With 20% of the world's population currently on lockdown, it's fair to say 2020 isn't panning out the way most of us expected. In fact, the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the travel industry has been nothing short of unprecedented, with even the most robust travel risk management plans put to the test.
It seems that if the global outbreak has taught us anything, it’s to be prepared for just about anything. So looking ahead to when borders re-open and the world starts travelling again, how can we make sure we learn from the coronavirus pandemic, and apply these teachings to ensure travellers’ wellbeing and safety? We asked Global Product Leader for Secure, Matthew DeMaris, to share the key travel risk management learnings identified by both our business and our customers...
Four Key Takeaways for Travel Managers
1. Have a plan in place and assign clear roles and responsibilities to your key risk stakeholders
Responsibility for managing risk does not fall on any one person or department. A robust risk management team should include individuals from across the business, including operations. Clients who've had the most effective responses to COVID-19 formed their crisis team early and made informed decisions on how to mitigate their risk.
2. Recognise and communicate the tools you have prior to a crisis occurring
Most travel management companies (TMCs) offer a range of tools to help them successfully navigate a crisis. However, in times of stability, understanding behind the function and accessibility of these tools is actually pretty low. Our comprehensive risk management tool, Secure, is now offered to all our customers through our online platform YOUR.CT. To be prepared for future events talk to your Account Manager about getting access to Secure, then practice checking security updates and traveller whereabouts.
3. Automation is key
If a crisis occurs anywhere in the world it's essential to have access to the latest crisis information, to know where your travellers are and be able to communicate with them. This can drastically cut down your response time when it comes to getting your travellers to safety. Making sure the tools your TMC offers are powered by a reputable crisis management provider like WorldAware, and being able to automate crisis comms out to your travellers via a mobile app like Sam are key.
4. Don’t hesitate to ask for help
In times of crisis, having a partner backed by people who genuinely care about the well-being of your travellers can really pay in dividends. In response to the current crisis, we were able to work with our clients to build a custom COVID-19 dashboard in Secure that enabled customers to quickly assess their risk and respond to it, thus providing our clients with a further level of security during a period of uncertainty.
What did we learn as a travel management company?
1. A crisis can come in many shapes and sizes
The past weeks have certainly put our business to the test. We have learned that technology is only as good as the experts behind it, and I am so proud of the unwavering commitment our people have shown by supporting our customers through this crisis. We have also learned that quick response times and access to clean data that we can mould into critical intelligence for our customers are vital.
2. The value of our relationships and our industry knowledge
Travel is more than just booking reservations. It’s about the industry knowledge – knowing where to go for important information. It’s the benefit of having access to WorldAware and IATA, and being able to harness those tools to support our customers – resources we have access to as part of a global organisation. Additionally, strong relationships with the airlines and hotel chains allows us to work collaboratively with these industry partners to find solutions that can benefit our travellers with speed and efficiency.
3. Awareness around traveller health and wellness is more important than ever
Corporate Traveller has always spoken about topics such as traveller wellbeing and duty of care, and I predict that additional health risk factors will play a role in how travel management companies can help clients moving forward.
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