The Business Travel Magazine- April/May 2020

81

April/May 2020

one direction Working together towards a brighter future

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Traveller safety Sustainable travel Booking technology Rail travel for business THE BUSINESS TRAVEL CONFERENCE • SEPTEMBER 15-16

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Recognising outstanding individuals and teams in business travel Thanks for all your nominations!

In these challenging times, we appreciate the efforts to which you have gone to put forward some of the industry’s finest talent. We look forward to announcing the shortlist in

AWARDS CEREMONY New date coming soon

SPONSORSHIP Limited sponsorship opportunities available.

Contact Kirsty.Hicks@bmipublishing.co.uk or Callum.Blackwell@bmipublishing.co.uk

due course and confirming a date in the autumn for the rescheduled event.

thebusinesstravel peopleawards.com

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ARRIVALS

Contents 14

43

10

A PR I L /M A Y 2020 Features

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10 State of the industry 14 Sustainable travel 20 Booking tools 30 Traveller safety 47 Extended feature: Rail travel for business

Arrivals

Extended feature

6 8

Rail travel Rail travel might not be your top priority, but there are savings to be made in this complex area of business travel spend

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48

The Knowledge: build a travel programme from scratch

13 Event report: BTA conference

Regulars

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18 The Big Picture 19 The Business Travel People Awards: winner's Q&A 26 The Conversation: Abby Penston, Focus Travel Partnership

(p47-60) 8

Opening Shots

28 Event preview: The Business Travel Conference 2020 35 Technology: videoconferencing

28 62

is back in fashion 36 Talking Travel: Julia Bradbury

The Review

39 Eight pages of news, views and the latest developments

Departures

61 New Kid on the Block

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62 Meeting in: Cambridge 63 The Final Word

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ARRIVALS

Welcome Time for a change

T

he word 'unprecedented' has been used time and again to describe the coronavirus pandemic simply because there is no better synonym. The modern world, let alone the travel industry, has seen little of its kind or

scope before. It has brought economic turmoil and travel restrictions that few would ever have imagined possible. The nature of our industry means the pandemic and its fallout has deeply affected every one of our lives, both on a personal and business level.

Flybe was an early victim of the pandemic and we were deeply disappointed for our good friends and acquaintances at the airline, as well as those passengers for whom it provided a vital service. Most airlines around the world are now in need of some form of financial relief.

Meanwhile hotels, event venues and conference centres sit empty. And after the initial scramble to cancel trips and repatriate travellers, travel management companies are now bereft of bookings.

Some of these developments are covered in our ‘State of the industry’ feature on pages 10-12, where the ways in which TMCs charge for their services – and the potential for that to change – is discussed. And you won't be surprised to see the impact of coronavirus creep into news stories, articles and features across this issue – even in our extended feature on rail travel (p47-60), a sector where the government has stepped in to support train operating companies during the crisis.

Because some of us in the travel industry might have more time right now, yet not necessarily by choice, let's use it to make positive changes across every area of our businesses so we're ready when travel gets going again.

Until then, stay safe and stay well.

EDITORIAL EDITOR

Andy Hoskins CONTRIBUTORS

Emma Allen, Nick Easen, Catherine Chetwynd, Bev Fearis, Linda Fox, Gary Noakes, Dave Richardson, Angela Sara West & Gillian Upton STAFF JOURNALISTS

April Waterston & Sasha Wood CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Julie Baxter, Laura Gelder & Steve Hartridge

ADVERTISING SALES COMMERCIAL HEAD - BUSINESS TRAVEL

Kirsty Hicks

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Callum Blackwell

DESIGN & PRODUCTION SENIOR DESIGNER

Louisa Horton DESIGNERS

Ross Clifford, Caitlan Francis & Zoe Tarrant PRODUCTION & STUDIO MANAGER

Clare Hunter

PRODUCTION ADMINISTRATOR

Steve Hunter

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscribe for free at thebusinesstravelmag.com/subscribe

BMI PUBLISHING MANAGING DIRECTOR

Matt Bonner CEO

Martin Steady (Print) ISSN 1754-8543. THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY BMI PUBLISHING LTD: SUFFOLK HOUSE, GEORGE STREET, CROYDON,

Andy Hoskins, Editor

SURREY, CR9 1SR, UK. TEL: 020 8649 7233 ENQUIRIES@BMIPUBLISHING.CO.UK / BMIPUBLISHING.CO.UK THIS PUBLICATION IS PRINTED ON 100% FULLY RECYCLED PAPER AND DISTRIBUTED TO SUBSCRIBERS IN A COMPOSTABLE WRAPPER. WHILE EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO ENSURE ACCURACY, BMI PUBLISHING LTD CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS. © BMI PUBLISHING LTD 2020 IMAGES: SOURCED FROM SUPPLIERS, ISTOCKPHOTO.COM AND BIGSTOCKPHOTO.COM

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ARRIVALS OPENING SHOTS

Eye-catching images of the latest news and developments

The Gate

The Gate 'boutique aparthotel' has opened in East London with 189 rooms across 20 floors, plus a private members lounge, outdoor terrace, healthy eating café Maple & The Gate – and its very own Banksy in the lobby.

All nine room types feature a bedroom, fitted kitchen and living area. Introductory rates start from £100.

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The Gate is directly influenced by the style and culture of the vibrant London streets it overlooks, connecting guests with its surrounding”

David Cleveland

eastender

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Best Western Hotels

simply sadie

WestJet

go west

Best Western is due to open a Sadie hotel in Luton this summer, marking the boutique hotel brand’s European debut. The Sadie brand is designed to appeal to younger travellers with the modern, upscale hotels featuring bespoke art and design.

WestJet has won the inaugural Cabin Concept award from this magazine's sister publication Onboard Hospitality. Judges were impressed with the airline's collaborative approach to design and the speed with which it rolled out new cabins.

Hard Rock Hotels

dublin up

David Cleveland

The Hard Rock Hotels group has opened its first property in Ireland – a 120-room hotel near the city’s famous Temple Bar district. The hotel is housed within two heritage buildings – the Exchange built at the turn of the 20th century and the old Fashion House – linked together by a glass bridge.

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ARRIVALS THE KNOWLEDGE

How to... Set up a travel programme from scratch Many new clients of TMCs have reached a ‘tipping point’ in their travel spend, seeking help when their spend – and administration of it – is getting out of hand. That means they need a policy that works for staff, is easy to understand and work with, and that delivers savings.

The Background

A property management company with an annual travel spend of around £800,000 needed a one-stop-shop for all of its online and offline travel bookings. The client had no travel policy and staff had previously arranged their own trips on an ad-hoc basis. The key objectives were to drive compliance with a new set of guidelines, offer booking functionality for all travel types, and have complete visibility of bookings and spend.

The Plan

The business turned to CTM for its first foray into managed travel. With no formal processes or tools in place, the priority was to engage employees and explain how a new way of working would deliver tangible benefits.

The Process

CTM had a blank sheet of paper to work with, which can present opportunities and challenges to TMCs. As well as devising a new travel policy, of equal importance was the need for a structured company-wide training programme for more than 1,000 employees.

Given the client’s need for advanced booking functionality, CTM rolled out an online booking tool, Lightning, that allowed all trip components to be booked in a single process, saving time previously spent 8

trawling through comparison sites.

Travel polices were embedded within Lightning, which trigger ‘guilt’ screens when the cheapest option isn’t selected for rail and air bookings. Hotel rate caps were set for London and several other major cities, and Business and First-class options were turned off for flights.

CTM’s management reporting means the client has a greater insight into the number and type of bookings being made.

This made for easier invoicing, and helped further savings by encouraging smarter buying behaviours, such as switching to off-peak rail tickets.

The final step was CTM’s Traveller Education Programme. Face-to-face booker engagement workshops were held on site at the client’s head office over a four-day period, with web-based follow-up sessions for anyone that wasn’t able to attend or for those that had any further questions.

The Outcome

The entire implementation process took six weeks and saw 1,025 travel bookers loaded into the new system along with all existing negotiated hotel rates.

First year savings reached almost £45,000, with 81% of this coming from rail spend.

In year two, the figure was £66,400. By August 2019, online adoption hit 98.8%.

“The training sessions were great,” said one staff member.

“They focused on encouraging the right behaviour and aided smarter buying. The system was simple to put in place and is really propelling us forward as a business.”

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com

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19/03/2020 12:13 3/25/20 04:42 PM 19/03/2020 11:41

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

Crisis and

COMMUNITY The coronavirus pandemic has hit few industries more dramatically than travel, writes Gary Noakes, who assesses its impact so far

We believe that there will be effectively no international travel until late summer, from when it will gradually return�

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STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

I

n the last 30 years, corporate travel has experienced two Gulf wars, 9/11, the 2008 financial crash and the 2010 Icelandic ash cloud, but nothing like the coronavirus pandemic.

After a scramble to repatriate clients, TMCs found themselves dealing with cancellations and postponements to travel plans, with normal life a distant horizon.

“We believe there will be effectively no international business travel until late summer, from when it will begin gradually to return,” predicts Scott Pawley, Global Travel Management's Managing Director.

Global’s work to repatriate clients showed the value of TMCs in extraordinary circumstances – the last-minute return of 15 Indian nationals from the UK just as India’s border closed being just one example.

Pawley remains optimistic despite the crisis: “Business has stopped but will not go away. I think we can consider it as merely hibernating.” The TMC has “no plans” to cut staff numbers or hours in March or April.

Chris Crowley, partner at consultants Nina & Pinta, is similarly optimistic but sees a longer hiatus: “It’s one of those moments in time when you have to keep talking to people, keep working, keep sharing and assume it will come back. There are some very small green shoots – domestic travel in China is returning.”

He adds: “We think it will be Q1 next year before global travel returns in most markets.

So much global travel is driven from the US. If it is the last one to feel the effects and gets into the difficult cycle in June and July, then I think we will be lucky if it is Q1 next year.”

Staff retention

In the interim, retaining staff appears to be the common approach among TMCs. Most Wayte Travel Management staff are working a three-day week and in a letter to clients, Managing Director Chris Morris said: “Our intention is reduce costs but to keep our team together ready for when normality returns, whenever that may be.”

Morris has been with the company for 32 years. “It’s by far the worst experience we have ever been through. The disruption to corporate travel is total. Winding down whole airline fleets is remarkable,” he says.

However, Morris sees glimmers of hope.

“In response to the letter, we had an awful lot of emails saying clients were thinking of us and chomping at the bit to get back to normal. I’m in no doubt we will be busy 

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STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

again once things return to some semblance of normality, but the question is, when will that be?”

Morris believes we will see “some improvement” by summer. He is convinced the corporate sector is robust and that the coronavirus hiatus will not see firms permanently cutting back on travel.

“We went through this with the advent of videoconferencing, then the Gulf wars and 9/11, yet the value of corporate travel continues to grow as the world economy grows,” he says.

“We do some Skype, but it’s simply not the same as sitting in a meeting – and people don’t travel just for meetings; there are conferences, physical work and recruitment as well. I think as soon as things return to normal, people will be back out there, because it’s the best way to do business.”

When they do, TMCs may rethink how they are rewarded by corporates in future so that they are paid for all the work they do – repatriation for example – and are not just reliant on sales.

The ITM has cautioned its members about the advent of this potential approach and warns of a possible move towards more of a subscription model.



Air overhaul

Another possible change in the postpandemic world is that buyers might also

find their choice of airlines more limited.

It sounded almost unthinkable, but in March, some analysts predicted most of the world’s airlines would be bankrupt by the end of May. Lufthansa Group Chairman Carsten Spohr warned that “the longer this crisis lasts, the more likely it is that the future of aviation cannot be guaranteed without state aid”.

Pawley’s blunt prediction is that “as many as 100 airlines will no longer be trading by the end of the outbreak”. However, he adds that a stronger industry will emerge: “Those who survive – some with the support of massively increased government funding – will be stronger, fitter and better placed to serve their customers. We will probably see more state-owned flag carriers backed with government funding and guarantees.”

High fixed costs and no customers – particularly from the corporate world – mean carriers are looking to governments for salvation, urging normal EU rules against

TMCs may rethink how they are rewarded in future so they are paid for all the work they do – repatriation for example – and are not just reliant on sales”

state aid be ripped up.Their pleas are credible given China’s heavily impacted carriers are government-supported, as are the Gulf airlines. In Europe, the situation is different, with EU regulations to contend with and only a handful of carriers in the region being state-owned.

All will want rules to be bent and governments to step in, as in Norway, where the non-EU member pledged Norwegian more than £200million to keep it going until June after the airline found commercial lenders willing to lend it the requisite 10% of this amount. If TMCs think things are tough, airlines have it worse.

“All we want to see is an airline industry that is still around,” says Business Travel Association Chief Executive Clive Wratten, who describes UK government support for the sector so far as “strong”.

Back in business

Wratten is another who believes a regionby-region return to travel is likely. “I think it will be a rolling start, because we will see countries opening up at different paces. The Far East opening up is positive; there is a lot of post-Brexit trade deal business there.”

Meanwhile, he has a message for the corporate travel sector: “The message is to work together; it’s really a time for collaboration and to support each other.

Keep talking, keep sharing, keep believing.”

Belief that this will end will be vital in the coming weeks. These are dark days, but TMCs at least can take heart that their worth is underlined in a crisis and many travellers and buyers will remember the lengths they went to repatriate, rebook and generally come to the rescue when the shutters came down.

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ARRIVALS EVENT REPORT

BTA Conference The sustainability shift Sustainable travel, duty of care and cyber security were all hot topics at the BTA Winter Conference, reports Sasha Wood.

