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3 minutes readMain functions of the travel manager
- Financial control: planning and coordinating budgets, reports, reconciliation, developing the travel policy.
- Organizational: planning business trips and/or events, coordinating staff, dealing with emergencies.
- Technological: searching for, installing and using online tools.
- Duty of care: ensuring staff’s safety during business trips, informing them about possible risks, anything they need to know about their destination, and supporting them in emergencies.
Change of priorities in favor of duty of care
As experts note, the pool of travel managers has remained unchanged, but their priorities are now a little different. Above all, duty of care has emerged as the top priority during trips.
We at RateHawk have also noticed this trend and have added a special section called “Health and Safety” to our hotel page, which contains all information about the safety measures being taken by the given accommodation option.
Regular update of travel policy
Previously, travel policies were not updated as frequently. At most, a few times per year. But recently many new precedents have emerged that need to be developed and recorded in documents. The process of collecting and distributing information, the action plan in case of an emergency, reducing costs — these are all cases that many companies are facing.
Monitoring the news and prompt communication
At the start of the pandemic, news became out of date so rapidly that the only option for remaining abreast was monitoring events by subscribing to distributions and telegram channels of several news agencies at once. Travel managers partially had to become journalists searching for the absolutely latest and confirmed information in order to base work decisions on it.
To make the life of our partners easier, we have created a page of information about coronavirus restrictions throughout the world. Our specialists monitor the news and update information every day so that you have the absolutely latest facts, which you in turn may share with colleagues.
The principle of how the page works is simple: enter the country you want to read about in the search field and you will receive all of its information: current situation, restrictions and so on.
A flexible approach to events
Due to coronavirus measures, many offline events have been cancelled, postponed indefinitely or moved online. With the easing of restrictions, small meetings have been allowed, but it remains too early to plan major events. Because of this, many companies have had to reformat training and seminars to online, as well as invent new types of meetings. Thanks to such an approach, the fear of losing contact with colleagues and partners has been reduced, and it turns out that many offline events can also be held perfectly well in Zoom.
On RateHawk we hold free online webinars which you may join provided you register in advance. Follow the announcements on the separate page, register and please join.
2020 has shown that the ability to adapt quickly to the new reality is the key to a successful and flourishing business. For our part, we are doing all we can to provide you with up to date information and useful tools in this difficult time.
