Corporate Travel Management for Successful Business Trips

Corporate travel has seen an enormous resurgence following the COVID-19 travel downturn in 2020. In 2022, Americans took an astonishing 371 million business trips, and that number is expected to increase substantially in the coming years. We are more globalized than ever, and often, your businesses' needs require employees to travel domestically or internationally to conferences, meet-ups, seminars, and on-site training. Every business trip requires some degree of corporate travel management to facilitate the logistical side of travel, ensure employee safety, and much more.

While you may think corporate travel is up to HR, the reality is: whether you're an HR, travel, finance, or accounting professional, it's crucial to understand the importance of corporate travel management, risks, industry best practices, and solutions to help along the way.

Here at AXA Partners US (“AXA Partners”), we want to give you an overview of our suggested corporate travel guidelines:

Considering how essential face-to-face interactions have become in recent years, the importance of global business travel cannot be overstated. Sure, we could always schedule a Zoom call, but the reality is there are several scenarios when face-to-face meetings accomplish so much more, such as:  

• Building relationships. Though Zoom and Google Meet may suffice in some cases, there's no replacement for in-person interaction. Meeting in person makes it much easier to connect and foster or maintain client relationships. This is especially pertinent when employees need to attend training seminars, scout new production sites, or learn from other mentors in the industry.
• Driving business growth. Travel promotes business growth by sparking innovation among team members and providing networking opportunities to bolster company growth.
• Accessing new markets. Global business travel allows employees and entrepreneurs to gain insight into new markets, domestic regulations, and consumer preferences. This information allows businesses to customize their services or product offerings to appeal to new markets.

 Post-COVID-19, corporations are eager to get employees back in the office, and employees show a growing willingness to attend in-person travel trips.

 However, the benefits associated with global business travel come with meaningful challenges, including:

• Language and cultural barriers. Traveling to a country where citizens speak a different language can result in misunderstandings that can severely affect the involved parties. Moreover, what's acceptable in one culture may be forbidden in another. Conflict and unintentional disrespect may quickly become an issue in instances of poor corporate travel management. 
• Health and safety issues. There's a looming risk of health and safety issues when employees travel either domestically or internationally. From common illnesses and regional diseases to violence-related injuries and environmental disasters, keeping employees safe and healthy is an ongoing concern among employers.
• Logistics and finances. Employers and managers may struggle to juggle company credit card billing management, the costs of transporting and housing employees, and the logistics of employee per diems, lodging, and food.  

Sometimes, "corporate travel" can translate to company retreats, networking opportunities against exotic backdrops, or team-building in a fun location—the reality is most business travel is more mundane. However, no matter the location, the risks associated with corporate travel exist across the board. HR, travel, finance, logistics, and accounting professionals must counteract all kinds of risks:

In spite of the risks associated with business travel, the fact remains that it is an essential part of the functioning economy—and travel is not likely to slow down. Therefore, companies can try a few of these risk-mitigating steps:

• Conduct pre-trip planning weeks, if not months, before the anticipated travel date.
• Conduct a pre-trip destination risk assessment to pinpoint any threats or risks employees could be up against during the trip. Consider – popular, likely options: what to do in the event of missing a layover, employees becoming ill, a natural disaster striking, a rescheduled seminar, employee fund reimbursement, communication expectations during the trip, chain of communication command, transportation, lodging, and per diems, etc.
• Establish communication protocols that outline who should be contacted in which situations.
• Draft and distribute emergency response procedures to traveling employees. Define what an emergency is, outline potential emergencies relevant to the travel location, and clearly state what employees should do to remain safe.
• Consult with medical professionals to conduct a medical pre-travel review. During the review, the medical professionals will examine employees' current health status, consider their medical history, and recommend medication where appropriate.
• Be sure to consider any employees who have chronic conditions that may require care abroad. Medical professionals will be necessary for this step as well.
• Coordinate with medical facilities in the area to ensure your employees can get the care they need.

This may seem like a lot for one person or department to take on, but the good news is, with the help of AXA Partners, we have the support your corporation needs to execute these tasks efficiently.  

Global business travel presents both opportunities and challenges for businesses, requiring careful planning, proactive risk management, and reliable assistance solutions to ensure the safety and security of employees. To that end, we encourage you to leverage best practices and solutions offered by AXA Partners US. Based on your needs, we provide premiere travel assistance to help you navigate the complexities of global travel with confidence, enabling your employees to travel safely and focus on achieving business objectives.

 *AXA Partners US operates as AXA Assistance USA, Inc.

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This article is intended to provide you with entertaining and educational information of a general nature. The article is for editorial purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified professional. Please contact AXA Assistance USA if you have any questions. AXA Assistance USA, Inc.© 2023 All Rights Reserved.