Liz Emmott, UK general manager at Amadeus, outlines steps travel managers should be taking now to ensure their company is ready to get back on the road during the coronavirus pandemic

Business travel spend is thought to have doubled between 2000 and 2019 but after years of growth our industry has now been pitched into entirely new territory.

With whole airline fleets grounded, hotels shut for months on end and the closure of national borders ¨C not to mention ¡®hot spots¡¯ of rising Covid-19 infection rates ¨C the recovery of business travel is going to be a slow and precarious process.

As we all adapt to the ¡®new normal¡¯, corporates will be re-evaluating the role of overseas assignments in driving success. For some, this may lead to a reduction in the number of trips employees take, as they make use of video conferencing and other technologies to conduct meetings.

However, I know from speaking with many of our key partners that there is a desire to get back up and running once it can be done safely. As countries tentatively reopen borders, we are beginning to see some business travel return. But we cannot ignore the changed landscape, and it is vital that business travel agencies and travel departments step up to support corporate travellers looking to travel with confidence and purpose.

Keep travellers in the loop
It sounds obvious, but the more reassuring information that you can feed your business travellers, the better.

While things have settled down since the peak of the pandemic, it¡¯s important that travel managers keep in mind the global situation is changeable and planning any form of business travel right now can be fraught with difficulties.

Governments and local authorities are consistently monitoring situations across regions, with quarantine measures and other travel conditions shifting from day to day. Business travellers need to be kept abreast of any situations local to them so that they can plan accordingly.

The good news is there is a solid bank of online resources from which TMCs can draw. IATA¡¯s TravelCentre is updated daily with an interactive world map giving an at-a-glance view of restrictions pertaining to travel in each nation. This is a great first port of call that can be easily referenced by travel consultants and employees alike.

GDS platforms and good TMCs should also be collating all available information regarding new supplier policies and protocols and making this conveniently available to customers.

Ensuring travel policies are fit for purpose
In the past, corporate travel policies may have remained fit for purpose for long periods of time without the need for significant changes. The pandemic has changed this, as those managing corporate travel must consider how a policy can be adaptable to a constantly changing environment.

To be responsive to elements such as risk levels changing, management must work in alignment to establish the needs of corporate travel and establish goals. Travel, security and HR must work more closely together than ever before to establish a safe return to travel.

In addition, speak with employees and determine their concerns; ask them what worries them about pre-existing travel policies ¨C what must change?

Ensure any changes that are made are well communicated and understandable. Now more than ever, employees¡¯ wellbeing must be top of mind, and any policy should reflect this priority.

Use technology to flex and adapt
We have seen how technology has filled many of the gaps caused by shutdowns in the form of video calls and enhanced productivity tools. Tech will also be key in helping with the recovery.

A travel policy can be more effectively enacted through responsive tools offered by travel technology companies, and all booking tools should help foster compliance.

Such solutions can also allow TMCs to limit the amount of employees booking any one single flight, for example, or block regions based on health risks.

Some tools can also help users plan more ¡®intelligent¡¯ routes that promote smaller, less crowded airports, creating a journey with minimal stops en route, and limiting the selection of hotels to those with strict cleaning protocols.

Other technology can minimise issues by using messaging and tracking services that allow travel agents to easily communicate with travellers when a situation does change, ensuring that they remain safe and secure throughout their journey.

Looking ahead
Business travel will come back. It offers unique value to all stakeholders and cannot, for the large part, be replaced by video conferencing.

There will be barriers that stand in the way of travel¡¯s return, and at times TMCs and those used to relying on travel for work may feel overwhelmed, but the challenges we face are not insurmountable. Now is the time to rethink travel, as we look at ways to help travellers and businesses get moving again.