The rapid shift towards sustainable travel was a key talking point at the Business Travel Association’s annual domestic conference, while duty of care and assessing travel risks were also up for discussion ahead of the new ISO Travel Risk Management Guidance Standard coming into effect next year.

Themed ‘A Different View’, the conference gathered together around 200 attendees at the Congress Centre in Central London.

Opening his first conference as CEO, Clive Wratten said: “The BTA has tried to bring a different view of the industry, inviting new faces to speak.” Those new faces included senior airline and ground transport staff, as well as experts from the worlds of risk and cyber security.

During a session covering ‘a different view on crime’, the panel addressed some of the threats facing business travellers, and how to manage the risk using the new ISO Standard.

“Corporates are concerned about the new standard, and travel managers want to know about it,” says Global Security Accreditation’s Nick Hawkins. "If businesses want to comply, the old RFP tickbox won’t work.”

Cyber expert Michael Aminzade from technology consultancy 6point6 said business travellers are high value targets, vulnerable to hacking threats in the airport lounge and

GREEN POWER By 2025 Zipcar’s whole London fleet will be electric, with 9,000 vehicles accessible to one million people.

Chauffeur company Carey International is also transitioning to hybrid electric vehicles

coffee shops. Offering a few snippets of advice for improving iPhone security, Aminzade says travellers can use verified wifi hotspots, connectors that isolate data pins for public charging points, and download a firewall app.

Addressing the current zeitgeist, easyJet's Robert Carey shared an update on its first quarter as a net zero carbon airline. It offset 800,000 tons of carbon from all nine million passengers at a cost of £25million, making it the world's biggest purchaser of carbon credits. The airline did this as a voluntary measure, without raising fares. “We thought this is the best thing we can do in the world right now,” said Carey.

ZERO HERO "BUYERS WILL GO WITH US BASED ON ZERO EMISSIONS. THEY ARE TRYING TO OFFSET, AND IT’S EASIER THAN DOING IT ON THEIR OWN"

Robert Carey, easyJet’s Chief Commercial and Planning Officer

Sustainability on the ground is gaining traction too. Avis' Louisa Bell says the car hire company is noticing “a trend towards paying for access to services rather than ownership”.

Avis-owned Zipcar currently has 300 fully electric cars operating in London, and Bell says by 2025 the whole fleet will be electric with 9,000 vehicles accessible. Gary McLeod of Traveleads says it plans to use fully electric vehicles by 2023 if the infrastructure is there.

Both McLeod and Bell have noticed corporate clients asking about emissions and offsets.

• This event took place before the global coronavirus outbreak began affecting business travel programmes in the UK.

ALL ABOARD...

The BTA has appointed four new board members: Capita Travel and Events’ CEO, James Parkhouse (pictured); ATPI’s Global Head of Corporate Sales, Adam Knights; Key Travel’s Group CEO, Saad Hammad; and Inntel’s CEO, Douglas O’Neill THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM

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SUSTAINABILITY

Travel

KIND

Suppliers and corporates alike are accelerating their carbon neutrality ambitions, writes Nick Easen, even though sustainable travel has temporarily taken a back seat

I

n 2019 there was one subject that drew more attention than any other in this industry: sustainable travel.

In 2020 it has been usurped by the coronavirus outbreak, but will nevertheless feature strongly when corporates resume their travels – whenever that may be.

“The travel industry has been scared of the subject of sustainability for quite some time and understandably. But it feels as though there have been some good moves happening,” says Bex Deadman, Managing Director at Blue Cube Travel.

The fact is ESG, or environmental and social governance issues, were once footnotes on due diligence reports – 14

not anymore. The issue is now mainstream, permeating boardrooms and dining rooms, headlining c-suite agendas and that of the global investment industry. Travellers also see Greta Thunberg, Extinction Rebellion or melting Antarctica in the media. It’s gone beyond a tick-box exercise.

“Social pressure and public opinion will only go so far, and some level of government intervention will be required to drive real change,” states Kieran Hartwell, Managing Director of Travel Counsellors for Businesses.

In a recent poll by the Institute of Travel Management, sustainability ranked sixth in terms of priorities for 2020. Less than half the companies surveyed have incorporated

it into policy, and less than a quarter of managers say they’re carbon offsetting.

Cost is a factor as travel can be one of the largest expenses for organisations. The fact is that the sustainability agenda is nascent,

The travel industry has been scared of the subject of sustainability for quite some time and understandably. But it feels as though there have been some good moves happening”

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SUSTAINABILITY

and its priority is lukewarm, particularly now that coronavirus has necessitated an entirely new way of living and operating.

“The impact of corporate travel is still not really given the importance it merits, with very little in the way of coherent policies evident form the businesses we’ve worked with. It’s a common surprise to clients, that travel accounts for 15-25% of their total energy use, yet they don’t see it,” explains Alex Ferguson, Managing Director of environmental consultancy, Delta Simons.

“Travel is one area where we’ve yet to see businesses willing to take the pain. It’ll come. This could be driven by legislation, but more likely through disclosure of emissions for travel along with everything

else and a genuine shift from financiers to stop supporting businesses that don’t make changes,” adds Simons.

Driving change

A road train of reporting frameworks are now springing into action, albeit in finance, from the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures to the International Platform on Sustainable Finance, while the EU Action Plan on Sustainable Finance, hopes to be the gold-green standard of the future. Emissions from travel could then be seen as a business risk to be reported on and targeted, particularly for listed companies.

“Ultimately, if the market demands change by opting for more sustainable choices, that

will be a compelling driver,” says Karri Alexion-Tiernan, Head of Product Marketing for Egencia. The FTSE 100 are already required to report on their sustainability practices. In time, this will filter down into travel policies and into smaller businesses.

“Lack of data is an issue. There is no industry-wide, global standard for ‘green credentials.’ Honestly, people aren’t really doing this yet – this is where we want to be, and hopefully will be in the future,” details Lesley O'Bryan, Principal at Advito.

Corporations are struggling to quantify the carbon footprint they’re generating from whole trips and how they can target this by setting goals for reducing emissions. “Better reporting will be key to changing

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behaviour. The old adage applies: ‘what gets measured gets done’,” says Andrew Perolls, CEO of Greengage Solutions.

“This will encourage organisations to monitor emissions for whole trips. Most reporting focuses on air and rail, postexcursion. The next stage must be to measure emissions for everything, including hotels, ground transport and other elements,” adds Perolls.

“It helps that more organisations are setting benchmarks, such as becoming carbon neutral by 2025. Targets promote change. Yet few organisations have travel policies that embrace green choices.”

Made to measure

Getting the right messaging and options in front of travellers during the booking process, rather than it being an afterthought, will drive behaviour such as: 'wow, that’s a lot of emissions for that trip is it really necessary?' These are now valid concerns, which take on a new meaning with the recent coronavirus pandemic, which is curtailing all but essential travel.

Change is likely to happen when every traveller takes a hard look at the environmental cost of doing business.

“It’s not been in the organisation or traveller’s behaviour patterns to think about the impact that a journey will have on the planet. The focus has always been on costs. Travel is seen as a necessary part of doing business,” states Anita Leslie, Director of Market Strategy for Capita Travel and Events.

“It’s also been easy to pass the buck saying: ‘I need to go to this meeting, so the impact of the travel isn’t my fault, it’s the company’s, or the provider’s’. Whereas, it’s

16

all our responsibility. The good news is that things are changing,” adds Leslie.

Peer pressure

Travellers can make it clear to their employers that the issue is important to them. Booking rail over air, direct routes over indirect ones, economy instead of business or first class, staying in hotels that are more sustainable, and using ground transport suppliers that use renewable energy, as well as packing a lot less luggage all make sense, as does combining trips with travelling colleagues.

“If people can see the emissions data between two different journeys they’re considering, or for their total travel across the calendar year, then it could drive change. Visibility of sustainability is high on the booking agenda at the moment,” says Eric Webb, Senior Director Solutions Consulting at SAP Concur.

A granular, transparent view allows companies to ask the right questions, such as ‘is that greener trip more expensive?‘.

In a straw poll of travel management companies, there’s now a clamouring for emissions monitoring. People are hungry for accurate data, as well as consistency on ‘eco-labels‘ and statements. There’s a lot of confusion out there.

Showing the way

Companies ahead on this agenda are also greening their supply chains. “Corporates want to know about our own sustainability initiatives as a business to ensure that our ethos is in line with theirs,” details James McIlvenna, Head of Account Management at Corporate Traveller. “The real driver of change is likely to come from suppliers.”

Offsetting emissions is still the preferred path for many corporates and travellers, although offsetting is seen as a short-term measure and, sometimes, even controversial” A survey conducted by GBTA and SAP Concur late last year found that very little action has been taken on applying sustainable thinking to travel programmes, yet three-quarters of travel managers believe that over the coming years sourcing suppliers with sustainable practices and mandating sustainable choices will become very important to travel programmes.

This is why the UK aviation industry has pledged to cut its net carbon emissions to zero by 2050, also true of a number of global aviation players as well.

“We recognise that action is needed now.

We have also committed to zero net emissions by this time and halving our 2019 net emission levels by 2035,” states Mohammad Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer of Etihad Aviation Group.

“We’re actively testing sustainable aviation fuels while committing to innovation and exploring new technologies, but we need more immediate solutions.”

Offsetting emissions is still the preferred path for many, with trips offset via TMCs and booking tools. Certain travellers will offset themselves, while carbon credits are used for worthwhile schemes – although they’re seen as a short-term measure and

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Untitled

SUSTAINABILITY

even controversial. Environmentalists warn that it can make people wrongly believe they’re not having an environmental impact by travelling.

“Offsetting schemes are increasingly deployed as an Elastoplast measure,” says Perolls. “There is a remarkable lack of regulation and it’s difficult to choose between schemes. Whilst tree planting is to be applauded there’s scepticism over the time lag between a flight being taken and a planted tree being mature enough to actually offset the CO2 generated.”

The fact is planting a couple of extra trees or packing a few less jumpers to lighten the plane load isn’t really going to address the climate crisis head-on. It may help, but the focus should be on a wholesale shift in attitudes to business travel that’s kinder to the planet. Like switching to greener energy providers at home or becoming part-vegetarian. A seismic

Untitled-2 1 v3-sustainability.indd 17

movement in mindset would really count.

“Greener travel doesn't need to cost more or be more complex to arrange, although there is this perception. A key barrier to change is education and also a lack of consistency in the marketplace,” says Brett Gerrett, General Manager of Isleworth Travel Management.

Some say cutting travel and emissions endangers business and growth, others say greener trips could have a negative impact on productivity and traveller wellbeing, with diminishing duty of care, since these trips can take longer and be more inconvenient.

In the same breath we have to think about what kind of planet we want to live on. A sustainable one with sustainable businesses for the future. So, it’s worth having this conversation now.

24/03/2020 10:18 3/30/20 11:35 AM

THE BIG PICTURE

Heathrow Airport

precious cargo Passenger numbers at Heathrow Airport plummeted in March but cargo movements were forecast to surge by 53% in a single week at the end of the month.

The airport is prioritising flights with medical supplies that will assist in the fight against COVID-19. More than 40% of the UK’s pharmaceutical products are imported via Heathrow Airport.

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awards

B usiness T ravel D ire c t

Operations Team of the Year Business Travel Direct’s Kelly O’Sullivan talks about the TMC’s accolade at the People Awards 2019

How did it feel to be named Operations Why did you enter the awards or how Team of the Year at The Business Travel did you come to be nominated?

People Awards 2019?

Awards normally recognise client-facing We were of course delighted to win the teams such as reservations or account award. Day to day the team is management. Our MD Julie Oliver busy ensuring that our clients felt that it was high-time that and inhouse teams have there was some recognition access to the right for the efforts made by The Business technology solutions to the ‘back room team’ Travel People Awards manage every aspect who are a little like of travel from booking Cinderella and rarely recognise outstanding to reporting and get to go to the ball, individuals and teams from everything in between. so she suggested that TMCs and supplier They rarely have time the Operations Team companies across the to stand back and take should be nominated. industry in the breadth of what they do and how well they Tell us about the role of do it, so it’s great to have the team and the work you external recognition of the did to clinch the award. quality of the work of the entire team.

The operations team plays a vital role in

Business Travel Direct that touches every area of the company. Essentially, we provide the technology solutions that help our account teams to deliver on service commitments they have made to clients.

The team is tasked with finding new products and looking at innovative solutions as well as creating bespoke technology for clients. The operations team played an invaluable role in enabling Business Travel Direct to be the first TMC in the world to have booked BA NDC content through SAP Concur. This was incredible work by the entire team and testimony to their commitment to excellence.

What do you particularly enjoy about your role?

Variety is what makes the job so enjoyable.

No two days are the same: one day we could be working with a client creating a bespoke solution for them and the next we could be dealing with internal teams. We’re a close-knit team who thrive on finding innovative technology and improving technology solutions.

What did you think of the awards and of the ceremony?

We were working on an urgent issue on the day of the ceremony, but the colleagues who attended really enjoyed the ceremony and were very happy to celebrate our success. We’re determined to win again so we can attend and enjoy the event!

What are some of the biggest challenges you’re currently facing in your role?

The coronavirus outbreak has taken up quite a chunk of our time recently. The company took the decision to close all offices to keep everyone safe and the operations team had to ensure that everyone could work efficiently from home.

Our teams are spread across six locations and we’ve had to ensure that everyone has access to the right technology and systems to be able to work remotely. The top priority was the reservations team who are the first point of contact for clients and had to be able to continue to provide a seamless service throughout.

