More Companies Favor Traveler-First Startups for Biz Travel
Photo Credit: A business traveler moves through an airport, phone in hand. Corporate travel management startups are differentiating themselves from legacy players by putting the traveler first. TravelBank
Skift Take
Employees are having more of an impact on how companies choose their travel policies. This has big implications for the future of corporate travel.
A batch of travel management startups are changing the face of corporate travel, focusing mainly on the employee rather than company administrators.
Two California-based startups, TravelBank and NexTravel, are doubling down on this strategy, finding that travelers increasingly have influence over company decisions. TravelBank, which just received funding from venture capital firm Dreamers VC for an undisclosed amount, is revamping its expense management tools and adding a slew of perks for travelers.
Meanwhile, NexTravel is focusing on bleisure, upgrading its expense system to allow travelers to add extra days onto their business trips to spend time exploring the destination.
“All of our incumbent competitors have built these marketplaces designed to empower only the administrators and to add on functionality for the administrators,” said Duke Chung, co-founder and CEO of TravelBank, referring to legacy travel management companies such as
