Articles tagged “ctir”

TripActions and Lola have been two of the most interesting players in the business travel ecosystem in recent years. Both their moves this week show how important it is for smaller companies to be able to acquire customers and service larger organizations effectively.

Lola has struggled to catch on as it now pivots to provide travel management tools to small companies. Mobile booking through travel agents never broke through and it's hard to see a path forward for Lola in the extremely crowded market for managing small group travel.

TripActions is investing big in customer service unlike many other players breaking into corporate travel. The truth is that it's hard to land larger customers unless you can service their travelers wherever they are, no matter how cool your app is.

As Amazon pushes into hospitality, a battle will take place over who owns the business traveler's wallet. Travel managers will have to deal with Amazon and hotel loyalty programs pushing travelers to spend more on their platforms. Ubiquitous voice-powered travel booking, though, remains a distant reality.

While Europe’s new data regulations may only apply to one continent, they’re expected to form the blueprint for similar legislation in other countries. Travel managers everywhere should get used to them.

The big global travel management companies have pivoted to become more like technology companies in recent years. Despite the usual bromides about innovation and user experience, they're unlikely to invest in voice-powered automation right now. Personalization needs to come first.

Not every company can afford a dedicated security director. There are services out there, though, that are evolving to offer more automated security solutions that aren't just for multinational corporations and global operations.

Companies need to ensure the safety of female business travelers on the road, but most don't have specific policies that are attuned to their needs.

Travel managers know they need to focus on safety as more women travel for business, but seem to be unwilling so far to make specific changes to their policies. Hopefully, this trend won't continue.

Business travel is obviously a great way to advance your career, but few talk about the negative effects like weight gain, stress, and problems with personal relationships. As younger professionals enter the workforce, more travel managers and corporate leaders should pay attention to the ways that business travel can lead to a problematic lifestyle.