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Booking tools booking

Tools of the

TRADE

As expectations rise, travel booking technology must prioritise both style and substance. Catherine Chetwynd looks at the latest market developments

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T

he travelling public takes for granted the ease with which they can book a flight or hotel online, call a cab from their phone and, these days, keep order of the rest of their lives.

Corporate booking tools, however, often get a bad press. They have been clunky on a desktop and worse on a mobile, giving travellers an excuse – if they needed one – to flout policy and waste time and money looking elsewhere for flights or a hotel, undermining travel policy in the process.

But there are big changes afoot and in addition to big players such as Concur and American Express Global Business Travel’s Neo, there is a constellation of disrupters that runs the gamut of corporate needs.

And although many were launched to target SMEs, they are also being brought into the wider world, offered by TMCs alongside more complex tools. GBT’s relationship with Lola. com fits into this profile, giving SME customers access to simplified travel management processes.

ATPI provides financial and marketing support to technology start-ups through its Endeavour Programme, including a recent partnership with Taptrip, which sits alongside Serko’s Zeno, Concur and Cytric, all accessible via one interface.

“Some clients may have more complex travel requirements that need to be met in multiple markets, while others may have a need for more point to point, less managed travel,” says ATPI's Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, Ali Hussain.

Taptrip is aimed at SMEs. It launched by selling direct to businesses but: “We are looking to focus on travel management companies because 73 per cent of bookings are made by email or over the phone; our vision is to fill that void,” says Taptrip founder Neil Ruth. “We will be a preferred partner of ATPI and when they go to RFP and bid for corporate business, we will be presented as an online booking tool option.”

In addition, Taptrip has hired the head of user experience from PlayStation, who has “given the entire front end an overhaul” and integrated the tool with Ticketmaster, restaurant booking site zomato and

Eventbrite, to allow travellers to make the most of their free time when travelling.

To compete with this versatility, Amex GBT has launched GBT Ready for mid-market organisations, providing the TMC’s products, technology services and travel inventory, including its travel and expense platform Neo, as a bundle.

“Initially, it offers assisted onboarding from a dedicated implementation expert to help buyers drive adoption, implementation and give ongoing guidance for travel managers,” says Head of Global Presales at Neo, Alistair Leaman. Once set up, customers can tap into online assistance. Since October 2019, the GBT Supplier Management Platform (SMP) has provided connectivity with GDS for online NDC content; and Neo powers the GBT mobile app, which has a live chat function.

Expanded horizons

Concur’s app centre allows it to tap into the disruptor domain and includes Rocketrip and Uber for Business. “The app centre is an evolving beast and something that we are constantly looking to expand – we cannot afford to rest on our laurels,” says director of TMC partnerships, Darryl McGarvey.

SAP Concur has added Delta Airlines to TripLink, allowing mutual customers of Concur and Delta to capture business travel bookings made directly on the airline’s website and app, giving full visibility to travel managers; from April, all TripLink customers in EMEA will have access to TripIt Pro. Members of Focus Travel Partnership have SME clients, who benefit from Focus Dashboard, where they can book content from Amadeus, Galileo and Sabre, as well 

Booking tools have often been clunky on a desktop and worse on a mobile, giving business travellers an excuse to flout policy, but there are big changes afoot ” THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com

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Strike a balance Do you spend every day walking the tightrope of corporate travel?

Are you trying to develop a travel programme that will deliver on your business goals and save on cost, whilst caring for your travellers and the world around us?

If so, Direct ATPI is ready to be by your side.

Delivering what really matters™

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Booking tools

as rail bookings via Evolvi or Sabre Rail.

They also have access to Atriis.GTP, a platform for corporates and agents that provides air, hotel and rail content.

“Focus has dedicated support for Atriis, which provides access to NDC content,” says Business Solutions Manager Pascal Benn.

The platform takes bookings within policy and facilitates approval for non-compliant choices. An Atriis mobile app completes the picture for customers.

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Keeping it inhouse

GBT’s development of Neo follows the mould of TMCs that prefer to design technology in-house, rather than rely on third party tools.

Reed & Mackay’s bespoke R&M/Book’s policy engine is built into the company’s agent system to ensure consistency for online and offline bookings.

For Click Travel: “It means we can avoid passing on unnecessary third party costs to our customers and can avoid unhelpful punch-outs to other systems,” says director of Sales and Implementation Vicki Williams.

Organisations that have disparate policies for different types of traveller can enter these into the Click tool. Ease of use and consistency have led to 97% adoption.

“We support all our customers with training but you could pick up the tool and use it without,” says Williams.

Amex GBT’s Neo also offers the option to tailor policy to requirement, including blocking non-compliant bookings, and now limiting travel to areas that are high risk, such as when the coronavirus began to spread globally. And in Clarity’s Go2Book, policy can be applied by organisation, department, team and/or individual.

High functionality and good reporting in the Gateway booking tool were among the reasons Church of England Central Services chose Diversity Travel as its TMC.

Some booking tools still require a punch out to other booking systems, or can’t support split ticketing for rail, for example, which are problems our clients would not tolerate”

Carbon cost

“We can also capture our CO2 emissions and get reporting on that, which we need because we have just undertaken [a pledge] to go carbon neutral by 2030,” says Head of Procurement Chris Day. The organisation has not previously had a full service TMC or booking tool as part of its travel programme.

“This is an important project for us to get right, especially the procurement element because it’s the first big procurement exercise the organisation has done and because it’s so visible,” he says.

Not surprisingly, this requires a concerted communication campaign to ensure take-up and compliance. “We are very lucky to have a good internal comms team here and one of them is with us on the project full time as part of the implementation. Having him on the team all the time has been really good.”

Also with an eye to sustainability, Concur will give options instead of air travel where available, such as London to Paris, including holding a virtual internal meeting.

Not all tools provide a comprehensively smooth service, however. “The devil is in the detail,” says Commercial Director for Clarity, Sue Chapman. “Some tools still require a punch out to other booking systems, can’t support split ticketing for rail or have integrated NDC content at the expense of including GDS content, all of which are problems our clients would not tolerate.”

Jef Robinson is Programme Manager – Travel Meetings & Events for a major US software company and chose Concur via competitive tender in conjunction with his TMC. “Most travellers love it, especially the integration of travel bookings and T&E management,” he says, pointing to 'high levels' of adoption compared to previous TMCs and OBTs. “This is one of the major pros, as are the availability of the technology to the majority of our travellers, and the impressive content.

“The only major con is that it’s not available in every country. It would be fantastic to be able to further integrate hotel annual RFPs with Concur.”

Organisations sometimes forge direct relationships with booking tool suppliers, though Robinson steered a middle path between RFP to the provider and that recommended by the organisation’s TMC; the TMC now has the direct relationship. “In hindsight, we feel that it would be useful, especially in the event of system issues or queries, where we currently rely on our TMC as a go between,” he says.

Flexible friends

Flexibility is also key and Click’s customers can change travel policy regularly, even every month. “In past roles I’ve had, when implementing third party tools, we have been reliant on going to a technical team 

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Business travel continuity

Traveller health & safety

Two things on the mind of every travel manager right now to ensure business continuity.

In today’s reality, protecting travelling employees and controlling costs go hand-in-hand to ensure business continuity. Success depends on having the right data and insights to make business decisions, paired with flexible travel management tools that enable you to take action quickly and decisively.

TripActions is your partner to move forward.

“Employee safety and well-being is always something that’s at the forefront of my mind. When you’re holding major events like ComplexCon where 75% of your employee population is traveling to a location, TripActions is an invaluable tool.”

- Jay Salim, VP of HR & Operations, Complex Networks TripActions is trusted by nearly 4,000 organisations globally to help ensure travel health and safety while driving business travel continuity. See a demo at www.tripactions.com/btc

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Historically, Reed & Mackay has been an offline business but over the last 12 months we’ve seen more people go online. We are now seeing a 50:50 ratio of online versus offline”

in the States or in France and then have to wait for a response,” says Williams.

Bots are making their way into every corner of life and booking tools lend themselves to having an AI-powered online chat facility that responds to most frequent questions.

GBT is using AI in online booking to analyse travellers’ previous choices to predict booking preferences. Hotels are still subject to high non-compliant bookings and GBT’s new Rest Assured Solutions incorporates two million properties, including content from booking.com and Expedia, giving greatest choice to travellers but remaining within channel and programme. Clarity, meanwhile, plans to use AI to manage flight alterations in its mobile app, for example.

Providing a dedicated hotel booking service is arbitrip, which employs AI and machine learning technology to learn what type of hotel users like and build that into corporate policy. It has single sign-on, allowing collection of data per individual, it integrates with SAP and other systems to ensure consolidated data, derives content from 60 suppliers that range from GDS and OTAs to niche operators, and arbitrip uses aggregate data to negotiate rates.

“Our clients reduce travel costs by 15% to 17% by using our platform,” says CEO Benny Yonovitch. Travellers can also book leisure travel on the site at low rates, giving their company an HR benefit but without clouding business data.

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been adapted for other devices, ensuring booking with consummate ease while on the move. Over the past six months, 22% of the TMC’s bookings were made via mobile.

Neo is also predicated on a mobile first principle and Clarity’s Go2Book was recently refashioned to provide a more leisure style look and feel, and to make use on the move as easy as its desktop format.

“Tools can manage complex itineraries to a degree but a consultant may be able to do some creative ticketing and find a fantastic fare you might not be able to unearth yourself, and when it comes to understanding the complex nature of visas and passports, sometimes the products just aren’t

there yet,” says R&M’s Product Development Director Fahim Kahn.

One third of Clarity’s transactions are processed offline and given that agents are using the same platform as travellers, all the information stays in one place, whether an individual books online or via an agent.

However, if R&M’s experience is any measure, online adoption is gaining traction.

“Historically, Reed & Mackay has been an offline business but over the last 12 months we’ve seen more people go online and use our products. We are now seeing a 50:50 ratio of online versus offline transactions, which is a real game changer for us,” says Fahim Kahn.

Mobile first

Optimised for mobile is another area that used to be highly unsatisfactory. The Click tool was designed for mobile first and has

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THE CONVERSATION

CEO, Focus Travel Partnership

ABBY PENSTON The consortium’s CEO tells The Business Travel Magazine about its recent activity as a newly independent company – and how it's tackling current challenges

Q. Tell us a little about Focus and its recent developments.

We are a partnership owned by 60 independent partner TMCs. As Focus turned 20 last year it was fitting that it evolved into its own limited status operating as the leading TMC consortium in the UK. Each of the partners is now a shareholder in the company. Last year, we had a collective buying power of £1billion. Our size enables the Focus buying team to negotiate mutually beneficial partnership agreements with suppliers across multiple travel sectors.

Q. How are you and your members tackling current industry challenges?

I think it’s easy to be overwhelmed but it’s imperative that we stabilise our businesses in preparation for the coming weeks. The proposed government plans announced recently will greatly assist businesses so it’s critical to keep abreast of the developments as they arise and implement any suitable solutions made available. I would strongly advise having a recovery strategy in place as soon as possible. Some of us, for the first time ever, will find that we have time on our hands, so being proactive during this period will prove to be incredibly beneficial when we start to see signs of recovery.

Q. How are your TMC members faring at the moment?

Like all areas of our industry, people and organisations are feeling the pressure. While our TMCs have proven to be resilient to change in the past, this rapidly changing situation is presenting a unique set of challenges never seen before.

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I honestly don’t think any company is immune to the threats, but one thing I do know is this group of TMCs possess strong leadership, dynamic business strategies and are supported by first class teams.

As a partnership we have always had a strict set of criteria to join and this group of businesses are good, viable businesses that are strong and financially secure. They are under pressure, of course they are, but they were built on pressure and it’s how they function. I completely believe they are best placed to get through this.

Our members are under pressure but it's how they function. They are well placed to get through this” Q. After the initial raft of cancellations and re-bookings, what are clients looking for?

This has been such a dynamic situation. Up until the middle of March, corporates were essentially rescheduling everything for the end of April and May. That has gradually changed and the new reality is falling into place. Nearly all the trips have either been changed again to post-June or cancelled for the time being.

Our TMCs continue to communicate with their clients but with no new bookings, the priority has been to stay in touch. This will be the same across many sectors. All have big decisions to make for both the short and long term. Since we are unable to even reassure partners and clients of when borders will open up again safely and in their entirety, the best

thing they can do at this point is to hearten clients by still being there for them; ensure them that they have a continuity plan in place, and remain at their service throughout this very unusual period in our history.

Q. What positives have you been able to take from recent developments?

Confirmation of what I already knew: that our organisation has built a solid community based on respect and collaboration.

The way as an industry we have come together to show support and genuine concern for one another is testament to the relationships we have built. We may not always agree with one another but in the face of adversity our initial reaction is to assist where we can. When we launched our ‘Helping you get Home’ initiative [to help stranded leisure passengers] the support we had from our network was amazing.

Q. What’s in store for Focus once we’re through all this?

All businesses will have to change and adapt as a result of this massive economic shock, but we will emerge stronger. We will continue to do what we do best – building relationships and supporting our TMC and supplier partners.

Our aim before the crisis was to strengthen and grow our brand by highlighting how the best TMCs in the SME market become stronger businesses by being part of a partnership that pools resources, negotiates excellent deals, provides state-of-the-art technology and shares best practice. We will come through this. The landscape may look different, but our determination to succeed as the leading business travel consortium will not.

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THE CONVERSATION

in brief...

What has your career in the travel industry incorporated to date?

