Oz Desai, GM Corporate Traveller, has a look at what changes are likely to remain in a post-COVID world – and how companies can adapt accordingly.

Heightened safety protocols

It is unlikely that anybody will ever travel the same way again, at least from a health and safety perspective. Due to the unavoidable close quarters within an aeroplane, it is likely that passengers will continue to opt to wear face masks long into the future, even once it’s no longer mandatory.

“Airlines will continue to prioritise biosafety,” says Desai. “As such, stringent disinfection procedures are sure to remain commonplace when preparing an aircraft for departure, as well as shortly after arrival, and there will almost certainly be access to hand sanitiser on board at all high-touch points for the foreseeable future.”

Touchless technology

Touchless technology – often referred to as ‘contactless’ or ‘contact-free’ technology – is playing a significant role in helping to restore traveller confidence. This technology includes biometric boarding, contactless check-in, contactless lifts, and digital check-in at hotels. The focus is to reduce a traveller’s risk of physically coming into contact with pathogens, and many of these technologies also strive to automate the passenger journey as much as possible.

Along with optimising safety, these technologies maximise convenience, too. Companies are encouraged to join forces with a TMC if they are uncertain of how to fully embrace these available, ever-advancing technologies for the benefit of their employees, advises Desai.

Hybrid meetings

Hybrid meetings refer to meetings that are made up of ‘audience’ members in an office environment in combination with ‘audience’ members who are joining from a remote location through video or audio-conferencing technology.

According to recent research, approximately 1 in every 4 meetings nowadays can be classified as a hybrid meeting. This relatively new approach to corporate communication is popular right now as it works to facilitate social distancing. It also reduces the need for frequent business travel, which is great news for organisations striving to promote only business travel which can be deemed ‘essential’.

Reliance on TMCs

Travel Management Companies (TMCs) are fulfilling a critical role when it comes to navigating the complexities of travel at the moment, as well as mitigating risk for companies far and wide as they prioritise duty of care.

A TMC does more than simply vet all travel service providers. It also evaluates any potential risks incurred by business travellers, alerts business travellers to these risks before and during the trip, and actively liaises with local consulates and embassies for a safe and streamlined journey. Furthermore, TMCs are equipped to assist companies in adapting their travel policies based on COVID-19 risks and restrictions, in embracing the various travel-related health and safety technologies available, as well as in saving time and money.

Flexible booking solutions

With so much up in the air during these uncertain times, numerous organisations may feel hesitant to book business trips in advance for fear of losing money in the process. This has led to the majority of travel suppliers to adopt more flexible booking policies and solutions. It is now easier to make a booking and to postpone or cancel that booking should a COVID-related event or problem get in the way ahead of an employee’s departure. As COVID is likely to hang around for the next few years, these flexible booking policies and solutions will likely remain in place for a long time to come in an effort to boost company and corporate traveller confidence.

Improved loyalty programmes

Many airlines and hotels have turned to their loyalty programmes with the goal of enticing a return to regular corporate travel, thus filling those empty seats and rooms faster for the duration of the travel industry revival. It is likely that these travel suppliers will continue putting more effort into value-adds for business travellers for a lengthy period of time, offering bonuses such as double qualifying miles, middle-seat blocking for optimised social distancing, and shortcuts to qualify for ‘elite’ status.

Desai concludes: “Ultimately, business travel will always be an important part of securing new business, nurturing business relationships and ongoing growth and prosperity. Therefore, it is vital for companies and employees to embrace the different changes brought about by COVID-19, and for travel suppliers to support them in doing so.”

The framework, which offers travellers access to the benefits of the latest technology and automation tools, as well as unlimited traveller information, forms part of the second in a range of pledges to help customers on the road to business travel recovery.

In this second pledge, the FCM team of promises to support travellers with expertise backed by government policies, supplier updates and trends.

“We’re turning a corner in the COVID-19 crisis, as South Africa is gradually preparing to ease lockdown measures and to kickstart the economy. We all hope for a return to normality but with that quiet optimism comes justified concern,” says Bonnie Smith, GM FCM Travel Solutions Southern Africa. “As the world continues to re-open, businesses need to navigate their way to recovery, and prepare for the next step.It’s important to select a TMC, like FCM, that comes armed with expertise so that you can make real-time decisions to support your travellers and adjust your travel programme as needed.”

FCM will assist companies who want to optimise their travel programme, help them strike a healthy balance between people, process and technology, and guide them through the new norm of travel, using data to make the right travel decisions.

From flight and accommodation bookings to individual preferences and per diem expenses – business travel generates large amounts of data. By partnering with a TMC, companies can put this data to work, automating the process of data mining and analysis to derive actionable, real-time insights to help guide better decision-making in a time when many are suffering from decision-paralysis.

The ability of a TMC to effectively manage travel data is contingent on its use of smart analytics.  FCM Travel Solutions has a system that tracks corporate travel data to reveal trends and inconsistencies in travel patterns. By knowing exactly how well your travel plan is functioning you can make changes to optimise your strategy in both the short and long term.

