There are several steps in a complex business process like corporate travel management. But no other steps impact the ROI of corporate travel directly like business travel booking. Employees often find it challenging to accomplish business travel goals by making wrong travel choices.
Likewise, they make it challenging for employers to reduce the average business travel costs by booking out-of-policy travel products. Firms have to focus on preventing travel policy violations and travel expense fraud while allowing employees to book their choice of flights, accommodations, and car rentals.
Some firms streamline business travel booking by working with a corporate travel consultant, while others opt for a travel advisor. A corporate travel consultant differs from a travel advisor in several categories, including role and responsibility. We are making it easier for your firm to choose from travel advisors and corporate travel consultants.
Corporate Travel Consultant
Some corporate travel consultants work as corporate employees, while others operate as freelance consultants. Hence, a corporate travel consultant’s role and responsibilities vary across firms. But the professional helps employees plan business trips and book business travel products.
Also, he creates opportunities for employers to reduce the average business trip costs. Firms work with corporate travel consultants to make it easier for employees to visit new travel destinations without increasing the average business trip costs.
What does a Corporate Travel Consultant do?
ü Helps employees plan business trips by sharing destination details and travel regulation
ü Assists international business travelers to procure and update important travel documents like passports, visas, work permits, and international driving licenses
ü Selects and recommends travel products to employees according to organizational travel policies
ü Minimizes business travel risks by delivering real-time information and providing required travel support
ü Negotiates with travel vendors and suppliers to make essential travel products available at lower than market rates
Travel Advisor
Travel planning is the primary responsibility of a professional travel advisor. Most travel advisors help customers plan business travel and leisure travel. They share the information required by customers to create a well-planned business travel itinerary.
Also, they assist travelers to remain safe and stress-free by booking the right travel products. At the same time, the travel advisor helps customers save money by discovering the best deals and special offers provided by various travel suppliers.
What does a Travel Advisor do?
ü Helps employees plan business trips by sharing relevant information and travel materials
ü Recommends the best-suited travel products to travelers according to their preferences and budget
ü Assists employees to compare various travel products and packages
ü Reduces average business trip costs by negotiation and personal contacts with travel suppliers
ü Keeps travelers stress-free by resolving issues and complaints with suppliers
Corporate Travel Consultant vs. Travel Advisor
Both corporate travel consultants and travel advisors recommend the best travel products to employees according to business travel destination and budget. Also, they help employers reduce the average cost of business trips by making travel products available at off-market rates. But a corporate travel consultant differs from a travel advisor in several aspects.
Work Environment
A corporate travel consultant helps customers plan and book business trips. Travel consultants often function as corporate employees or work with a travel management company. But travel advisors help customers book business trips, leisure trips, or vacations. They usually offer travel-related services to travelers independently.
Skills
Many corporate travel consultants attend the travel and tourism courses provided by colleges and universities. Also, they stand out from the competitors by earning travel certifications. They impress corporate customers by honing their interpersonal skills and traveling to various destinations.
Travel advisors often gain experience and hone skills by engaging in domestic and international travel. The personal experience helps them suggest exciting travel destinations to leisure travelers. Also, they leverage personal experience to recommend the best business travel products to business travelers.
Cost Reduction
Both corporate travel consultants and travel advisors help customers book business travel products at lower than market rates. Travel consultants help customers save money on business travel booking by networking and partnering with many travel suppliers. Also, they negotiate with new vendors regularly to get the best rates for firms.
Travel advisors reduce business travel costs using their contacts in the travel industry. Also, they help customers enjoy free Wi-Fi, complimentary breakfast, room upgrades, and similar perks by building preferred vendor relationships. Personal contact and preferred vendor relationships enable travel advisors to get lower rates and higher discounts than online booking sites.
Responsibilities
Travel advisors help customers plan and book business trips. Business travelers work with them to simplify business travel booking by getting expert advice and assistance. But travel advisors do not help firms run business travel programs or ensure travel policy compliance.
Corporate travel consultants help companies meet business travel needs and manage business travel programs. In addition to helping employees plan and book business trips, they assist employers to prevent travel policy violations, minimizing business travel risks, and finding cost-control opportunities.
Fees
As noted earlier, a corporate travel consultant works as an employee or an independent consultant. He earns a regular salary while working as a full-time employee. But he earns revenue by making customers pay service or consultation fees while working as a freelance consultant. Also, consultants earn commissions from travel suppliers and vendors according to the transaction values.
Travel advisors generate revenue by charging trip-planning fees to customers. Also, they receive commissions from travel suppliers based on the travel products booked by a customer. But both travel management consultant and travel advisor creates opportunities for customers to reduce travel costs in several ways
Conclusion
Both corporate travel consultants and travel advisors help corporate customers increase the ROI of corporate travel. A corporate travel consultant helps employees plan business trips and make business travel arrangements. On the other hand, a travel advisor helps employees find and book the right business travel products.
Hence, the role and responsibilities of corporate travel consultants and travel advisors differ. A firm can allow employees to work with a travel consultant or a travel advisor by partnering with a leading travel management company. Also, intelligence technologies have created opportunities for firms to work with virtual travel consultants and travel advisors.