I studied travel and tourism at college as a school leaver and went straight into the hospitality sector. I took a break from the industry and worked within technical service; I formed a love of processes and waste management and progressed to business management consultancy. I was approached by a TMC in 2012 to apply Lean working practices throughout their business – the Lean Way includes implementing principles that improve workplace efficiency – and I haven’t left corporate travel since. I have worked with Focus in one capacity or another since 2015, taking on the CEO role late 2019.

ABBY PENSTON The Focus Travel Partnership appointed Abby Penston as its Managing Director when the consortium secured its new status as an independent limited company last year. She has previously held prominent roles in senior management positions within the business travel industry as well as running a successful strategic management consultancy company.

Tell us about recent developments at Focus.

This year we have welcomed non-executive chairman Adrian Parkes to our board, whose unrivalled experience in our sector is a great asset.

We have also become the first partnership organisation to join the Business Travel Association and have further invested in technology.

Firstly, Travelogix has developed Farecast uniquely for Focus. This data solution allows us to manage and analyse sales data in real time and the bespoke technology has allowed us to be proactive during the Covid-19 crisis. *This interview took place in the week beginning March 23

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EVENT PREVIEW

The Business Travel Conference Rebuilding the future

2020 September 15th-16th

As we get to grips with the new reality we are living through as both the travel industry and as a nation, it's important that we focus on a brighter future when a degree of normality returns and business travel recommences.

The Business Travel Conference 2020 is booked to return to the Hilton London Bankside this September at a time we hope the industry is getting back to doing what it does best: travelling, meeting and collaborating. The event will once again bring buyers and suppliers of business

Sustainability will feature strongly in the conference programme as we explore and implement ways in which we can lessen the impact of business travel on the environment” 28

travel together for a two-day exhibition and conference programme. Preparations are continuing and we are already seeing a large number of delegates sign up to attend.

Captivating content

As usual, the conference content is largely influenced by the needs and preferences of confirmed delegates, who will also be given the opportunity to vote for their preferred keynote speaker – a great reason not to delay signing up to attend for free.

We'll explore how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the business travel industry but, more importantly, how it has changed the way we function in the future.

Duty of care will be another core topic, helping ensure delegates know how to safeguard their travellers.

Two other hot topics, wellbeing and sustainability, will also feature strongly in the programme as we find new ways to lessen our impact on the environment and take greater care of each other's mental health. The exponential increase in the use

of videoconference technology – which has proved a lifeline for many businesses – will certainly put question marks over the need to travel for certain meetings in the future.

There will be plenty to discuss this autumn but, in the meantime, stay safe and well, and stay tuned for more information regarding the conference.

Register for your free place

Corporate buyers and arrangers of business travel and meetings are invited to sign-up for complimentary event passes. Simply visit: thebusinesstravelconference.com

“Network wit6h0 more than vel leading tra the suppliers in ition" private exhib

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EVENT PREVIEW

'The FREE-to-attend two-day event will once again be limited to 200 verified travel managers, bookers and PAs'

THE DETAILS

What is TBTC? An intimate exhibition and conference for bookers, buyers, arrangers and managers of business

EXECUTIVE SPONSORS

travel and meetings

When?

Tuesday 15th & Wednesday 16th September, 2020

TBTC 2020 EXHIBITORS

Where?

The London Hilton Bankside Hotel, Great Suffolk Street, London SE1 0UG

How do I register? thebusinesstravelconference.com

Travel and Events

Find out if you qualify for a hosted place

Exhibition and sponsorship enquiries?

Contact Kirsty Hicks kirsty.hicks@bmipublishing.co.uk Tel: 07747 697 772

In association with

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Traveller safeTy

safeTy first

The impact of coronavirus on the travel industry has been unprecedented but it has also brought into sharp focus an employer’s duty of care to its business travellers, writes Bev Fearis

W

eeks before the majority of us had even heard the word coronavirus, travel security experts were already closely monitoring the new mystery illness emerging in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Alerted by their intelligence people on the ground, they had begun compiling reports for their corporate clients so that by the time the UK Foreign Office had changed its travel advice and airlines were announcing plans to suspend flights, most business travellers in the affected regions were already safely home.

With safety and security procedures firmly in place, the potential threat to travellers had been identified, communicated, acted upon and largely avoided.

Armed with the right information at the right time, many companies had been able to protect their travellers, met their duty of care requirements, and had also swerved the 30

costly and complex evacuations that would have been required once flights had been cancelled and lockdowns put in place.

“When a crisis happens, it doesn’t generally materialise out of thin air,” says Suzanne Sangiovese, Commercial and Communications Director at Riskline, a travel risk assessment and intelligence specialist.

“It’s all about having the right information so you can be prepared and make decisions before you reach that critical stage.”

Timing is key and technology has been a big enabler. “With breaking incidents, Riskline can react and get alerts out within minutes,” adds Sangiovese.

“Depending on how a crisis pans out, our analysts will go from putting out risk alerts with short, actionable information to dedicated teams creating in-depth special reports looking at transport disruptions and travel restrictions.”

Power of the web

Of course, having access to reports from specialist risk companies like Riskline, Drum Cussac, Healix or WorldAware comes at a price, but thanks to the internet, even companies with smaller budgets can get information quickly.

“It doesn’t need to cost a huge amount.

There is a lot of open source information out there,” says Lloyd Figgins, a former police officer, security advisor and group Chairman of TRIP (Travel Risk & Incident Prevention), a think-tank of travel risk experts.

“For disease outbreaks, NaTHNaC, Public Health England and the World Health Organisation are just some of the free resources online and you can often sign up for email alerts,” says Figgins.

He also recommends monitoring government travel advice issued by other countries, not just from the UK Foreign

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Office. With the coronavirus outbreak in China, for example, the US was quicker to implement its ban on non-essential travel than the UK. “Don’t rely on one source,” says Figgins.

“To make informed decisions, I would recommend looking at advice coming from Australia, Canada or the US, which might be different. Factors such as politics and trade deals can influence the advice that is issued.”

Increasingly, a crisis can strike much closer to home, as the terror attacks in London, Manchester and Paris showed. “This is a new world,” says Capita’s Chief Information Security Officer, Sam Hart. “Sometimes it’s the UK that becomes the high risk country.”

That’s why, wherever their employees are travelling to, companies should be continually testing different scenarios and planning what they would do if a trigger event hits in order to identify gaps in the procedures. “It’s about

getting people around a table to talk through the scenarios, whether that might be a flood or a terror alert or a pandemic,” says Hart.

A crisis can develop in a matter of hours, so companies need to establish evacuation procedures, know who is responsible for putting them into action, have back-up communications if mobile networks fail, establish reporting lines, understand what’s covered on their insurance and what’s not, and decide whether to secure the support of an assistance company. It’s all about preempting an incident rather than reacting to it.

“Waiting until an incident has occurred to create a plan can often prove too late and cause panic if people don’t know what they should be doing whilst the crisis is playing out,” says Ciara Govern, Chief Customer Officer at TripActions.

Locating your people is vital, and particularly so when a crisis comes 

When a crisis happens, it doesn’t generally materialise out of thin air. It’s all about having the right information so you can be prepared and make decisions before you reach that critical stage”

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Look at advice coming from Australia, the US or Canada, which might be different to the UK's. Factors such as politics and trade deals can influence the advice that is issued”

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without warning. “Traveller tracking adds another layer of peace of mind for both businesses and their travellers,” says Maggie Monteith, Director of Corporate Travel Scotland for TMC Traveleads.

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Keeping track

Thanks to advances in mobile communications, keeping tabs on travelling employees no longer requires major investment. Companies can keep track of a traveller’s current location and, often as important, know where they are due to travel to in the future.

Tracking technology is now more widely accepted among travellers. “Perhaps in the past there was some reluctance – a fear of ‘big brother’ watching – but in the last five

years there’s been a shift,” says Saul Shanagher, Director of beTravelwise, a company that produces travel security training videos.

Often it will be a TMC that provides tracking solutions, using GDS booking data, but crucially this will only work if travellers book through authorised channels and within the corporate travel policy.

“You are always going to get some mavericks,” says Gary Povey, Senior Vice President Global Sales for Reed and Mackay.

“That’s when you need to encourage use of a corporate card so you bring in that detail.”

Identifying who is responsible for sending alerts to travellers is key. Chris Vince, Director of Operations for Click Travel explains: “We’ll talk to our clients during implementation to establish who it is that needs to get our reports in an emergency, or who will take responsibility for running searches. Of course, an emergency will often happen in the middle of the night so it’s essential to know who to contact out of office hours.” This could be someone in HR, the procurement team, senior management, or in a larger company, a dedicated safety compliance team.

Importantly, communication needs to be facilitated both ways. Not only should companies be able to locate and alert their employees, travellers should also be able to mark themselves as safe.

Dr Mark Parrish, Regional Medical Director for International SOS, says many companies encourage their people to check in regularly.

“Some enforce it,” he says.

Travellers should also know who to contact, where to go for help in an emergency and be provided with safety and security

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information ahead of their business trip.

“Travellers should know which locations will provide the best quality of medical care, for example, or where they’re least likely to face language issues,” says Dr Parrish.

Do your homework

The key is to deal with any concerns and risks before the traveller leaves home. “It could be something as simple as knowing which direction the traffic will come before they step out of the airport,” explains Matt Arundel, MD for MASC Executive.

“Or in a high risk destination, it might be receiving a photograph of the driver and the model and registration number of the car picking them up on arrival.”

While it’s the big events that hit the headlines, a traveller has a much higher chance of getting diarrhoea or having their wallet stolen than being caught up in a major emergency.

“It’s all about giving travellers awareness of day to day risks – whether to drink the water, whether they need to organise a meet and greet,” says Shanagher. These common risks are covered by beTravelwise in its basic safety videos, which can be customised with a company’s branding, messaging, and emergency contact details.

Figgins at the TRIP think-tank agrees it’s important to prepare travellers for the more common everyday risks. “It might be knowing which Friday is pay day in a certain country, so you know when the locals might

go out drinking after work and be more likely to drive home over the limit making the roads more dangerous, or telling a traveller where the nearest clinic is that’s been approved by their insurance company,” he explains.

But while specialist companies can help provide safety and security training, advice, intelligence, tracking solutions and emergency assistance, the ultimate responsibility for a business traveller’s safety lies firmly at their employer’s door.

Duty of care, intensified by the arrival in 2007 of the Corporate Manslaughter Act, has brought a sharper focus on traveller safety and a recognition that failing to put the right procedures in place lays a company open to litigation and reputational damage. Finding a balance between the needs of the business and protecting traveller safety is becoming increasingly difficult, particularly when it’s harder to identify the high risk destinations.

“The best way for businesses to deal with this is to be completely honest and transparent with people about the environments they’re travelling to, to demonstrate to the traveller that there are well-thought-out procedures in place and to get informed consent from the traveller that they are happy to go,” says Figgins.

Wellbeing in focus

But it’s not just a case of corporates protecting themselves against litigation.

According to the experts, there is now a

We are now seeing some serious movement towards greater awareness, education and support for business travellers’ mental and physical wellbeing” genuine concern for traveller wellbeing, particularly with regards to their wellbeing and mental health in particular.

“We are now seeing some serious movement towards greater awareness, education and support for travellers’ mental and physical wellbeing,” says Capita’s security chief Sam Hart.

Dr Parrish at International SOS has also witnessed this trend. “When we mentioned mental health to our clients five years ago it would have gone over their heads, but now they are much more aware.”

As a result, he says many companies are putting better support and screening in place for travellers after they’ve returned from a trip, particularly if they’ve been to remote and high-risk regions. It follows the successful results of post-deployment mental health checks by the military. “This is a big advance,” he says.

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TECHNOLOGY

virtual meetings

here we go again The coronavirus outbreak has put virtual meetings back on the agenda, says Linda Fox

I

n recent weeks the GBTAcsaid the potential cost of the coronavirus could be $47 billion a month as companies cancelled or postponed travel, meetings and events.

With such vast sums at stake it is no wonder the corporate travel industry is looking at alternative ways to meet and maintain some sort of continuity as governments get to grips with the spread of the virus.

The use of virtual meeting technology has become more widespread in recent years as technology improves, costs come down, companies keep a watch on spend and sustainability issues enter the spotlight.

While few deny the effectiveness and importance of face-to-face

meetings, online communications specialist 8x8 says HD video can offer some of the benefits such as the ability to “pick up facial nuances and other nonverbal cues.”

Fabio Ramos, Senior Director, Product Marketing for 8x8 adds: “Participants from all over the world can effectively read the room and move the conversation along.”

He also says that the “real-time atmosphere” can still be created through tools such as live chats, Q&A sessions and the ongoing collaboration that video tools provide.

It’s interesting to note that many companies and organisers of events that have been cancelled in recent weeks, such as the travel trade event, ITB, Google Cloud Next and the ITM Conference, have already announced digital versions for some of the content.

8x8 believes videoconferencing can help save the conference season. Ramos says: “Business leaders have the tools to minimise disruption and ensure continuity.

Unified

communications and videoconferencing can keep employees, customers and others safe while still maintaining productivity.”

Recent data pulled together by App Annie shows the huge surge in downloads of remote working apps demonstrating that companies are already moving to alternative means of communicating.

Taking Italy as a snapshot during the week of February 22, the app analytics company says that 417,000 business apps were downloaded across iOS and Google Play.

The figure represents a 10% increase from the week before and a 30% increase from the average weekly level over the previous year.

In terms of the specific app downloads seen on iPhone devices, from March 3, Hangouts Meet by Google ranked first followed by Microsoft Teams and Zoom Cloud Meetings.

