In years gone by, the value of a travel management company would have been a hotly contested topic. But the focus would have been on the commercials or fees behind any given agreement, that we know for sure. But has this changed in recent months and does the recent pandemic have anything to do with this shift?
We believe it does.
Our corporate travel clients want us to plan and book business travel. It is not rocket science in that regard. However, the support systems and technologies that sit beneath that go unknown to many.
The onboarding of a client and understanding their needs and wants from a technology and service perspective, tailoring a bespoke booking platform to meet their company’s needs and creating a bespoke financial process that suits the day-to-day requirements of the business are just some of the protocols and tasks we as a travel management company must think about.
But putting that to one side, our industry has always been predicated on a strong sense of service and duty of care. You see, travel, business or otherwise, is a very personal thing. People want to be taken care of. They also want to know that the processes you have followed when booking their trip have been met perfectly and thus, creating zero fuss and disruption as they travel.
Couple this historical sense of customer service and duty of care, with innovations and technology in this space – that is when you start seeing the true value of a travel management company.
As we move into a post-pandemic society, we will see companies’ requirements change. The need for ISO accreditations may be swapped out for digital health passports and repaid testing capabilities. We may also see a shift in firms really wanting to ‘get to know’ their new TMC, so robust account management strategies may heighten as we move forward.
The corporate social responsibility objectives will also change and become much more heavily focused on the employee and their wellbeing as we move out of this global situation
And as always, we as a Travel Management Company will be nimble enough to meet the needs of companies looking to bring on a business travel supplier.
At Uniglobe Gemini Travel – We realise the importance of innovation. But we are also born out of fundamental values that are at the core of what we do; a duty of care to you and your teams whilst offering forward-thinking innovation through service. We do not just want to provide technologies without a face behind them, we want to provide the wrap around service you need during this difficult time and beyond. This is our belief.
As the industry rebuilds, We must not forget the value of not only a travel management company, but the value of the travel industry here in the UK.
The economical contribution travel and tourism has on the GDP here in the UK is huge, circa £200bn. This supports 221,000 jobs. Or did before the pandemic struck back in Feb / March 2020.
This is a huge contributor to our economy, and we feel it deserves to be serviced by companies TMC and travel suppliers who share the same values as we do here at Uniglobe Gemini Travel.
For more information call us on +44 (0) 1784245850 or email sales@uniglobegemini.co.uk
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