What is Business Travel? A Complete Guide for Corporates

 Today’s landscape of business is highly competitive and the world has become interconnected. For organisations to remain in the forefront of their respective industries and keep growing, it is vital that business travel is a core part of their operations. This is needed for various purposes, right from meeting clients and attending conferences to closing deals and strengthening relationships. 

But what exactly is business travel, and how can companies do this optimally? The guide below will help you understand what it is, why it matters, how to manage it, and why the right business to business travel agency can make all the difference to your organisation’s goals.


Understanding Business Travel

Business travel refers to the various business trips taken by the employees of an organisation. This doesn’t include the daily commuting to the office though. It is primarily the domestic and international trips which are done to make client visits, be a part of a training program, check out and explore new markets or simply but most importantly to develop a strong network. This, therefore, is not a luxury, but a necessity to thrive in competitive markets.

A research conducted by Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), states that the global business travel spending reached over $1.4 trillion pre-pandemic. It is also projected to see a growth of 6-7% annually. 


Key Reasons for Business Travel

It is vital that every organisation across every industry invests in business travel solutions. This is because it facilitates the following:

  • Strengthening of Relationships: When you meet clients in-person, these one to one interactions can help build trust and also there is more engagement.

  • Exploring of New Markets: When one is actually physically present in a potential new market, the insights gained are far more useful and relevant, in terms of assessing local conditions, regulations, opportunities, etc.

  • Attending Events: These refer mainly to industry events such as Conferences, exhibitions, and summits which are an ideal platform for updating oneself with the latest trends and networking too.

  • Upskilling the Team: It is necessary for businesses to organise regular off-site trainings and workshops to upskill and the teams. 

  • Team Building: Retreats and regular breaks away from the place of work are organised by the companies so as to build motivation and improve communication and collaboration between the teams.


Common Types of Corporate Travel

The common goal here is related to business, but the nature and reason can be vastly different, as seen under:

  1. Sales and Client Meetings – The trips are taken in order to meet the client, conduct a sales pitch, negotiate and in addition also build and/ or maintain relationships with them.

  2. Conferences and Trade Shows – It is very important that the teams attend large-scale industry events. This helps in updating their knowledge, and also very important for networking and visibility.

  3. Corporate Retreats and Offsites – Organisations should take their teams on regular offsites and retreats, keeping in mind employee well-being and also helps to ensure better team spirit and alignment with the overall business goals.

  4. Training Programs – To keep employees up-to-date, it is necessary to ensure they are continuously upskilled via training programs, leadership workshops, certification courses, etc. 

  5. Relocation or Temporary Assignments – There could be a short-term project that employees may move to across locations.

No matter what the reason and nature of travel, there are a lot of complexities and challenges involved in the logistics of all of it, hence trusted business travel solutions play a vital role.


Business Travel Accommodations: What Matters Most

When an employee sets off on a trip, one of the most stressful elements of business travel is finding the right accommodation. Unlike leisure travel, business travelers have completely different requirements and therefore look for hotels that offer:

  • Reliable Wi-Fi with a good speed

  • Sufficient options for Meeting and conference rooms depending on the scale of the meeting

  • Modern Business centers with printing and workstations

  • Proximity to client offices or the venue of the event 

  • Flexibility in the time of check-in and checkout

Today more and more companies are also looking at service apartments as options for long-stay business travel accommodations as these combine comfort, privacy, and are also cost-effective. All these factors when met, ensure not only lead to employee satisfaction but also improves their performance and productivity. 


The Rising Need for Business travel solutions

Post pandemic, global mobility is once again on the rise and travel companies are optimizing their business travel solutions with the help of the following tools and strategies:

  • Centralized Booking Platforms: Every booking process for: flights, hotels, and transportation—all are simplified and come under one dashboard.

  • Travel Policy Integration: With this, spending limits, compliances, preferred vendor list, approvals, are all taken care of. 

  • Real-Time Support: Business travel is highly unpredictable and therefore 24/7 support helps in dealing with all the unforeseen circumstances and changes.

  • Sustainability Reporting: The near future will witness companies laying more importance in wanting to track carbon emissions so that they can make greener choices.

A professional business to business travel agency can streamline all these services and make sure the employee travelling is satisfied while ensuring all compliances are also in place.


Why Work with a Business to Business Travel Agency?

There are several advantages of working with a business to business travel agency who will take care of your requirements end to end and this takes off a huge burden from your HR, Admin and Finance teams. Some of the key benefits are:

  • Your organisation will enjoy better rates due to volume bookings done by the agency

  • You can be assured of Compliance and thorough risk management too

  • There is clarity and transparency in all expenses and data

  • Your travelling employees will get personalized support

  • You will have access to expert planning and reporting

Meet SKIL Travel: Redefining Corporate Travel Management

As you can see, personalized services are the key and this is where SKIL Travel stands out. They have earned a reputation over the decades to provide tailored business travel solutions in India and beyond. With a tech-forward approach, the expert team of SKIL Travel offers:

  • Planning and execution from end-to-end 

  • Customizing and personalising all the corporate offerings

  • Integrated platforms and apps

  • Real-time traveler support with their teams available to you round-the-clock

  • Strategic advice and consulting

You could be a start-up or an established organisation planning to scale globally, either way no matter what size and nature of your business, SKIL Travel ensures that your travel strategy aligns with your business goals and they strive to exceed your expectations.

They don’t just manage trips—they transform the entire experience for the travelling employee. From arranging premium business travel accommodations to providing digital tools and on-ground support, SKIL Travel is surely one of the most reliable options in the country! 


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