Lexi Sydow, Senior Market Insights Manager for App Annie, says: “With the high rate of coronavirus cases in Italy and many businesses in affected areas adopting work from home policies, we see workers turning to mobile apps to communicate, collaborate and teleconference to continue work.

“We saw a similar trend emerge in China.

The week of February 2 was the biggest week ever in China in terms of app downloads. As schools close and companies enact work from home policies, we saw business and education apps see the biggest surge in downloads among categories of apps. During the first half of February, business and education apps were downloaded at roughly two times the weekly average in 2019.”

Conversely, the company also recorded significant drops in usage of ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing towards the end of January 2020 as the coronavirus spread.

Sydow adds that App Annie hasn’t yet seen a surge in downloads of business apps in the US, UK, France or Germany, but it expects “markets to follow a similar trend should the virus continue to spread and businesses enact work from home policies to limit potential infection.”

As schools closed and companies enacted work from home policies, we saw business and education apps see the biggest surge in downloads among all app categories” THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com

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TALKING TRAVEL

Walking the world

Julia Bradbury The TV presenter and adventurer talks to Angela Sara West about her favourite walks and inspiring others to discover the great outdoors

S

ynonymous with walking, Julia Bradbury is frequently on the road.

“It works in waves,” she says. “I’m involved in so many projects and causes that I’m always on the go!”

As a pioneer for outdoor exploration and adventure, the former Countryfile host has dedicated her career to sharing the planet’s best walks, “walking the walk” in some of the world’s most remarkable places, revealing well-and-little-known gems as she goes.

Her sun-drenched series around the glittering Greek islands saw her return to her roots. “I’ve a strong affinity with the islands – my mum’s Greek – so for her and I to end the series on Chios, where my grandparents are originally from, was so emotional.”

Bradbury’s passion for the great outdoors began as a six-year-old exploring the Peak District’s rugged green valleys with her father.

“It began with those early walks and time in the garden with my mum,” she reveals.

“Dovedale, Stanage Edge and Kinder Scout are all favourite places. Being outdoors at a young age gives you a sense of independence and develops resilience and awareness – skills you need for travel.”

Criss-crossing the country, Bradbury’s reputation as ‘the face of the outdoors’ began with her stunning series Wainwright Walks, following in the footsteps of legendary fellwalker and guidebook author Alfred Wainwright. “He really was one-of-a-kind… what a vision, what a legacy.” Shot in the Lake District, the show spawned a number of series in search of Britain’s ‘Best Walks’.

Bradbury’s big on how both travel and walking in the great outdoors can improve 36

not just fitness, but mental wellbeing too.

“It’s fantastic exercise and great for the brain.

For me, it’s a combination of mood elevation, embracing the elements, time to think, plus the physical elation of achieving a distance or mountain,” she explains.

“I think you see places differently when exploring on foot, allowing real connections with places and people,” she explains.

“Through the mental health charity MQ and Mountains for the Mind initiative, I’ve learned about the positive impacts of nature on our mental/emotional states, how being outdoors in nature can lift spirits, elevate mood, ease emotional pain, reduce anxiety and

You see places differently when exploring on foot, allowing real connections with places” depression, and improve overall health.”

She also says her work is an opportunity to highlight issues around the world. “I think travel has to be sensitive and enriching. I truly believe that tourism can be a force for good, supporting local communities, raising awareness about our beautiful planet and the beautiful people who live on it.”

Bradbury has created one-stop-shop The Outdoor Guide, sharing her TV walks and more – so what are her favourites? “The Lake District’s Castle Crags for family fun, the South Downs’ Seven Sisters to enjoy the fresh sea breeze, and the Peaks’ accessible-to-all Monsal Trail,” she says.

Her international travels have seen her trek up Iceland's infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano.

“Iceland is a strange, gorgeous country.

Incredibly peaceful – the Icelandic love life.

The Laugavegur Trail is a world-class hiking experience, with extraordinary, constantlyshifting landscapes full of geysers, hot springs and glaciers,” she explains.

Her epic European search for £10k Holiday Home scoured boltholes in Bulgaria, Spain, France and Hungary, before plumping for her northern Portuguese postcard-perfect pad, while countless charity challenges include trips from Kazakhstan, through Russia to Mongolia for Around the World in 80 Days for Children in Need. But Bradbury’s most memorable fundraising escapade is back in Blighty. “Sleeping rough on the streets of London for Sport Relief for a week changed the way I look at homelessness.”

Does she have any particular travel bugbears? “Single-use-plastic bags. Why?!

Stop now! Use alternative tamper-proof options,” she demands. On track with carbon offsetting, the planet-protecting presenter plants trees in partnership with The Woodland Trust/Woodland Carbon scheme, and works closely with the Premier Paper Group, “encouraging everyone to do their ‘conscious, caring’ bit.”

Next up is the Balearics, depending on the coronavirus situation, plus several other exciting projects. “In the meantime,” she says, “I’m encouraging people to prioritise their physical and mental health and urge them to get cracking. Get outside – when and where possible – and enjoy the great outdoors. Stay safe, and keep walking!”

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TALKING TRAVEL

JULIA BRADBURY The Outdoor Guide

Julia Bradbury is an ambassador for The National Trust, Keep Britain Tidy and The Big Issue, and is proud to be the ďŹ rst female President of The Camping and Caravanning Club. Find out more about her travels on The Outdoor Guide: theoutdoorguide.co.uk

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM

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THE REVIEW

the

Review [ t h e lowdo w n ]

[ ro o m r e po r t ]

T H E NE W S & V I E W S THAT REALLY MATTER

GBTA research shows business travel grinding to a halt

Hotels reach out to NHS staff and key workers

Support for events industry praised by MIA and HBAA

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Government props up UK's rail operators

[ in the a ir ] Airlines call for financial relief

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THE REVIEW

T H E

“these awards recognise the people that turn the wheels of our

L O W D O W N

Business travel grinds to a halt

IATA WARNS OF THREAT TO AIRLINES

INTERNATIONAL business travel has now almost completely come to a halt, said the GBTA at the end of March, with 96% of member companies having now cancelled or suspended all or most international travel regardless of location.

A poll of members drew more than 1,100 responses and revealed that 84% of its US-based members and 81% of European members have also called time on domestic business trips. Four in ten respondents say their company has implemented blanket bans on business travel, while 53% say they have cancelled all but essential trips.

Forty percent of respondents said they thought business travel will resume within three months and 17% said it would commence again within six months, but another 40% were unsure when movement will resume.

THE International Air Transport Association (IATA) has thanked governments around the world for providing airlines with financial support but urged others to “follow suit before more damage is done” to the industry.

“Airlines are fighting for survival in every corner of the world,” says Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO. “Travel restrictions and evaporating demand mean that, aside from cargo, there is almost no passenger business. For airlines, it’s apocalypse now.

“There is a small and shrinking window for governments to provide a lifeline of financial support to prevent a liquidity crisis from shuttering the industry.”

De Juniac said IATA is “100% behind governments in supporting measures to slow the spread of COVID-19” but called for help for airlines. “Without urgent relief, many airlines will not be around to lead the recovery stage.”

industry every single day”

AWARDS CEREMONY

Taking place this autumn

BUYERS CALL FOR GREEN MEASURES

thebusinesstravel peopleawards.com

REGIONAL CARRIER FLYBE WAS AN EARLY VICTIM OF THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK, WITH A SLUMP IN DEMAND SEALING ITS SAD DEMISE IN EARLY MARCH. THE CONSORTIUM THAT OWNED THE MUCH-LOVED AIRLINE SAID IT COULD NO LONGER COMMIT TO CONTINUED FINANCIAL SUPPORT

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THE vast majority of travel managers do not believe the industry is doing enough to minimise its impact on the environment, says Traveldoo.

Some 95% of buyers say more must be done to mitigate the travel industry’s toll on the environment, the company reveals in its second annual Travel Buyer Survey. More than two-thirds of buyers (70%) are committed to having a sustainable travel policy in place within the next few years and the same number claim their business measures their travel-related carbon emissions.

3/31/20 11:46 AM

THE REVIEW

O TN H ET H L E O W G RD O UW NN D

IN BRIEF

ITM

ITM goes virtual

Scott Davies Chief Executive

The Institute of Travel Management’s annual conference, due to take place on May 12-13 in Brighton, will now be held as a ‘virtual’ event.

Registration is now open.

Green solution

Booking platform TravelPerk has partnered with Atmosfair to introduce GreenPerk, a solution that enables customers to offset all their travel-related carbon emissions.

T&T gets together

Travel and Transport Statesman has rebranded as Travel and Transport, uniting as a global travel management company following the merger of UK-based Statesman Travel Group and US-based Travel and Transport in 2017.

Liquid payments

Booking platform TripActions has launched a payments solution, TripActions Liquid. It says it will solve the hassles of global travel payments to deliver a ‘best-in-class’ experience for travellers, finance leaders and travel managers alike. It is backed by Silicon Valley Bank, Goldman Sachs and Comerica Bank.

Fello's long game

Travel management company Fello has introduced a dedicated extended stay provision by partnering with CAP Worldwide, which has also been appointed by CTM as its 2020 extended stay and alternative accommodation provider.

LONDON, AMSTERDAM AND VIENNA WERE THE MOST-VISITED CITIES AMONG EUROPEAN BUSINESS TRAVELLERS IN 2019, SAYS BCD TRAVEL, WHO NOTED THE TOP THREE WAS UNCHANGED FROM 2018.

ZURICH WAS FOURTH AND PARIS FIFTH

Budget missed chance to take action on APD FOLLOWING a Budget announcement in March that was dominated by measures to tackle the economic impact of coronavirus, industry bodies criticised the government’s decision to proceed with rises in Air Passenger Duty.

“Despite announcing an APD review in January in time for this Budget, the Chancellor has instead pushed a response back to Spring while discreetly publishing a further £2 increase to £82 on economy long-haul flights from April 2021,” says Dale Keller, Chief Executive of the Board of Airline Representatives (BAR UK). He said airlines had asked for a temporary six-month waiver of APD as a supporting measure while they deal with an “unprecedented situation”.

The BTA said it “welcomes the plan to consult on aviation tax, but the time for action to reduce the burden of APD is now”.

The hype, hysteria and the global nature of this year’s COVID-19 phenomenon have been uniquely challenging.

Sadly, airlines always tend to feel the strain of a recession first, due to their enormous overheads and a limited ability to reduce capacity quickly. Pricing models heavily skewed towards transaction fees have also placed our TMC community under incredible pressure too. Even the largest global corporates that utilise dedicated contact centres tend to remunerate their TMCs via unit service fees.

I have been advised that some of the most forwardthinking buyers have been looking at ways to temporarily revisit these commercials to ensure they have a partner capable of handling their business when things return to something like normal.

If your business is faring well, or even OK, maybe look around you in the supply chain and forge partnerships that will help as many of us as possible make it through.

On an individual basis similarly, there will be people displaced through no fault of their own. Help them. Support them. Lift them up. Just as you would wish to be helped in the same situation. Let’s all get back to travelling. Let’s all lead the way.

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM

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THE REVIEW

I N

“it feels absolutely fantastic to win this award – it means

T H E

A I R

Airlines call for help amid refunds debate

finnair ups the ante on sustainability

AIRLINES UK, whose members include British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, easyJet and Ryanair, has reportedly written to the government requesting a range of measures to help them through the coronavirus crisis.

In a letter obtained by Sky News, Airlines UK asked the government to underwrite “hundreds of millions of pounds” in regulatory and air traffic control charges and suspend APD payments for six months after the end of the pandemic, as well as the option to issue vouchers instead of refunds.

The Business Travel Association noted that while major UK airlines are offering refunds, many major overseas carriers are refusing to do so, even where flights have been cancelled as a result of government advice. “These airlines are instead offering vouchers which prevent the BTA’s member TMCs from refunding their corporate traveller customers, and the companies for whom they work, from recovering the money that they have paid,” says the BTA.

finnair is upping the ante with plans to cut its carbon emissions by 50% in the next five years and achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 at the latest. The airline says it is the ‘most ambitious sustainability strategy in the aviation industry’ and its plans ‘clearly exceed the industry’s common targets’.

Its action plan includes a €3.5-€4billion investment in its fleet in the next five years, reducing emissions from its European traffic by 10%-15%, as well as a new partnership with Neste to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

It will also reduce the load onboard every flight, in part by ending its inflight retail sales within the EU, and reduce both single-use plastics and food waste by 50% by the end of 2022.

The airline will invest €60million in improving the operational efficiency and fuel efficiency of every flight, and offset the carbon emissions of corporate customers’ flights from September 1 this year.

so much!”

AWARDS CEREMONY

Taking place this autumn

airlines aim for net zero emissions

thebusinesstravel peopleawards.com

IATA says annual passenger revenues will fall by $252billion if widespread Travel restrictions remain in place for three months. The figure is more than double what it had previously estimated and would represent A 44% decline

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THE UK Sustainable Aviation Coalition claims it has established a clear road-map to decarbonisation for UK aviation, with its members pledging to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The commitment follows a review of the opportunities to cut aviation emissions and forms a central pillar of a new “Decarbonisation Road-Map: A Path to Net Zero” published by the coalition.

It sets out where reductions will come from, including through smarter flight operations and new aircraft and engine technology.

3/31/20 11:47 AM

THE REVIEW

O RN O TO HM E RGE RP OO UR NT D

AmEX GbT DElIVERs REsT AssuRED

Hotels reach out to nHs & key workers

AMERICAN Express Global Business Travel (GBT) has introduced Rest Assured Solutions, a new programme designed to help clients get the most out of their hotel programmes.

