level of freedom for the traveler while ensuring compliance with policies.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Artificial intelligence has the potential to further assist businesses with travel policy compliance. The 30SecondstoFly team has created Claire, an artificially intelligent travel assistant. Business travelers can communicate with Claire via text, and she books travel policy-compliant trips within minutes. Claire is unique because of the usability she provides for travelers. On the business expenses side, she also reports robust travel analytics.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">An Important Reminder for Policy Compliance</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:26pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Perhaps the most important thing for anyone involved in promoting policy compliance is to tailor your approaches to the company culture and never being shy to get </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">advice on corporate travel policies</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">. Gamification might work well in a small start-up with a congenial, laid-back culture, whereas a full dashboard showing positive and negative data about individual traveler or department compliance might work well in a large corporation with a competitive environment. Regardless of company culture, a focus on compliance will remain important as a way to save businesses money and keep travelers safe. If you </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">need advice on corporate travel policies</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> - speak to a </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">corporate travel specialist</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">, such as </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">TravelManor</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#546872;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">, before you start planning your next business trip!</span></p></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Article source: </span><a href="https://thebusinessjetsetter.weebly.com/blog/improve-your-companys-travel-policy-compliance-with-these-5-strategies">https://thebusinessjetsetter.weebly.com/blog/improve-your-companys-travel-policy-compliance-with-these-5-strategies</a></div>
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10 Business Travel Tips for First-Timershttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/10-business-travel-tips-for-first-timers2018-02-19T08:59:30.672000Z2018-02-19T08:54:52ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><img style="-webkit-user-select: none;background-position: 0px 0px, 10px 10px;background-size: 20px 20px;background-image:linear-gradient(45deg, #eee 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 75%, #eee 75%, #eee 100%),linear-gradient(45deg, #eee 25%, white 25%, white 75%, #eee 75%, #eee 100%);" src="https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/5992fa201500002a008b6a12.jpeg" /></div>
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<h2 dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:19.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">How to Prepare for Your First Business Trip</span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:15pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Congratulations- you’ve just been assigned your first business trip! While you may be thrilled for an exciting adventure, how do you make the trip go smoothly, from ticket booking to expense report submission? Mastering the art of successful business travel can be daunting, and first-time travelers may be intimidated by a new environment and daily routine disruption. While business trips come with new protocol and unspoken rules, enjoy them with these 10 travel tips.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:15pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Perfect Preparations:</span></p><ol style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Mile Master:</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> If you’re booking the ticket, acquire airline miles by using a credit card such American Airlines Citicard or </span><a href="https://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/rewards/" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Capital One Rewards</span></a><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> that provides free miles with every purchase.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Limit Luggage:</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> If it’s a 2-3 day, limit luggage to a carry-on. Pack smart by selecting basics in neutral colors to alternate, downsizing to travel-size toiletries, and minimizing extra items such as books or cumbersome electronics.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Itinerary Mastery: </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Even if the company booked the trip, compile the itinerary into a tracker such as TripIt to organize your travel plan. </span><a href="https://www.tripit.com/" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">TripIt</span></a><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> syncs with your calendar, provide maps and weather reports for the journey.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:19pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Eliminate Out-of-Pocket Expenses</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">: Avoid the dread of compiling your expense report by keeping all receipts in an envelope in your wallet, purse, or briefcase. This will make it easier to keep track of what you spent and when, so you avoid paying out of pocket for business expenses.</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:15pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Business First, Pleasure Later:</span></p><ol style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Schedule Smart </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">and give yourself enough time between meetings and appointments so that you don’t inadvertently overbook yourself. Factor in travel time, traffic, and any inclement weather that may impede expedient arrival. Plan dinners a little later than usual until you can navigate the city with ease.