Whether you are a small business with infrequent travel demands or a larger company with lots of travel related business choosing a preferred corporate travel partner is something that everyone should do. When you start looking for a corporate travel agency for the very first time or start hunting for a replacement corporate travel agency there are a lot of questions and criteria that come to mind and we’re here to help you figure out what to find the most suitable options for you.
Many companies and heads ask themselves whether they really need a corporate travel company, and the answer is almost inevitably yes. So what exactly is it that corporate travel companies offer and why do corporates require it? Corporate travel companies arrange for managed travel where they are engaged as third-party expertise and services to solve any challenges related to business travel. However the question arises that with the availability of a variety of online booking platforms, does a company actually require external assistance for a travel company? Why can’t whoever is travelling simply look for the best prices themselves, book their flights and hotels, and then claim their travel expenses on their own? Or just hire an in house travel team? The answer to this is that while there is nothing per say wrong with self-guided trips if they happen occasionally, but for any businesses requiring more than a once in a blue moon travel, or dealing with complex itineraries, this approach often leads to lack of cost control, inefficiency, and wasting of time. Managed travel allows companies and their employees to focus on their core business and boost cost-efficiency by providing the most convenient itineraries and fast booking via global distribution systems (GDSs); specially negotiated airfares and hotel rates, perks, and extras — unavailable on metasearch engines, online travel agencies (OTAs) and airline websites; visibility of spending upfront as bookings are made after approval of billables; on-trip assistance; and at the end of it all post-trip reporting.
However to achieve these results while staying on budget, you need to select the right partner. At Zahara Travel we cater to all your travel needs and can offer you options within your budget with no hassle and guarantee of a smooth trip.
So what exactly is a corporate travel agency or company?
A corporate travel agency like Zahara Travel is a service provider that books and manages any and all travel and MICE(Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) related things for a business. Also referred to as a travel management company, Zahara Travel offers most businesses one or a few main contacts depending on the requirements of the work who will be the point of contact at the agency to help them keep all trips within company policy and to offer all the travellers on-the-go support.
Efficient and organised business travel management can help reduce travel expenses, streamline expense reports, optimise booking processes, and make managing the corporate travel experience way easier for all stakeholders involved.
There are so many different types of corporate travel agencies that it’s a struggle to choose between them all or summarise their service offerings. Some companies may be able to offer round the clock support in dozens of languages but charge exorbitant fees for every small interaction while others might be hard to reach during non-office hours and may not cover as many languages, but might charge a premium monthly fee that covers all needs. Here at Zahara Travel, being the foremost travel company in Oman, after more than half a century of being in the travel business we know what our clients need and offer cost effective round the clock service at competitive rates and put our clients needs first.
The benefits of a corporate travel agency
There are a whole host of reasons why you should engage with a corporate travel agency, so let us take a look at some of the major benefits for managed travel and getting help with your corporate travel program.
It is a good option to supplement a lack of in-house resources or expertise. Perhaps your company doesn't require a full-time travel manager, and employees are swamped with other critical work within their expertise. Working with a corporate travel agency like Zahara Travel can provide you with the travel experts and services you require to take care of all your travel arrangements without you having to hire any additional staff and that too at competitive rates.
For most group travel or any regular travel, agents can negotiate better rates for their clients and offer the company competitive group rates and corporate rates.
When office managers have to support travellers on the go, things can get quite stressful. Travellers may find it difficult to get help on nights and weekends, meanwhile office managers may start feeling the strain of having to work overtime. An agency can alleviate this burden, without substantially increasing the cost. In order to optimise their budgets, businesses need to know which departments are spending what on travel. Corporate travel agencies can help you accurately track all your travel expenses by reporting on spend for all stakeholders by team, department, or project, giving you a clear picture of your travel spends. Every company has some guidelines and rules regarding their travel policy. An agency can enforce these guidelines when booking and maintain compliance with the same while looking at travel options.
Business travel requires the growing need for smoother, easier travel policy compliance with the need for paying out of pocket with personal credit cards being slowly done away with. Booking through an agency like Zahara Travel offers your business access to all of the flight, hotel, train, and car rental options available around the world along with great user experience, and real-time travel support as you need it.
In 2022 and beyond, a company needs to offer both excellent human and technological support to manage the corporate travellers needs.
To give your travellers trip support and your CFO financial control, you need not a mix of human service and technology as well as these critical factors. Here’s how Zahara Travel offer a wholesome solution to your travel needs
Easy booking experience
Zahara Travel makes it easy and convenient for administrators or individuals to book for business travel and events.
Huge travel inventory and options
We don’t limit ourselves and your business to booking with just one of two brands, we offer travellers access to a vast range of flight options with different carriers and whatever hotel and transport brands you want. You can choose to lower your travel spend on airfare by using low-cost carriers, some of whom we are the GSA for in the region. All of the world’s inventory is available to you as a business without having to use a consumer tool.
No hidden costs
Our travel experts will help you understand the fee structure before signing on so you have a clear idea of what we offer and the charges and costs related to the different offerings.
Excellent trip support
This aspect of the work is where the human element comes in. During travel there’s no amount of new age technology or hotel and travel brand that can ensure comfort for you when you are travelling and an emergency comes up in your stay or your flight has been cancelled or you are stuck midway to an event. Only an actual person available 24/7 can quickly find you an alternate option and offer you travel support that addresses all your travel needs, in the language you require. The reason we have so many fabulous reviews from travellers across the globe is due to our massive presence in the travel sector and network not just in Oman but all over the world.
Built in travel policies and approvals
There is really only one way to ensure travel policy compliance and that is by ensuring the policy is being applied during the booking process which is what we’ll do for you, as any bookings will be made only after the relevant approvals come through.
Travel spend reporting
Getting clarity about travel spend is a major issue. Without a preferred corporate travel partner, business travel can be booked on so many different platforms and vendors that it is hard to get and keep track of all the data with 46% of business travellers booking on consumer sites when left to their own devices. With the data difficult to access being spread across multiple platforms until it’s expensed. At Zahara Travel we can offer real-time reports for your finance team and that can help with reimbursement processes.
Innovative and easily scalable
Global business travel is still evolving. In fact, it’s really just getting started. So while choosing your travel management companies it is good to figure out if the company is innovative, future-ready and that the solutions they offer can be scaled up as your business grows. At Zahara Travel we have more than five decades of working in the travel sector and know that to stay relevant one has to stay updated with the latest developments and constantly evolve.
At the end of the day your corporate travel partner is not just a provider like the dozens of the partners a corporation has. It is a different case altogether with it being a partner that can provide you with cost savings both directly and indirectly, and can radically influence the travel experience of your employees providing excellent travellers’ experience, which is what you want.