Rest Assured will give clients access to exclusive rates at ‘thousands’ of hotels around the world and across all booking channels, including mobile. In addition, a new Hotel Rate Guarantee ensures users get the lowest hotel rates at the time of booking while auditing technology will identify and rebook at lower rates where appropriate.

Clients can access properties from a range of sources including booking.com, Expedia and WWStay, with more than six million non-hotel listings such as homes and apartments.

A NUMBER of hotel and apartment providers are offering complimentary stays or reduced rates to NHS staff and other key workers during the coronavirus crisis.

Aparthotel company Roomzzz has donated an initial 2,000 overnight stays at its ten core locations across the UK to NHS workers as many staff are being asked to locate themselves in specific areas.

Meanwhile footballer Wilfred Zaha and business partner Obi Williams offered the NHS 50 apartments owned by their business accommodation company ZoProperties which were “instantly snapped up”.

And former footballers Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs have made their two Manchester hotels available free-of-charge to NHS staff, while a large number of independent hotels around the country have done likewise.

RoomEX ADDs pREfERRED HoTEl offER ONLINE booking portal Roomex has introduced a preferred hotel programme giving business travellers discounted rates at more than 120 hotels.

Participating hotel groups include Jurys, Thistle, Village, Maldron and Clayton, with more expected to join. A pilot project saw one Dublin hotel report a threefold increase in bookings.

“We are focused on offering our customers new ways of driving efficiencies within their business, reducing the time and cost of workforce travel,” says Lia Bresnihan, VP Marketing at Roomex. “This new initiative will ensure all travel bookers can easily identify these rates across complete global supply from one single booking platform.”

bRITIsH HoTEl bRAnD DEbuTs In lonDon AnD lIVERpool NEW UK-based hotel brand The Resident has launched with four properties in central London and one in the heart of Liverpool.

The group has taken over former Nadler Hotels in Covent Garden, Soho, Victoria and Kensington and opened a new property in Liverpool city centre.

All the properties’ 379 bedrooms and public areas will be fully refurbished by the end of March.

Resident hotels’ interiors reflect its roots with fabrics and furnishings from British designers such as Paul Smith, plus textiles in the rooms and lobbies sourced from Scottish-based Bute fabrics.

The group plans to expand with up to 1,500 hotel rooms in the UK in the next seven years. Room rates at the hotels start from £219 per night in London and from £109 in Liverpool.

BTA Clive Wratten Chief Executive Officer

As I write this, the UK is moving closer to the eye of the coronavirus storm, and we are seeing an increasingly significant impact on not only people’s livelihoods but their everyday lives.

The business travel sector, and indeed the travel industry as a whole, is an enormous force for good in the UK and right across the globe. Not only is it a very substantial employer, but it’s also a very human industry that brings people together.

Business travellers are the people who forge the deals and build the relationships which make global trade possible, so the business travel industry will be at the heart of the UK’s economic recovery. For our industry to get to this point, we must first weather this storm.

So, for now, the BTA is focused on communicating closely with its members, sharing ideas and insights, campaigning for the support they need, and helping them get through this difficult time.

We look forward to a time when we can get Britain moving but, for now, our focus must be on bringing together often competitive businesses to achieve our common goal – beating coronavirus together as an industry and a nation.

THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM

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THE REVIEW

M E E T I N G

P L A C E

LONDON VENUE TOURS GO VIRTUAL

“we talk a lot about product and service – these awards are all about the people that make all of that come to life”

AWARDS CEREMONY

Taking place this autumn

Support for events industry praised SEVERAL leading events and hospitality organisations were quick to praise the government's support for businesses and the self-employed during the coronavirus pandemic.

Jane Longhurst, Chief Executive of the Meetings Industry Association, welcomed the comprehensive package of financial assistance. “We continue to seek recognition for the struggles this sector is facing, so it was reassuring that this announcement covers all businesses,” she said.

Lex Butler, Chair of the HBAA (Hotel Booking Agents Association) said the Chancellor had “thrown welcome life belts to every business in the hospitality and events industry to keep them afloat”, but called for swift distribution of funds “with so many on the verge of sinking”.

thebusinesstravel peopleawards.com

95%

of GBTA members have cancelled meetings & events

44

A poll of GBTA members in mid-March showed more than 95% of respondents had cancelled meetings, conferences or events due to the coronavirus pandemic. Less than a third (31%) said they had been able to move meetings or events to other locations rather than cancel or postpone

EVENT, leisure and hospitality marketing agency Patch has launched Virtually London Live, a two-day showcase that enables event planners to take hosted virtual tours of venues around the capital city.

The two-day event takes place on April 21-22 and will feature at least 15 venues including Congress Centre, Central Hall Westminster, the Barbican, the HAC, 10–11 Carlton House Terrace, The RSA, Old Royal Naval College and Prince Philip House.

Contact virtuallylivelondon@ patchmedia.co.uk for more details about the event.

PAN PACIFIC'S SQUARE MILE VENUE BOOST THE Pan Pacific London hotel will feature the largest ballroom in London's square mile when the property opens this autumn.

Located close to Liverpool Street Station, it will be the luxury hotel group's first European property and also include a range of 'smart' meeting and event spaces.

The 43-storey building's 464sqm ballroom will have capacity for up to 400 guests, while five Level Five meeting rooms will be set around an 81sqm breakout area.

Accommodating 294 guests, there will also be a Green Room facility for organisers when the space is exclusively hired across the five meeting rooms.

A more informal Level Three meeting space, with capacity for 84 people, will include four rooms wrapped around a central area, accompanied by a 'home-style kitchen pantry' stocked with snacks, beverages, and breakfast and lunch options.

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THE REVIEW

O N

T H E

G R O U N D

T B R U P D AT E

Driving change through sustainability

Government props up UK’s rail operators THE UK government is implementing emergency measures to help support rail operators during the coronavirus crisis, with ticket sales already dropping by 70%.

Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, says the government is allowing operators on franchises to transition onto Emergency Measures Agreements in a bid to keep services running for key workers and the transport of supplies.

“These agreements will suspend the normal financial mechanisms of franchise

agreements, transferring all revenue and cost risk to the government,” says Shapps.

“Operators will continue to run day-to-day services for a small, pre-determined management fee.”

Companies entering into the agreements will see a temporary suspension of their existing franchise agreement’s financial mechanisms for an initial six-month period.

Shapps says the offer enables the rail network to “play its part in serving the national interest”.

[ ON TRACK ] >> Business travel associations praised the government’s decision to proceed with the contentious HIGH SPEED 2 rail project in February, although many infrastructure projects could now be in doubt or delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak >> EUROSTAR'S plans to commence direct services between Amsterdam and London from April 30 (eliminating a change of trains in Brussels) have now been postponed until later this year >> HEATHROW EXPRESS will roll out a new fleet of upgraded trains this summer

Understanding the impact on the environment across not only the ground transportation industry, but the business travel sector in its entirety, we here at TBR Global Chauffeuring have partnered with leading carbon offsetting provider, Carbon Footprint Ltd, to enhance our commitment to the environment.

Through the partnership, we

Carbon Footprint Ltd is an award-winning and leading carbon offset solutions provider, that works with a diverse range of organisations. Given their expertise and knowledge, Carbon Footprint’s core values of sustainability, innovation, flexibility and teamwork are a natural fit for us as we continue our sustainability journey.

will offset all carbon emissions from our wholly owned fleet and those of our affiliates. This will contribute to a portfolio of offsetting initiatives that include tree planting in the UK and Kenya, reducing deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, a borehole rehabilitation project in Uganda, bringing solar power to the Philippines, wind-based power generation in India, and a solar cooker initiative in China.

This partnership will ultimately enable us to make an impact in both the local and global environment. This positive action will help improve our overall performance and will add to the range of initiatives that we are currently exploring including the use of hybrid or electric vehicles – where we can be at the forefront of driving change across the supply chain and the industry, now and in the future.

Martin Edwards Chief Operating Officer TBR Global Chauffeuring

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THE REVIEW

O N

T H E

M O V E

EVENTS APRIL 26-28 (POSTPONED)

ACTE GLOBAL SUMMIT New York City acte.org

MAY 12-13

ITM CONFERENCE 2020 itmconference.org.uk Now taking place as a virtual conference. Register online

LISA MCKENZIE

NICOLA REITH

MELANIE QUINN

JOINS: BCD Travel AS: Senior Vice President Sales EMEA FROM: American Express GBT

PROMOTED AT: ATPI Group TO: Assistant head of UK operations FROM: Head of Operations in Aberdeen

JOINS: Clyde Travel Management AS: Head of Sales & Customer Relations FROM: Amber Road

In her new BCD role based in London, Lisa will lead the EMEA sales team to win new clients and help retain and expand existing client portfolios.

Nicola has more than 20 years' experience in travel management and will now help drive forward business operations across ATPI's UK offices.

Melanie has joined Clyde as Head of Sales and Customer Relations as the TMC expands its leadership team as part of ambitious growth plans.

AVERIL WILSON

KIERAN HARTWELL

MAY 15-18

ADVANTAGE CONFERENCE 2020 Madeira advantageconference.co.uk

MAY 22 (POSTPONED)

THE BUSINESS TRAVEL PEOPLE AWARDS Park Plaza Westminster, London thebusinesstravelpeopleawards.com

JULY 25-29

GBTA CONVENTION Denver, Colorado convention.gbta.org

SEPTEMBER 15-16

NEAL JONES

PROMOTED AT: Apex Hotels TO: Managing Director FROM: Finance Director

JOINS: Travel Counsellors for Business AS: Managing Director FROM: Travel and Transport

PROMOTED AT: Marriott International TO: Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, EMEA FROM: CSMO, Middle East & Africa

Averil’s promotion to the newly-created role follows eight years as Finance Director of the Edinburgh-headquartered independent hotel group.

Kieran has joined Travel Counsellors for Business as the corporate division's first MD. He has more than a decade of corporate travel experience.

Neal began his career at Marriott over 20 years ago and was most recently based in Dubai. He is now part of the EMEA leadership team.

THE BUSINESS TRAVEL CONFERENCE Hilton London Bankside Secure your free place at thebusinesstravelconference.com

ALSO ON THE MOVE... Travel management company TAG has appointed Sanjoy Dasgupta as its new Head of Corporate Sales >> Blue Cube Travel has appointed Sumit Gupta as Head of Client & Supplier Management >> Stuart Winstone has been promoted to Group CEO of serviced apartment provider SilverDoor >> Michael Qualantone has been promoted to Chief Revenue Officer at American Express Global Business Travel >> CWT has appointed David Pitts as Vice President, Revenue Management

At Nika Corporate Housing we take great pride in providing best in class Corporate Housing services Our Florida core market consists of our World Headquarters located in the beautiful Tampa Bay metro, where we service our Orlando, St Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota and Bradenton areas. We also can provide worldwide Serviced Apartment accommodations through our network of best-in-class providers. Recently we have even been designated as an approved vendor of the Super Bowl LV Business Connect Program. We are one of 200 local diverse businesses in the Tampa Bay Area identified as a certified, experienced special event production company approved to compete for contracts related to Super Bowl.

We look forward to the opportunity to exceed your expectations!

46

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001 813.857.2211 • nikacorporatehousing.com • salesteam@nikacorporatehousing.com

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The UK's rail network plays a vital role in supporting domestic business travel yet it rarely has a smooth ride. Find out more in our guide to

rail travel for BUsiness Introduction, 48-50 Spend management, 52-55 Rail versus air, 57 The franchise model, 58-59 Data, 60

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Rail travel / Introduction

The right

TRACK The UK’s rail network has its challenges but remains crucial to business travel and the domestic economy, writes Dave Richardson

W

ith the franchise system in chaos, grim images of overcrowding, controversy over HS2 and continuing delays to Crossrail, rail has become an ever-present in the national debate.

For business travellers who don’t go by rail or who use it only to commute, the danger is that they don’t see its advantages.

This could change as the climate debate heats up, and duty of care tilts the balance away from long car journeys. “Flight shaming” is beginning to have an impact especially on the travel choices of millennials, suggesting that a new age of rail travel could be approaching – at least when the COVID-19 crisis has finally passed (see pages 58-59 for more on what the government is doing to support the industry at this time).

With improved on-board facilities including better wifi, power points, more seats at tables and faster journey times, many of the new trains currently being delivered will make rail a better experience.

Before temporary reductions in services were implemented due to the spread of coronavirus, seat capacity was increasing on many routes. But while the basics of punctuality and reliability remain problematic, many potential converts are unconvinced.

48

A solution to rail’s problems is promised by the Williams Review, an independent inquiry into the rail industry that was delivered to the Department for Transport last autumn but had still not been published by early March and now looks likely to be further delayed.

However, its recommendations have been widely flagged up and include scrapping the franchise system as it stands, simplifying fares, finding new ways for train operators and infrastructure operator Network Rail to work together, and establishing a new independent body to draw up contracts with train operators. Predictably, it promises to “put the passenger first”.

Nick Bamford, an associate at consultancy Black Box Partnerships, says: “This is a oncein-a-generation opportunity to change the framework of the rail industry, and an acceptance of its fundamental flaws.

“We need new thinking and not talk of the ‘good old days’. We need a forward-looking agenda that recognises how the socioeconomic nature of the UK has changed since the Beeching cuts of the 1960s.”