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Know Your Limits: </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Remember you’re not there to enjoy the nightlife- business is priority. While you may be excited to experience a new city, save the crazy adventures for pleasure travel. Know your limits before you hit the town with your coworkers, and don’t drink as though you’re out with your buddies. Remember that you’re representing your company, and any misconduct reflects poorly on them, and can be reported to the CEO.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:19pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Nix the All-Nighters</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">: Keep your morning agenda in mind and get a full 8 hours of rest before the first meeting. If that means cutting the night short so that you’re ready to go the next day, so be it.</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:15pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Roomie Colleague:</span></p><ol style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Sharing Space: </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">It may be awkward to share quarters with your colleague, but take it in stride and make the best of it. Be polite and give them privacy when they ask. Avoid using shared spaces such as the bathroom for extended periods. Get dressed and undressed in a private space to avoid awkward encounters. Offer to leave the room for a half-hour or so while they get ready. Hopefully they’ll get the hint and return the favor.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Plug It In: </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Pack earplugs or headphones just in case your co-worker snores so that you’re not up all night. Likewise, if you know you snore, offer your roommate a pair of fresh earplugs.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:19pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Couchsurfing</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">: If there’s only one bed, offer to alternate between the bed and the couch. If they offer to take the couch for more than half the nights, treat them to breakfast or cover the housekeeping tip.</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:15pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Wherever your business travels take you, keep these tips handy for a memorable experience worth every moment.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:15pt;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">To ensure your business trips are made simple and are well-planned - acquire the services of a </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">boutique corporate travel agency</span></a><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">, like </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">TravelManor</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">, to plan your business travel perfectly. </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">TravelManor</span></a><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> can help </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">make your corporate travel experiences effortless and more enjoyable</span></a><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">.</span></p><b style="font-weight:normal;"><br /></b><div dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:15pt;"><div><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Article source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/10-business-travel-tips-for-first-timers_us_5992f970e4b0caa1687a638a</span></div></div></div>Report Shows Business Travel is Boominghttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/report-shows-business-travel-is-booming-22018-02-19T08:55:19.652000Z2017-09-27T08:03:53ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><div style="text-align: center"><img style="user-select: none; background-position: 0px 0px, 10px 10px; background-size: 20px 20px; background-image: linear-gradient(45deg, rgb(238, 238, 238) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 100%), linear-gradient(45deg, rgb(238, 238, 238) 25%, white 25%, white 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 100%); height: auto;" src="http://cdn.travelpulse.com/images/99999999-9999-9999-9999-999999999999/6f74d09e-88d7-e611-9aa9-0050568e420d/630x355.jpg" /></div></div>
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<div><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">A new report released by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Travelport revealed that the business travel sector is expected to increase by 3.7 percent per year over the next decade.</span></div>
<div><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The report was released during the WTTC Global Summit in Bangkok, and it showed that the fastest growth in the business travel sector is expected in emerging markets like Asia-Pacific, which is expected to increase at a rate of 6.2 percent each year through 2027.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">In terms of fastest-growing markets, China leads the way with 9.5 percent growth, followed by Myanmar at 8.7 percent, Rwanda and Gabon at 8.5 percent, Hong Kong at eight percent, Tanzania at 7.9 percent, Cambodia at 7.4 percent and India at 7.2 percent.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Every day we see business travel growing at a significant rate in many emerging markets with technology playing an in increasingly important role in easing the way for those on trips for their work," Travelport CEO Gordon Wilson said in a statement. “As an industry, we need to continue to invest in the best technologies and infrastructure whilst governments need to be more business-friendly by removing burdensome visa requirements."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">READ MORE: </span><a href="http://www.travelpulse.com/news/travel-agents/report-travel-industry-boomed-big-time-in-2016.html" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">REPORT: Travel Industry Boomed Big Time in 2016</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The United States, China, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan remain the largest Business Travel markets, according to the WTTC report.