Having a good grasp on your company’s travel data will also assist in the company’s duty of care responsibilities. It allows companies to craft a duty of care policy that considers all possible steps – pre-, during and post-travel. It will help anticipate, manage, and eliminate common travel risk factors.

With business travel during COVID-19, there are a lot of moving parts, and the last thing travellers want to worry about are issues of health, safety, and unexpected restrictions.

With its comprehensive Return to Travel framework, FCM will help combat the spectre of uncertainty brought on by the pandemic by enhancing duty of care, preparing travellers with what to expect, and providing up-to-date information on their destination, including border and health regulations and supplier updates.

Whether it’s a time of crisis or business as usual, a TMC such as FCM offers tangible benefits that extend well beyond your travel programme, affecting decision making, employee satisfaction, and your business’s bottom line.

As part of the second pledge, companies who sign up in August, will receive a free virtual consultation to review their current travel programme. This consultation will allow companies to reinvent a travel policy that is COVID-19 ready.

Consolidation of bookings through a TMC emerged as a priority change in post-COVID-19 travel policies with 21% of respondents in the study saying that they would not shift to higher levels of online booking adoption. Furthermore, 59% of participants said that traveller and supplier health and hygiene factors would be top priority. Duty of care obligations ranked the second most dominant area for change (44% of respondents).

A total 1600 business travel managers, bookers and travellers at FCM’s multinational large-scale clients and Corporate Traveller’s SME customers in EMEA, Asia, the Americas, India, Australia and New Zealand were surveyed again in the second poll in June 2020. The purpose of repeating the study within one month of the first poll was to enable both TMCs to gauge any shift in clients’ business travel intentions as countries continue to review lockdown restrictions, implement quarantine periods or air corridors, and airlines and hotels introduce hygiene measures.

Asked to rank which triggers would prompt resuming business travel, easing or lifting border restrictions still came top with 93% of respondents saying it has significant or some impact. However, the second trigger (89%) is ‘our organisation deems it safe to travel and this is reflected in our travel policy’.

As a result of these findings, FCM is ramping up its duty of care support for customers, starting with the launch of Traveller Hub, an interactive resource providing extensive up-to-date Covid-19 travel information. Users can search by supplier category, country or region for the latest news on border changes and restrictions; airline routes and safety procedures for travellers; hotel re-openings and hygiene measures; as well as rail travel and car hire announcements.

Traveller resources also include tips, frequently asked questions and useful links to help customers plan and pack for their next trip safely. The Traveller Hub also features a live interactive map, delivered by travel safety specialist Sitata, which shows areas to avoid, number of Covid-19 cases per country, recovery rates, and local social distancing rules.

In addition, Traveller Hub incorporates an innovative AI conversation-based messaging tool on the home page provided by cutting-edge technology developer Landbot. This powerful chatbot is embedded in the site and enables users to seek answers to any coronavirus-related travel questions in a live chat environment.

The Traveller Hub is fully integrated within FCM Hub, the gateway to the TMC’s suite of technology solutions. It can also be accessed via Sam, the AI-based mobile app used by both FCM and clients’ business travellers.

“As the world is collectively going through a crisis, it is essential to understand the emotions, fears and underlying motivations of employees and clients,” says Bonnie Smith, GM FCM. “The second poll of our State of the Market survey showed that although there is an increasing sense of our clients needing and wanting to travel, the world is an increasingly unpredictable place, so the health and safety of business travellers are, more than ever before, at the top of the corporate agenda. We are therefore even more focused on giving clients the best possible support and resources in this respect and are excited to announce the launch of Traveller Hub.”

The 2019 World Travel Awards were presented at a glittering Indian Ocean gala ceremony at the Sugar Beach Resort in Mauritius on 1 June.

FCM Travel Solutions General Manager Africa Nicole Adonis said FCM was honoured to be bringing home the award for the fifth year in a row. “Our unwavering focus on the customers’ needs in Africa, combined with industry-leading technology solutions and personal service, is what sets us apart year after year,” she said.

With its customer-centric approach to travel management, in the past year, FCM has explored the science behind Behavioural Economics and why corporate travellers make specific travel decisions. The insight, combined with ground-breaking research on travel data management, has allowed FCM to deliver actual value to its clients, Adonis explained.

“None of the success FCM has achieved would have been possible without the support of an incredible team, trustworthy suppliers and loyal customers,” she added. “I would like to thank each member of our team who has supported us with their professionalism and their innovative ideas on delivering value to our clients,” she said.

Ciarán Kelly, Managing Director – Middle East & Africa Regional Network, commented: “I am extremely proud of the dedication and passion the FCM team has shown in our region. To be named the leading TMC in Africa is an outstanding achievement and clearly shows FCM’s continued commitment to delivering exceptional travel management services, professionalism and value to its clients. We will continue to strive for service excellence and technology advancement to meet the needs of corporate travellers across Africa.”

The World Travel Awards is recognised across the globe as the ultimate travel accolade. Awards are voted for by travel and tourism professionals internationally and value the commitment to excellence demonstrated by FCM and other award winners in the past 12 months.