Checklist: Is your business travel policy ready for the next normal?

At the time of writing this article, more than

800,000,000 doses

of the COVID-19 vaccine have been given. As the weather starts getting warmer, and the coronavirus vaccination rollout gets stronger, business travelers are growing more and more eager to get back on the road.Domestic travel is returning at a faster pace than international travel. Our data indicated that towards the end of 2020, domestic travel had bounced back to almost 14%, whereas international travel lagged behind at just 7%. Sure, that might not seem like much—but it’s plenty to get us started. In fact, data from

McKinsey

gives us cause for optimism. China was the first country to be hit by the coronavirus pandemic, and it’s naturally among the first to emerge from it. At the end of August 2020, for example, hotel and flight occupancy on domestic flights within China was at more than 90% of pre-pandemic levels. It's just a question of when rather than if.

Many companies will have changed their people management over the next few months. It will no longer be about having everyone in one, centralized location or office. Companies will likely have several different hubs worldwide, and people will now have to travel to meet their teams in person. The “hybrid” working model that combines work-from-home and face-to-face contact will become the norm. And it’ll bring this new type of business trip with it.

Business travelers themselves are itching to get back to traveling. A

recent study

revealed that 64% of business travelers enjoy their jobs less when grounded. They indicated that what they miss the most about traveling for business is the human connections that they forge with colleagues, clients, and customers. In fact, on average, these travelers miss out on 7 connections out of every 10 trips they couldn’t take. So, if you were wondering whether there is a need for business travel to return… There is.

Safety and duty of care

will take a front seat when planning a business trip. Travelers and travel managers will need to know all about the latest travel restrictions, travel advice, and safety measures implemented both at home and at their destination. They’ll need more information at the point of booking and in the days leading up to each trip than they did before. This includes things like entry requirements to different countries, vaccination information, travel insurance, health insurance, or other healthcare details.

If the coronavirus pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we need to learn to live with uncertainty. That’s why booking

flexible fares on flights, trains, and accommodation

will become commonplace. With travel restrictions changing regularly, travelers and travel managers will need to be able to change or cancel any aspect of a trip to adapt accordingly. Without flexible fares and policies, that would become very costly.

Travelers will need more than a passport to travel. They’ll need to provide additional travel documents as proof of having received the coronavirus vaccine, or a negative PCR/antigene test. Additional procedures like temperature checks or rapid COVID testing will be put in place at airports. Travelers will need to arrive earlier and more prepared. The use of trains is likely to become more prevalent as domestic travel recovers faster than international travel.

If your compliance rate is at less than 50% (check this), then it’s time to think about changing it. Consider why employees might not be complying with the policy. Do they know it exists? Is it easy to understand and follow? Does it afford employees the freedom to book for themselves?

Did you know that 64% of millennial business travelers prefer to organize their travel plans on their own? It could be a major pain point for them if your policy doesn’t allow them to do so. Using a

corporate travel management tool

, for example, that allows them to manage their own trips while browsing through an in-policy itinerary might be a good solution.

The need for flexibility in the next normal is not up for debate. If your business travel policy doesn’t provide the ability to change or cancel trips on an as-needed basis, then it’s time to rethink that. Travelers need peace of mind in the knowledge that should they wish to change a trip for whatever reason, they can. Without incurring additional costs to their team or company.

Restoring traveler confidence as we navigate business travel in this new reality is key. Show them that you can keep them safe by providing them with a tool that helps them keep track of all of the latest travel and safety measures worldwide. In these unprecedented times, being informed is the best way to stay safe.

Do you frequently find yourself going over budget, or simply just spending a little more than you had hoped on business trips? In a time where cash is king, finding new ways to save can really help you take your business travel budget further. For example, using a travel management platform that helps you reclaim VAT on business travel expenses quickly and easily can make a huge difference.

Using consumer booking sites to book business travel is not the most efficient. If you have to open a thousand different tabs to book a flight and a hotel for a business traveler, then you should know that there’s a better way. With a good

travel management system

, you can book, manage, and report on business travel all in one place. The best thing about it? You’ll only get one, consolidated invoice per trip!

No, sustainability is not just a nice-to-have anymore. According to a recent study,

40% of top-talent millennials

chose a job because of company sustainability. Including a “green travel” provision in your travel policy is a great way to make your company greener as a whole. Think about using providers that can offer you this option, like offsetting your carbon footprint when traveling for business.

OK, so maybe that’s a little extreme. But, if you’ve had a situation where a traveler is having a problem, and you need to drop everything else just to help them, then the time has come to find another way. Using a service provider with 24/7 customer support (run by real people, not bots!) is the answer. That way, your travelers will always be provided for.

Could the approval processes between finance and admin teams be more efficient? Do you think that you need a better way to collaborate when it comes to managing and reporting on business travel? Your updated travel management process needs to optimize these processes.

There’s always room for improvement in much of what we do. Maintaining a successful travel policy that employees follow and engage with is a challenge. It’s something that must mold and shape with the times to reflect your travel manager’s and traveler’s needs. As we start to navigate travel in the new normal, these needs are naturally different than in a pre-pandemic world.Help your travelers understand how to travel in this new reality. Offer them helpful "before you go" travel tips or a packing list that reminds them to take extra face coverings and hand sanitizer. Make it easy for them to access all of the information they need straight from their cell phones.If you’re struggling to find the best way to adapt your travel policy, our dedicated team of professionals is here to help. Why not request a demo and chat with one of our experts?