Open for business

The infamous Dr Richard Beeching, whose report led to the closure of thousands of



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Introduction / Rail travel

We need new thinking and not talk about the ‘good old days’. We need a forward-looking agenda that recognises how the socio-economic nature of the country has changed”

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Rail travel / Introduction

miles of rail routes, was invoked recently by the Government, which is funding a study into reopening some routes especially in the North. Widespread reopenings would be very costly where the track has been built over, but some have already happened including from Edinburgh to Tweedbank in the Scottish borders, while the East-West rail route between Oxford and Cambridge is now being restored.

Train operators are likely to move towards a simplified fares model based on combinations of one-way journeys as a result of the review, potentially making anomalies such as split ticketing unnecessary. But as the rail industry wants this to be revenue neutral, there could be losers as well as winners in the new structure.

David Sykes, Corporate Product Manager of FCM Travel Solutions, says: “Interesting work is being done to try to simplify the current fares system, with single direction pricing on certain LNER routes removing the heavily weighted prices on single tickets.

Any model that simplified the fares and pricing system, and resulted in a better on-board experience, would be welcome.”



Wishful thinking

American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) has a wish-list of what it wants to see from the Williams Review, including a focus on the business traveller as a distinct customer type for new customer-centric services; more standardisation around key products and fares, so it’s easier to sell rail; and contracts that reward operators for investment in the customer experience.

Jason Geall, Vice President and General Manager, Northern Europe for GBT, says: “Ultimately, we hope Williams will fix the long-standing problems in a broken rail industry once and for all, and make it fit for the future. With high-speed on the way, we need Williams to provide the basis for a radical new approach.”

GBT is already working with train operators on issues such as handling delays, with Geall adding: “Travellers want to be sure that if there is disruption they can easily make alternative plans. They need accurate, timely information – and TMCs need access to this information so they can support their travellers with oneclick rebooking. Right now, this information is closely guarded by the rail companies – 50

it needs to be made openly available.”

Customer experience must improve if rail is to benefit from modal shift away from air travel, and GBT says this is starting to happen on rail journeys of up to four hours such as London-Amsterdam and LondonEdinburgh routes.

But others have seen little movement yet, and doubt whether this will happen unless it is mandated. “Longer than three hours remains a harder sell, even city centre to city centre, except in some organisations that can mandate it, such as the World Wildlife Fund, or where corporations have sustainability teams that need to lead by example,” says a senior member of the ITM’s industry affairs committee.

The biggest obstacle to rail’s greater share of the business purse is the cost. In Scandinavia – thanks to Greta Thunberg – and in places like Germany, rail is a viable alternative to air travel not just as a mobile office with fast trains, but also because it's cost effective.

The BTA says there is little evidence of modal shift on routes such as LondonEdinburgh/Glasgow, where air fares remain competitive. Genuine competition between train operators would help slash fares, but with capacity constraints on the network few expect this to happen.

“Competition would help drive down costs on some of the more expensive routes, and we have seen examples of this with Grand Central, Hull Trains and LNER all competing

Operators are likely to move towards a simplified fares model based on combinations of one-way journeys, potentially making split ticketing unnecessary” on some routes,” says Josh Collier, Head of Proposition – Rail & Ground Transportation, for Capita Travel and Events.

“Having options on the West Coast route – which will come in the form of Grand Central starting its new service from Blackpool to Euston in May – and on the Great Western routes would be welcome.”

But Richard Johnson, Senior Director, CWT Solutions Group, says other factors could favour rail even if the costs don’t stack up.

“A challenge faced by managers of corporate travel programmes is going to be the relative lack of competition in the rail sector compared to air, and the resulting lack of price competitiveness,” he says.

“This is where companies need to be thinking about the bigger picture of their investment in corporate travel, and weaving in traveller happiness and responsible business factors too. There is always going to be a compromise between the lowest cost and the best experience or highest level of sustainability.”

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Keep up to speed at 125mph

Free WiFi and handy power sockets onboard

Free WiFi available across 88% of all journeys.

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Rail travel / Spend / Spend management management

Under

CONTROL The complexity of fares and inconsistent product makes managing rail travel spend a challenge, writes Gill Upton, but that needn’t stop you getting it under control

U

nsexy', 'unglamorous', 'less opportunity', and 'too complex' typify the comments on managing rail travel spend. Travel managers quite rightly focus their time on the big-spend items of air and hotel where cost savings are more easily achieved.

Rail is a less competitive sector with less creative savings opportunities which largely involve getting to grips with the more complex area of culture and behaviour change, which is a much more resource-heavy undertaking.

“It takes hours of effort so it falls down the pecking order,” says Raj Sachdave of Black Box Partnerships. Nonetheless, he says that companies can achieve 30% savings with very little effort.

TMCs have not helped as, historically, it’s not been an area of interest for them. The more lucrative 11% commission from a hotel booking compared with just 3% from a rail booking explains much of the indifference.

Defending TMCs is Johan Persson, Director of Account Management UK & Ireland at American Express GBT, who blames the complexity of the rail industry. “The industry 52

has made it harder for clients and TMCs to work with rail than with other modes, in a number of key ways,” he says.

“Rail sells non-standardised products, in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. There’s not much market insight into the business traveller when it comes to booking. There’s a lack of consistency in rail, which makes it difficult to manage. And supply chain leverage is nonexistent, because there’s little competition.“ Certainly, the 55 million fares in the system don’t help as it creates a minefield for anyone trying to buy smart. “We’re dealing with old systems that dictate how fares can be applied so there is limited space for creativity,” says Marina Grave of the Rail Delivery Group.

But change is in the air from the increasing focus on sustainability and traveller wellbeing, forcing corporates to look closely at potential modal shifts from planes and cars to rail, switching to rail for Manchester to Glasgow for example. One corporate is known to have mandated European rail travel over flying.

Few travellers fly to Paris today, and European capitals such as Madrid and Amsterdam are joining the fray.

Think again

Ticket delivery methods are easier now that there are e-tickets and tickets sent to mobile devices and LNER has a corporate loyalty scheme on the drawing board.

The fact that the average ticket price has remained stable at £56.32 in 2018 and 2019 despite a 3.3% mandated fares, increase according to Evolvi figures, shows that corporates are making headway.

But it’s not all about cost today. Rail offers better productivity and an arrival point in the city rather than a journey from an out-of-town airport to downtown. Defra figures pinpoint the carbon savings – in the region of 56% when switching from car to rail although some doubt their veracity. “There is no decent qualitative and quantitative evidence that a train is better than a flight,” says Will Hasler, speaking as part of the ITM's Industry Affairs Group. “Defra multipliers are out of date; we need granular detail.”

Industry observers believe the tipping point of 3hrs 45 minutes has been reached and is lengthening into four hours and beyond.

SNCF, for example, points to brisk business 

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Spend Spend management management / Rail travel / Rail

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Rail travel / Spend / Spend management management

 on its Paris-Bordeaux route of almost five hours’ journey time. Hasler believes domestic air will disappear in the long run but perhaps not while the fare disparity is so great.

Cutting a deal

There are deals to be had from the TOCs but not on existing volume. Put new volume on the table from switching modes and then they’ll deal, particularly on long-haul routes.

“Corporates could be more open-minded.

We’re looking for something back,” says Mark Plowright, Head of Sales and Distribution at LNER. “It has to be of commercial benefit for us. We’re looking to drive incremental journeys that might have been through other modes of transport.”

The size of the prize will also depend on how many rail and air competitors are on the route and if there are big enough volumes.

The reality is far different according to Sachdave. “Don’t expect deals like volume air.

Volume deals are few and far between. You can usually do better with advance purchase fares.” He advises negotiating soft benefits such as access to lounges.

The starting point to better rail spend should be listing the optimum rail purchasing behaviour in travel policy. Very often rail is overlooked in policy but it must state the detail of ticket types and booking horizons.

“Your travel policy is your platform and everything drives from there. You need to be really specific,” advises Alison Proud, Head of

54

Client Relationships at Inntel. Rail is often absent elsewhere too. Mark Bevan, Strategic Partnerships Director at Business Travel Direct, says that some companies fail to include rail in RFPs and tenders.

Getting travellers to book 14 days before travel can slash up to 30% off the fare. Talk Talk for example, saved 10% off their average rail fares when pushing their eight-day booking horizon to 11 days.

Travellers still find myriad excuses why they can’t book earlier. “People don’t want to book early in case they need to change the ticket but 85% of journeys go ahead as planned and often it’s only £10 to change the ticket so the company will still be saving,” explains Gary McLeod, Head of the Surface Transport Strategy Group at BTA. David Sykes, Corporate Product Manager at FCM Travel Solutions, says last-minute booking is the most common behaviour. “In 2019, 78% of tickets booked by our clients were within seven days of travel, and 35% of that amount was actually within one day.

These numbers in 2018 were 77% and 33% respectively. So, while there’s a lot of conversation in the industry about moving to earlier booking horizons, and advanced tickets, the reality of the last-minute nature of corporate travel has not borne this out.”

Behavioural change

Don’t give up! Behaviour change can be tackled by firstly identifying which of the

travelling population is out of policy, and what they are doing and why. They may be booking Anytime tickets, booking too close to departure despite the meeting having been scheduled well ahead, for example, or not scheduling meetings to take advantage of off-peak fares.

“Understand the issue,” says McLeod. “One by one you can cross off these objections as to why they don’t want to book early.”

Heaps of data is available from the two main booking tools, Evolvi and Trainline, to identify opportunities. Transactions can be split by cost centre, department or individual.

“It’s easy to measure travellers’ efficiency in the booking process as you have fixed points of reference and the data sets available are fantastic from the likes of Evolvi and Trainline,” says BTA's McLeod. He reckons that by comparison, it’s more difficult to measure people’s efficiency in the booking process of hotels as it’s so fluid. Timed messages on the self-booking tool also helps behaviour change, as does the introduction of pre-trip approval.

Fare confusion

What fares to buy is an absolute minefield.

Anytime tickets are the fare types to be avoided at all costs. Advance tickets, taking advantage of dual single tickets and booking a fixed outbound and flexi return are where savings are; the latter can be as high as 26% according to FCM Travel Solutions. Railcards and Two Together cards are worth investigating and new-fangled advance

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Spend Spend management management / Rail travel / Rail

purchase-on-the-day tickets are a good innovation from Cross Country, Trans Pennine and LNER. These offer savings of up to 40% on Anytime tickets.

Split tickets are a contentious issue as the savings are there but not always a positive traveller experience if, for example, the second leg excludes a seat reservation or requires a long wait. Split tickets may be available on Trainline but RDG and the TOCs are gradually reducing their availability.

RDG's Grave refers to them as “a plaster on a system that needs major surgery”.

Grab them while you can. Click Travel’s Vicki Williams, Director of Sales and Implementation, cites a 40% saving on Bristol-Birmingham split at Cheltenham.

Classes apart

In terms of class of travel, the majority of rail travel is in standard class and First Class is a rarity, unless the price is right. “A First Class Advance Return can be the same or not hugely different from a Standard Anytime Return,” says Click’s Williams.

Some travellers are allowed to upgrade if they pay the extra themselves or can claim if it’s a working trip. The arrival of disruptor SeatFrog may change the landscape for first class travelling as it offers users the option of sitting in that quiet space to work and enjoy food and a newspaper for a fraction of the true cost. It mops up distressed inventory from the TOCs and re-sells it auction-style.

Four TOCs are currently on-board with it, namely LNER, GWR, Avanti West Coast and Cross Country but no TMC as yet, although Capita Travel and Events signed with the company 12 months ago.

There is talk in the industry of a third class – a Standard Plus such as that on Trenitalia and Eurostar. There would be no meal or newspaper but wifi, coffee and a working environment. The Williams Review may well throw up such an innovation.

Rail has been pushed to third party suppliers when it comes to booking tools and the market is dominated by Evolvi and Trainline, both with good functionality.

However, better integration with self-booking tools is a constant plea, so too the facility of buying weekly tickets.

Trainline has greater penetration of the TMC community and Evolvi better flexibility in terms of being able to upload travel policy restrictions such as outlawing open return tickets and first class tickets. The system can also introduce time restrictions and identify sub groups of traveller populations with different policy rules.

Click Travel has gone one better and built its own rail booking platform so customers can book rail, hotel and air in one place and with a consistent user experience. Rail bookings work on a tolerance percentage rather than class of travel, giving travellers a choice of fares and guides them using a traffic light system.

“It’s a dynamic rail policy which flags up the consequences of booking red and encourages customers to increase the lead time. The average is 10-11 days so that’s really good,” says Click’s Williams. No thirdparty costs – such as ticket-on-departure and e-ticket fees – are passed on to customers.

Rail travel is coming into its own. The reforms so badly needed are around the corner. A Code of Conduct being launched by RDG this summer combined with new fleets should pave the way for better product consistency and more seats. Rail could become a real competitor for long-distance domestic travel. However, whether travellers will improve their meetings planning remains the million dollar question.

[

BEST PRACTICE TIPS ]

1. Get a good clear picture of your travel patterns before you start any review 2. Take control of the booking horizon 3. Take control of your travel policy 4. Take control of your data 5. Use technology to outlaw certain expensive ticket types and frame a booking solution 6. Encourage the widest possible use of Railcards 7. Review your spend and data regularly 8. Communicate policy, progress and benefits across the organisation

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Rail vs air / Rail travel

MODAL SHIFT

BY RAIL OR RUNWAY Where rail journeys compete with air travel, which has the edge? Dave Richardson reports

W

hat would you rather do – travel to an airport, negotiate check-in and security queues and board a flight taking maybe one hour, and then take another ground transport option on arrival at your destination; or take a single uninterrupted journey from city centre to city centre by rail, using wifi, at-seat power and a table to work as you go?

