This document provides information that identifies some of the expected travel delays that will occur and undoubtedly affect those with a daily commute to work, steps that, as our clients, you should consider to help minimise the impact on travel-related business activities of your organisation. Equally, this document reflects our determination to maintain a ‘business as usual’ service to all of our customers throughout the Olympics Games 2012 period.

Global economic uncertainty, including the risk of another recession in the euro zone, has led corporate travel consultant Advito to lower its 2012 forecast for airfare prices in Europe. At the same time, Advito expects tight inventory and strong demand in emerging markets to drive higher costs in Latin America and Asia.

Compiled by BCD Travel road warriors, the Travel App Index includes a list of useful applications proven effective in making life easier for both travel managers and the traveler. Sorted by category type, the index provides a lot of great travel tools at a quick glance.

Corporate travel programs can learn a lot from businesses that market directly to consumers. By harnessing widely available technologies and taking advantage of behaviors ubiquitous among private consumers, corporate travel programs can communicate more effectively with travelers, achieve higher traveler satisfaction levels and even increase leverage with suppliers.

Oil prices, airline consolidation and emerging market demand will push up trip costs.

Based on the provisional assumption that economic growth will continue in 2012, bolstered by strong demand for travel to Brazil, Russia, China and India, Advito expects business travel demand to increase by medium to high single-digit percentages in growth markets and by low single-digit percentages in North America and Europe. Across all regions, Advito predicts the price of travel to grow by 4 percent to 6 percent.

To create the 2012 Industry Forecast, Advito interviewed industry experts and analyzed aggregated transactional data, as well as figures from the International Monetary Fund and other economic and travel industry organizations. The result is a roadmap for the year ahead, complete with strategic directions for travel buyers.
 

Corporate travel buyers will face a confluence of factors leading to an increase in the overall cost of travel in 2011, according to the 2011 Industry Forecast by BCD Travel consulting unit Advito. These factors include steadily rising demand, caution by suppliers in adding capacity, earlier closure of lower fare “buckets,” increased application of restrictions to lower fares, and a continuing trend toward ancillary fees and unbundled services.

Increasing numbers of corporate travel managers and buyers in the Asia-Pacific region are turning to online booking tools to drive savings, enhance effectiveness and improve compliance.

Merchant fees have become the single-largest distribution cost for airlines, and in recent years, several factors have led air carriers to search for ways to reduce or offset that cost. Unfortunately for corporate travel buyers, any likely move that airlines may take to reduce or offset merchant fees represents an increase in travel program costs.

Travel program managers are increasingly being asked to measure their success against corporate objectives. This white paper by BCD Travel’s consulting unit, Advito, provides travel managers with clear guidelines for directly linking travel program performance with corporate objectives using strategic key performance indicators, or KPIs.

Increased demand for air travel combined with flat growth in capacity is resulting in an upward climb in airfares – though disparities exist among individual regions. Meanwhile, a slower rate of recovery among advanced markets and an abundance of room capacity in emerging markets is keeping hotel rates down. The full report includes airline key performance indicators broken out by region and predictions for hotel average daily rates by region and top markets.

Advito's quarterly forecast updates reassess the economic parameters on which its initial forecast was based, analyze year-over-year booking data from the previous quarter and issue revisions as appropriate.   Additionally, this quarterly update provides a high-level view into key recent industry and market developments that may have an impact on corporate travel buyers.

Building on Advito's thorough understanding of the business travel market and the influence of global and local factors, the 2010 Industry Forecast provides clients with vital information for setting their travel budgets as the new calendar year and fiscal year approaches. 

This toolkit features reference material with meaningful answers to key questions around responsible travel management (RTM). It is a comprehensive guide for structured assessment of options and practical tools to address and successfully overcome corporate social responsibility (CSR) challenges.

The white paper explores what consolidation means in the modern travel industry and what companies can hope to achieve from the substantial effort required to consolidate travel policies, suppliers and other program elements on a country, regional or global scale. In addition to defining consolidation and exploring benefits such as cost savings and increased traveler safety, the paper details how to execute a successful consolidation.

Business travel-related risk management is making it to the top of the agenda at the corporate level. Most security and travel managers are aware of these recent developments but unsure how to initiate a successful travel risk management program that does not inhibit corporate mobility. The white paper explains why companies should adopt a systematic, strategic approach to travel risk management – and how to do it.

A BCD Travel Informational Brief

The white paper explores the tensions and complexities that animate the current travel distribution environment. We address most major aspects of distribution costs, including GDS fees, agency incentives, alternative content aggregators and merchant fees.

The white paper outlines the importance of a strategic approach to creating travel programs that integrate with their organizations’ overall Corporate Social Responsibility goals and stakeholder requirements. Responsible Travel Management will incorporate both sustainable and accountable elements.