BCD’s Journey Purchaser Survey reveals shifting priorities in company journey insurance policies 

International journey administration firm BCD  Journey’s current examine explores fashionable company journey insurance policies and adjustments occurring attributable to shifting priorities and traits. The outcomes are primarily based on a web-based survey from April 2024 of greater than  200 journey patrons worldwide. The highest three journey program priorities embrace obligation of care, coverage  compliance and value management. All three ranked extremely in 2023 and have since gained significance. Nevertheless, the scores of different priorities went barely down. Traveler satisfaction dropped in significance as one of many prime priorities from 2021 to 2023 to fourth in 2024. Equally, fee and expense had been  assessed decrease than a yr in the past.

A journey coverage is a essential consider a profitable journey program. It’s encouraging that many corporates  agree as most journey patrons reported that their firm has a devoted journey coverage. Variations  come up in how insurance policies are outlined. Seven in 10 say their journey coverage aligns with their firm objectives  and is supported by management. Six in 10 outline it as cost-focused and three in 10 describe it as  traveler-centric. Solely 15% of journey patrons reported that the coverage relies on KPIs and traveler  suggestions.

What’s coated underneath journey insurance policies? 

A journey coverage is an organization’s information for managing enterprise journey. It helps management journey prices and  outlines the rules staff should comply with when planning journeys for the corporate. Subjects coated  by journey insurance policies vary from journey goal to traveler wellbeing to bleisure journey. In keeping with the  survey, the 2 mostly coated themes embrace journey goal (e.g. consumer conferences vs. inside  conferences) and pre-trip approvals. Whereas sustainability is rising in significance within the trade, much less  than half mentioned sustainable journey is included of their coverage. That is according to a BCD survey from July  2023 that discovered solely 45% of corporations have targets for sustainable enterprise journey. Bleisure journey,  distant work, and variety, fairness and inclusion (DE&I) are coated/included least usually.

Many corporations have devoted journey insurance policies for senior staff, particular enterprise models, and  frequent vacationers. Solely 12% have written insurance policies for vacationers with accessibility wants or  neurodivergent vacationers. Lower than one in 10 have insurance policies addressing staff with particular wants (e.g. nursing moms), LGBTQ+ vacationers, gender, faith, or age.

Challenges 

The largest problem for patrons when updating the coverage is educating vacationers. That is adopted by  managing coverage exceptions, managing coverage throughout completely different areas, and controlling coverage  compliance.

“Touring for work might be annoying. You need your staff to have the ability to entry all of the assets  they should make the method as easy and environment friendly as attainable – and that’s why common coverage  communication is so necessary,” mentioned Teri Miller, BCD’s govt vice chairman of the International Shopper  Group. “Expertise has streamlined traveler communications, creating methods for corporations to simply

present related, well timed info that may hold vacationers secure. For instance, shoppers use our TripSource® platform to shortly attain vacationers at completely different instances by way of the planning and journey cycle.”

BCD and its consulting division Advito can present recommendation and steering on writing insurance policies and  partaking with vacationers.

• Talk with vacationers earlier than, throughout and after journeys. TripSource Messaging ensures vacationers keep knowledgeable and engaged with threat alerts, flight alerts, emergency response notifications, coverage info and journey reminders.
• Use traveler engagement to create consciousness, affect conduct and improve satisfaction. • Survey vacationers to listen to from them and use insights to make coverage adjustments.

Coverage communication & enforcement 

In keeping with respondents, the most typical solution to talk journey coverage updates is thru the  firm intranet, adopted by direct mailing. A 3rd share updates within the on-line reserving instrument (OBT) or throughout worker coaching. BCD suggests introducing the journey coverage throughout worker onboarding because it’s mutually useful. It builds transparency, helps new hires really feel knowledgeable, and fosters a tradition of  preparedness and accountability.

Whereas greater than half of journey patrons view their journey coverage as very or extraordinarily efficient, solely a 3rd  are as assured of their coverage communication. Nearly half price their coverage communication as  reasonably efficient, reflecting the widespread problem of teaching vacationers concerning the coverage.

Probably the most ceaselessly used methods of implementing journey insurance policies embrace:

• Highlighting policy-compliant journey choices within the OBT
• Performing an audit of journey bills
• Usually speaking journey coverage adjustments through a number of channels

“We all know from expertise that one of the crucial efficient methods to speak with vacationers and  affect their conduct is to place related messaging straight within the reserving path. It not solely leads to  elevated compliance, but in addition results in a extra personalised and dynamic procuring expertise for  the traveler,” mentioned Miller. “Advito’s Have interaction staff makes use of merchandising in our shoppers’ OBTs to drive coverage schooling when and the place it issues probably the most – proper when they’re making a purchase order resolution.”

Price-control insurance policies 

Greater than half of journey patrons report having lowered their journey price range prior to now few years. On the similar time, virtually all launched sure cost-control measures. The most well-liked measures are directed at lowering journey quantity: encouraging on-line conferences, reducing non-essential journey, encouraging fewer however longer journeys, and limiting the variety of staff on one journey. Different measures embrace utilizing instruments to decrease the price of a visit (e.g. worth assurance), strict expense management, reserving decrease courses of air journey, and inspiring using public transportation as a substitute of taxis.

Journey coverage updates 

Along with journey administration, varied stakeholders are concerned in creating and updating journey insurance policies together with finance, HR, procurement, safety and the manager board. Most respondents up to date their journey coverage throughout the previous yr.

Firms ought to replace their journey insurance policies repeatedly to deal with the altering wants of vacationers  and the trade. A robust journey coverage gives a constant, secure, managed and cost-controlled framework that results in smart journey choices.

Tendencies shaping coverage

Nearly two-thirds of journey patrons anticipate sustainability (together with security and safety) to have the strongest influence on company journey insurance policies within the upcoming years. Different traits of affect are expertise, NDC, traveler wellbeing and new traveler wants. In the meantime, DE&I is on the backside of the record together with bleisure. Each are related however aren’t anticipated to significantly change journey insurance policies.

Though traveler wellbeing has dropped barely in significance, corporations ought to be conscious that enterprise journey might be exhausting and affect vacationers’ wellbeing and happiness. In right this moment’s wrestle for expertise, accommodating vacationers’ wellbeing can have a optimistic influence on worker retention. BCD helps shoppers adapt their journey insurance policies, talk with vacationers, and supply the appropriate traveler  instruments, which finally profit traveler wellbeing.