The answer to that conundrum depends on a range of factors, including where exactly you’re starting from and your final destination; the cost of the ticket or airfare; the overall journey time door-to-door; whether carbon saving is a major factor; and the on-board train environment if you have to work. It hardly makes sense, for example, to slog into a city centre to take a train if you live near an airport.

[ COST COMPARISON] London to Edinburgh return trip.

Fares (all quoted for the two-way trip) were researched six days in advance for outbound travel on a Thursday morning, returning on Friday afternoon.

• LNER: Standard class advance fares from £164; first class from £228; flexible fares from £241.75.

• British Airways from Heathrow: from £151-£334; from London City: £180-£210.

• EasyJet from Stansted: from £108-£111; from Luton: from £71-£88; from Gatwick: from £97-£104

It used to be considered that rail was competitive overall on door-to-door journeys of up to three hours, but reduced journey times and a much better working environment on some routes are pushing out the boundary towards journeys of four hours or longer.

If you can work in a comfortable seat with reliable wifi, why not try the train from London to Edinburgh or Amsterdam as well as from London to Manchester, Brussels, Paris and Newcastle?

These are effectively the only routes to/ from London on which rail and air compete, while on inter-regional routes (except for Birmingham/ Manchester to Scotland) rail may never compete even when HS2 is built.

While Eurostar hopes for business travel growth on its services to Amsterdam, LondonEdinburgh is the main battleground and here LNER is making strenuous efforts to chip away at airlines.

Its new Azuma trains offer greater comfort, more seats and more reliable wifi access, but journey times remain around 4h 20m to 4h 40m for the journey of nearly 400 miles.

This should come down to a straight four hours for limited stop trains

when Network Rail’s 'East Coast Upgrade' is complete by late 2021.

LNER and its predecessors have been gaining market share over airlines for several years, and it claimed a 38.1% share on London-Edinburgh in 2019 compared to 33.7% a year earlier. On London-Newcastle (typically 2h 50m to 3h 10m) rail’s share has reached over 91% versus air.

Rail also has its highest share ever – 29% – on the London-Glasgow route, with a journey time of typically 4h 30m. But as with Edinburgh, these figures are not broken down between business and leisure passengers.

As the chart shows, the big advantage of air travel can be cost, especially when lowcost airlines are brought into the equation, although you have to factor in the time spent getting to/from airports.

As one senior business manager put it, “Whilst it remains just £16 each for my wife and I to return from Inverness to Gatwick on a Friday night in July, the Brits will continue to fly too much. There are too many flights costing too little.”

Will government action ever change this?

It may depend if the climate emergency is being taken seriously, but some European governments are showing the way with taxes penalising air travel. •

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Accommodation Rail travel / The franchise / UK hotelmodel groups

Off the

RAILS?

Dave Richardson analyses the trials and tribulations of the franchise model – and ponders its future

A

ny rail industry managers who were around when British Rail was privatised in the mid-1990s will probably be shaking their heads with a rueful smile at the state of it today.

Franchising as we know it has hit the buffers, but whether the politicians take any more notice now than they did 25 years ago is another matter.

Privatising the rail industry looked a bold move then, but the model that John Major’s Tory government chose was untested. It was warned that separating train operators from the infrastructure operator wouldn’t work, and would create a pass-the-buck blame culture. Passengers claim compensation for delays from train operators who then claim it back from Network Rail, whose track and signalling are more often to blame when things go wrong.

Instead of returning to the prenationalisation model of four large rail operators covering their own chunks of the country, privatisation created 25 train 58

operating companies (TOCs) plus others for freight, train leasing and support services.

Instead of innovation, new monopolies were created with TOCs having exclusive rights to operate services on the majority of routes, except where some franchises overlap. In time the number of TOCs was reduced to under 20 as larger franchises were created – Great Western taking over Thames Trains, for example.

On very few routes is there any genuine competition, and the number of “open access” start-up TOCs has been pitifully few and constrained in what they can offer. One reason is that capacity is very tight – another is restrictive franchise agreements that favour the incumbent.

The Department for Transport’s oversight of rail has proved to be highly contentious, and if a new public-private body takes its place many would welcome it. Civil servants have been accused of drawing up demands that the rail industry cannot make work, as with the timetable change fiasco of 2018.

And as the spread of coronavirus affects every day life as know it, the government has stepped in to allow operators to temporarily transition onto Emergency Measures Agreements which “suspend the normal financial mechanisms of franchise agreements, transferring all revenue and cost risk to the government”.

Hitting the buffers

Back in 2012, Virgin Trains successfully appealed against the DfT to keep hold of its franchise, which had been awarded to FirstGroup. Now, with FirstGroup and its partner Trenitalia having finally been given Virgin’s West Coast routes, various train operators are taking High Court action claiming they should not have been barred from bidding for franchises because of openended pension liabilities. These were imposed by the DfT, and as a result both Virgin and Stagecoach have pulled out of rail – for now.

What few foresaw 25 years ago was that companies would actually default on their

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UKThe hotel franchise groups model / Accommodation / Rail travel

franchises, leaving the DfT to pick up the pieces. This has happened three times on the East Coast route from London to the North East and Scotland, as Sea Containers (owner of GNER, 1996-2007), National Express and Virgin/Stagecoach have all pulled out.

The DfT has an “Operator of Last Resort”, and has now called on it again to run Northern. This publicly owned operator made a success of operating East Coast after National Express departed in 2009, and is now doing so again as LNER. Trade unions and the Labour Party would like to see the railways re-nationalised, as indeed has happened to infrastructure operator Network Rail. This looks like a remote prospect but it is grimly ironic that

No-one will ever know what a properly funded and motivated British Rail could have achieved”

the British government can only run railways as a “last resort” when many TOCs are essentially run by foreign governments.

Signal failure

So who has benefited from this scenario?

The passenger is being asked to pay higher and higher fares, but the DfT claims it always gets the best deal for the taxpayer. Certainly it has tended to favour the highest bidder for a franchise, but sometimes those bids have been unrealistically high leading to a default – with rail industry sources warning that further defaults are inevitable.

Winning bids are often breathtaking in their scope, but have sometimes proved to be based on unsustainable passenger growth forecasts, a fact underlined by the coronavirus crisis. Some operators of large networks have promised to replace every single train, even those introduced fairly recently.

The unions and Labour might complain about big profits going to shareholders rather than to improve services, but in reality

the picture is very variable. While Virgin Group did well out of its 22-year focus on the UK rail industry, its 90% majority partner on East Coast – Stagecoach – lost £200million.

Large shareholders in FirstGroup have even been in open rebellion over future involvement in rail franchises and would like to follow the National Express example and get out of rail completely.

Massive public subsidies continue on many rural and some commuter routes, with some estimates suggesting that supporting the railways costs more now than when they were nationalised. But the Rail Delivery Group, which brings together TOCs and Network Rail, can point to many innovations and a huge increase in passengers – roughly double – since privatisation.

Still, no-one will ever know what a properly funded and motivated British Rail could have achieved, like the much-admired (and still state-owned) rail operators of Germany, the Netherlands and France which have now taken much of it over.

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Rail travel / Data

Counting

11

THE COST

MILLION

THE NUMBER OF TICKETS BOOKED THROUGH THE TMC-EXCLUSIVE EVOLVING PLATFORM IN 2019, UP FROM 9.4MILLION IN 2018 (SOURCE: Evolvi)

Average ticket values, rising fares and more…

£56 THE CARBON EMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH A PASSENGER JOURNEY FROM LONDON KINGS CROSS TO EDINBURGH…

THE AVERAGE TICKET VALUE (ATV) OF CORPORATE RAIL BOOKINGS MADE THROUGH EVOLVI IN 2019 – ON A PAR WITH 2018 DESPITE 3.1% MANDATED FARE INCREASES

(SOURCE: (DEFRA calculations)

160.12

(SOURCE: Evolvi)

KG

BRITISH TRAIN FARES ARE 7% HIGHER THAN EUROPEAN FARES ON AVERAGE

7%

BY AIR TRAVEL

25.85

(SOURCE: Cabzilla)

KG

BY RAIL

% 6 4

113.95

KG

BY CAR

UK RAIL FARES HAVE RISEN BY 46% BETWEEN 2009 AND 2019, WHILE WAGES HAVE GROWN BY ONLY 23% (SOURCE: Cabzilla)

THE PERCENTAGE OF MONTHLY

4% Norway

14% UK 6.2%

Ireland

2.4% France

3.9% Spain

WAGES SPENT

ON COMMUTING

6.6% 6.4%

7.9%

Finland

Sweden

Germany 3.1% Italy

£3,292 THE PRICE OF AN ANNUAL TICKET FROM WATFORD JUNCTION TO LONDON (SOURCE: Cabzilla) EUSTON – A 20-MINUTE JOURNEY

80%

RAIL’S MARKET SHARE BETWEEN ROME AND MILAN IN 2018, UP FROM 36% IN 2008

(SOURCE: (Cabzilla) (SOURCE: Amadeus)

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DEPARTURES

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DEPARTURES

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Following an £80m revamp in Murray Edwards Hall, part of 2018, Cambridge’s oldest hotel the University of Cambridge, has been given a new lease of offers two self-contained life with 192 eclectic bedrooms, conference centres. The a library and a wood-panelled Japanese-influenced Kaetsu Grand Ballroom. One of the Centre has eight meeting city’s larger event spaces, rooms for up to 150 baronial the Ballroom can seat up delegates, plus breakout grandeur in to 180 for dinners or 200 areas and 12 bedrooms, abundance standing. The hotel’s while the Buckingham Parkers Tavern is available Centre boasts a lecture for smaller numbers. theatre for 140 and large foyer.

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and Marshall Aerospace

Small but perfectly formed

Getting there Rail services from London to Cambridge (around 60mins) run frequently from several central London stations, with other good connections available from Scotland, the North and Birmingham. By road, the city is easily accessible from the M11 and A14. Cambridge Airport lies east of the city while London Stansted airport is around 30 miles away.

Wired up

Out of town

The Varsity Hotel

The Moller Institute

Longstowe Hall

This stylish boutique hotel is located in the Quayside area, and offers 44 sleek bedrooms, a spa and two meeting rooms, both of which can comfortably seat 50 theatre style. The real draw is the hotel’s large roof terrace, ideal for parties and receptions for up to 140, with its panoramic views of the city’s spires, University buildings and the River Cam.

This Scandinavian-designed leadership and development centre is part of Churchill College and offers a smart events space. There are 21 flexible meeting rooms including a 100-seat lecture theatre, and the excellent tech includes videoconferencing and a recording studio. There are also 92 on-site bedrooms, plus a restaurant.

This privately owned 16th century house is set in 1,000 acres of ancient woodland ten miles west of Cambridge. It has several event spaces suitable for up to 150 people, including the elegant Rose Ballroom and recently restored Longstowe Courtyard and Orangery.

Groups can also make use of the beautiful gardens, parkland and permanent marquee.

Thompson’s Lane, Cambridge CB5 8AQ thevarsityhotel.co.uk

Churchill College, Storey’s Way CB3 0DE mollerinstitute.com

Longstowe, Cambridge CB23 2UH longstowehall.co.uk

scandi style, and top tech too

Further information For event planning and venue information, contact Meet Cambridge. Tel: 01223 768740 / meet-cambridge.com

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DEPARTURES

The final word

Grinning and baring it

N

aturist holidays could be the next big thing when overseas travel is back on the agenda.

A recent survey found one in four Brits would strip off to go on a nudist holiday, with more than two-thirds saying it would be a small price to pay for an even overall tan.

Others felt it was a good excuse to connect with nature and try something new, according to the survey by farawayfurniture.com.

For those that had already been on a nudist holiday, 88% were sold on the basis that they 'barely' had to do any packing and 48% said they felt less body conscious after stripping off.

Those looking for love should note that one in five people admitted to meeting their partner during their naturist holiday. Well you know what they say... less is more.

THE TOP 10…

MOST INSTAGRAMMED LUXURY HOTEL BRANDS Showing off: the most frequently tagged luxury hotel brands on instagram

Pitfalls of video calls

L

ife on lockdown presents its many challenges, but one of workers’ emerging concerns is the widespread use of videoconferencing and the window into your own private world that it gives colleagues.

‘Bed hair’, make-up issues, hair colouring growing out, questionable fashion choices and dodgy home décor are some of the biggest issues for those who’d rather hit the ‘audio only’ button.

Parents have the additional challenge of keeping unruly kids in order – perhaps we should all just stop trying to keep up appearances?

1

Four Seasons (1.8million)

2

St Regis (662,000)

3

Rosewood (610,000)

4

Mandarin Oriental (543,000)

5

Park Hyatt (427,000)

6

Six Senses (186,000)

7

Soneva (178,000)

8

Auberge (158,000)

9

Belmond (151,000)

10

Oetker Collection (17,000)

Duty of care is a real priority for businesses sending employees on business trips, and while food poisoning is often cited as the biggest risk of all – rather than the likes of terror attacks or major incidents – you might not have considered the threat that the humble smartphone can pose.

According to case24.com, we are five times more likely to meet with misfortune from taking a selfie than suffer a shark attack, while 41% % of people admit to taking risks to get a brilliant selfie.

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Register now!

SEPTEMBER

15-16

2020

Hilton London Bankside The 2020 event for buyers and arrangers of business travel & meetings

Sign up for your free place at thebusinesstravelconference.com For further information contact Kirsty.Hicks@bmipublishing.co.uk

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