Last Updated on: October 2, 2024 at 11:54 am
A form of ‘revenge travel’ is ongoing. Individuals and businesses are booking more trips than usual to catch up on lost opportunities while the pandemic rates were high, and restrictions were strict.
Of course, these days, the travel process is much easier since the entire affair is just about digitalised. Anyone can book trips and plan itineraries from the comfort of their home. However, several occasions call for hiring help, especially when an organisation needs to streamline their travel planning, or a sole traveller needs expert advice on tour and accommodation options. In this regard, not all trips are the same and the clear distinction means that distinct types of help are required.
When it comes to travel, the most popular types of experts include travel agencies and travel management companies. However, these two categories seem way too similar, and many people cannot tell the difference. To whom do you go for which kind of travel? This guide will help you unblur the lines and see which one is best suited for your needs
In this article, we'll take a look at:
Corporate travel management companies (TMCs) specialise in booking business trips and keeping track of travel expenses for companies. Unlike travel agencies, they focus more on larger clients or corporate companies (organisations of various sizes) than individuals and typically offer more options than a traditional travel agency.
Beyond making bookings and keeping records, travel management companies have responsibilities such as creating travel policies, scheduling events and meetings for clients, providing concierge services, customising an online booking tool, and engaging in risk management before and during trips, among others. In these days of technological innovations, many travel management companies even have comprehensive software solutions that they provide to clients to ease business travel planning and ensure flexibility. A travel management company can provide any service that a travel agency can offer; however, the former goes further in its offerings, and that is discussed in the following section.
Engaging a corporate travel management company is the best value option for an organisation with employees who travel for business regularly and need a single solution to manage trips all year round. Such a TMC will work with the organisation’s HR and finance departments to plan travel logistics and ensure that all trips are in line with set policies, strategies, and budgets. Unlike travel agencies, TMCs take over everything from booking flights and hotels to coordinating reservations, providing concierge services, and even helping with reimbursements after the trip is over.
Travel agencies are companies that offer services to help you plan your business or personal trips. They also help book flights, hotels, car rentals, and other travel-related services. A travel agency’s responsibility is to act as a go-between between travellers and the services they may need.
They often have access to exclusive deals that are unknown to the public, but which can save their clients a lot of money. This is because travel agencies and agents often have well-established relationships with their local airlines, hotels, tour guides, and more. Individuals and groups planning to travel, for leisure, or some other purpose often go to a travel agency since their needs are limited to bookings and reservations.
However, a travel management company makes an enormous difference at the corporate level because its services are broader and more integrated into a company’s strategy. Before discussing travel management companies, let’s consider some of the major services travel agencies provide.
Travel agencies are great for one-off personal or group trips such as vacations and tours. In such cases, most people only need booking and reservation services to ensure that their stay is comfortable. Such trips also usually take a few days or some weeks. Essentially, a travel agency is a great option for small-scale travelling, and they can offer useful advice and expert consultations. However, as a business leader with employees who need to take several trips representing your organisation, travel agencies cannot cater to those needs.
While travel agencies are great for personal and small group trips, a TMC provides the best value for continual travelling within an organisation. To experience how TruTrip as a travel management company can streamline your corporate travel strategy, book a demo or sign up for free trial
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