FlexyBT or the shift toward new travel policies

It's certainly not the fault of Millennials nor the fact that consumer technology is invading traditional Business Travel environment.  It's a bunch of factors - including Y Gen, apps and devices - that is transforming the way we are facing travel policies.

For if we take a look at our own behaviour even when it comes to business travel, we'll have to admit that we oft act like Millennials although we may be just baby boomers.

So what's going on?

Millennials are just part of the accelerators of a trend that is just more sound and that already impacts TMCs and corporations.

That's part of the conclusions of CWT's latest research concerning emerging technologies and trends and their impact on managed travel. According to CWT's findings ("Faster, smarter better?"), 35% of the Travel Managers are already planning to incorporate key trends such as mobile technology, customization, sharing economy, new booking solutions or new payment solutions in their travel programs, and 56% of them will do it within one year.

It will be a tough job indeed, but it is certainly not only a matter of fashion or adaptation to a new traveller profile, not only an issue of traveller satisfaction or reduction of travel friction. Those key trends have also inherent benefits in terms of efficiency or productivity, or even traveller security.

And they'll require another twist from TMC, in terms of  definition of new travel policy frames, additional support  for integration of new providers, technology and business solutions, and enhanced protection of corporation's and traveller's safety and data ...

No doubt ... a tough job for TMCs and a giant leap for the business travel community!

(c) Marcel Forns, GEBTA 2015