Corporate site flags tailored policy service

Company strategy

Company strategy

Corporate site flags tailored policy service

Report by TANYAJEFFERIES

ON-LINEbusiness travel agency Travelstore.com is urging corporate clients that don’t have an established travel policy to sign up to its tailor-made on-line service.

The company claims that it can design a policy around a client’s needs, make sure that staff stick to it, and monitor the results through the issuing of regular reports.

Travelstore.com’s move follows research among 400 business travellers which revealed that 37% were either unaware of their company’s travel policy or worked for a firm that did not have one.

The survey, undertaken for the company by poll specialist MORI, showed a further 8% of travellers were employed by a firm that had a travel policy but did not enforce it. Only 25% followed a strict system.

Vice-president of sales and marketing Bridgette Christiansen said: “Clearly companies across the UK are unaware of how vulnerable they are to the exploitation of their travel policy.

“However, it is not only the presence of a policy that matters, rather it is the implementation of the policy that will ensure costs are controlled.

“Travel is the second or third largest expense within a company’s budget, and every other expense they have is controlled or managed except travel.”

The poll also showed 12% had booked travel on-line and would be happy to do so again, while 27% have used the Web for researching trips. A further 33% go on-line to book or research leisure trips but 23% don’t use the Web for any travel purposes.

Cost controls: the service is aimed at enforcing sounder travel policies