Tag: Travel Management Company (TMC)

Just when you thought your travel budget was sorted for 2025, new corporate travel trends data from our Consulting Q3 2024 Business Travel Report might have you reaching for your calculator. Here's why. Business class fares are jumping, and flights are packed. Travel managers are facing tough conversations about rising costs.

In a welcome twist for South African businesses juggling cost pressures with environmental targets, sustainable hotels are emerging as an unexpected solution. Companies switching to green accommodation are discovering significant savings alongside meaningful reductions in their carbon footprint.

A per diem (from the Latin for per day) is a daily stipend given to business travellers to cover food and incidental expenses while they’re on the road. It’s not, in fact, a perk to make up for the inconvenience of being away from home – or a little extra spending money to splurge on spoils and souvenirs.

There is a lot of buzz about passengers' rights and the accessibility of air travel – from which arm rail belongs to whom, to whether passengers should be allowed to bring service animals on board, to the better care of disabled people and their essential equipment. But one conversation in particular has taken hold. Alongside the RightsOnFlights hashtag.

Soaring flight prices, persistent inflation in South Africa, and rising hotel rates in major business hubs have yet to deter business travel. In fact, the GBTA Business Travel Outlook 2023 illustrates global business travel is expected to recover to its pre-pandemic level in 2024, a full two years earlier than anticipated.

The 2024 South African budget speech from Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana shows sustainability taking centre stage. The national budget’s clear reprioritisation towards electric vehicles demonstrates that government is walking the talk on emission reduction and cleaner transport.

We all know the enthusiasm of making ambitious New Year's resolutions each January - get fit! Save money! Spend less screen time! But while our personal goals often fall by the wayside, setting professional resolutions can be genuinely transformative. That's why I recommend starting the year by relooking your corporate travel game.

Unmarried, no kids, and a bank balance that’s a little low? Your chances of successfully getting a visa to travel just got slimmer. Not everyone’s equal when it comes to visa applications. Factors such as your marital status, whether or not you have children, ownership of property, how long you’ve worked for the company, your bank balance, and even your social media activity can count against you.

Your boss may not necessarily be keen on understanding every line item on your travel expense report, but they certainly need to understand the overall value that your business travel brings to the table. Having to justify the ‘value’ of business travel is a challenge that resonates deeply with travel managers around the globe today.

Business travel is an art that demands attention to detail. Ensuring a comfortable and hassle-free stay begins right when you start booking your hotel room. Yet, many critical factors are frequently overlooked.