Policies regarding business trips mean a set of rules that allow the organisation to manage, control and optimise spending during corporate travel, while never compromising the security, comfort or work of the corporate traveller. In these policies, the Travel Manager is an important figure owing to his high level of involvement in the management of business trips. What role does he play? How does he influence travel policies? Find out in this article.
The job of the corporate Travel Manager is to know these rules to the letter for travel organisation, knowing to whom a particular category of hotel, transport, etc. may be assigned. These rules must be applied to all the work he or she does, but he must also undertake a consulting role with his or her colleagues: in case of any doubt, they can turn to this person for advice on the implementation of the rules.
It must also be made clear that the Travel Manager is not the person controlling applications on behalf of travellers, regarding expense policies. However, he can assess whether these rules are being applied or not, possess information as to why they are not being applied, if there is a logical reason for not applying this policy and what this is due to. For example, during a trip abroad restaurant prices are more expensive than they are at home, etc.
It must be remembered that travel policy is a living thing, which has to evolve with the business changes and with the environment, therefore the Travel Manager must be aware of the practical application, during trips, and have an accurate picture of the regulations. This implies that over the course of the year he will have to evaluate and revise these policies, applying his professional and substantiated criteria to propose modifications and necessary improvements. The company's Travel Manager can channel both the positive and negative opinions made by his colleagues who are mobile workers, bearing these opinions in mind when it comes to revising these policies.