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Travel & Tourism generates USD$7.6 trillion in GDP and supports over 292 million jobs," WTTC CEO David Scowsill said in a statement. “Business travel is a vital part of the sector, and it is a key catalyst for global growth. It drives the relationships, investments, supply chains and logistics that support international trade flows."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">In addition, the report also revealed that eight of the top 20 fastest growing business travel destinations have introduced visa improvements to help economic growth. Part of the reason behind the continued growth around the world is the emergence of technology which supports tourists and travel companies and </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">corporate travel agencies</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The WTTC report focuses on travelers wanting mobile phone alerts and information about disruptions, flight updates and upgrades, and how the industry needs to focus on serving digitally-connected millennials in order to engage customers more effectively.</span></p></div><div><b style="font-weight:normal;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Article source: </span><a href="http://www.travelpulse.com/news/business-travel/report-shows-business-travel-is-booming.html" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:#14aaf5;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">http://www.travelpulse.com/news/business-travel/report-shows-business-travel-is-booming.html</span></a></b>
</div>Report Shows Business Travel is Boominghttps://businesstravel.postach.io/post/report-shows-business-travel-is-booming2018-02-19T08:55:19.476000Z2017-09-27T08:03:53ZBusiness Travel & Bleisuring<div><div style="text-align: center"><img style="user-select: none; background-position: 0px 0px, 10px 10px; background-size: 20px 20px; background-image: linear-gradient(45deg, rgb(238, 238, 238) 25%, transparent 25%, transparent 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 100%), linear-gradient(45deg, rgb(238, 238, 238) 25%, white 25%, white 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 75%, rgb(238, 238, 238) 100%); height: auto;" src="http://cdn.travelpulse.com/images/99999999-9999-9999-9999-999999999999/6f74d09e-88d7-e611-9aa9-0050568e420d/630x355.jpg" /></div></div>
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<div><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">A new report released by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Travelport revealed that the business travel sector is expected to increase by 3.7 percent per year over the next decade.</span></div>
<div><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The report was released during the WTTC Global Summit in Bangkok, and it showed that the fastest growth in the business travel sector is expected in emerging markets like Asia-Pacific, which is expected to increase at a rate of 6.2 percent each year through 2027.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">In terms of fastest-growing markets, China leads the way with 9.5 percent growth, followed by Myanmar at 8.7 percent, Rwanda and Gabon at 8.5 percent, Hong Kong at eight percent, Tanzania at 7.9 percent, Cambodia at 7.4 percent and India at 7.2 percent.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Every day we see business travel growing at a significant rate in many emerging markets with technology playing an in increasingly important role in easing the way for those on trips for their work," Travelport CEO Gordon Wilson said in a statement. “As an industry, we need to continue to invest in the best technologies and infrastructure whilst governments need to be more business-friendly by removing burdensome visa requirements."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">READ MORE: </span><a href="http://www.travelpulse.com/news/travel-agents/report-travel-industry-boomed-big-time-in-2016.html" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">REPORT: Travel Industry Boomed Big Time in 2016</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The United States, China, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan remain the largest Business Travel markets, according to the WTTC report.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">“Travel & Tourism generates USD$7.6 trillion in GDP and supports over 292 million jobs," WTTC CEO David Scowsill said in a statement. “Business travel is a vital part of the sector, and it is a key catalyst for global growth. It drives the relationships, investments, supply chains and logistics that support international trade flows."</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">In addition, the report also revealed that eight of the top 20 fastest growing business travel destinations have introduced visa improvements to help economic growth. Part of the reason behind the continued growth around the world is the emergence of technology which supports tourists and travel companies and </span><a href="http://www.travelmanor.co.za" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">corporate travel agencies</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:21pt;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">The WTTC report focuses on travelers wanting mobile phone alerts and information about disruptions, flight updates and upgrades, and how the industry needs to focus on serving digitally-connected millennials in order to engage customers more effectively.</span></p></div><div><b style="font-weight:normal;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">Article source: </span><a href="http://www.travelpulse.com/news/business-travel/report-shows-business-travel-is-booming.html" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:#14aaf5;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;">http://www.travelpulse.com/news/business-travel/report-shows-business-travel-is-booming.html</span></a></b>
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