Corporate travel is a great way for businesses to stay competitive. Teams can improve brand visibility by networking at special events and strengthening relationships with suppliers, which ultimately benefits everyone through enhanced productivity and creativity.

Employees can build skills such as communication, adaptability, and problem-solving, but these are not innate abilities; they can be nurtured through engagement with new people. However, corporate travel has long-term disadvantages, so enterprises must have a well-planned strategy for sending teams and ensuring their well-being throughout the trip.

Let’s explore the intricacies of business travel and see if it’s worth it.

Corporate travel can be dangerous

The efficiency of the business trip should be as important as the employee’s safety. While rare flights and travel might not have a significant impact on productivity, understanding how frequent operations contribute to stress, fatigue, and burnout is important for employers.

The dangers of travelling for business can include:

• Travelling during extreme weather events or regional instability;
• Experiencing health issues triggered by jet lag;
• Struggling to keep a healthy diet;

Even temporary relocation to another workplace can pose issues, especially in hazardous environments. However, under a company’s duty of care, any employer must protect workers from any potential danger arising from activities such as carrying items through wet entryways or using unfit equipment. These cases support slip-and-fall-at-work compensation claims, in which the employee received help from an advisor in starting a personal injury claim based on gathered evidence, such as footage, medical reports, and witnesses’ declarations.

Work and travel come with unexpected costs and disruptions

While the management team can plan every single step of the business trip, it’s always recommended to expect something to go wrong. Disruptions are common challenges when travelling, so delays due to weather events or cancellations caused by strikes are not new.

Moreover, the costs of flights, accommodations, and transportation are already high, in addition to the funds set aside for worst-case scenarios. The team must be efficient in developing a strategy for booking and expenses, which can be done with software tools and on-hand research into the best companies based on fares and safety.

As a side note, companies should also mind their carbon footprint when sending teams for travel, especially when they want to brand the business as eco-conscious. Lower-impact alternatives should be considered more often, like carbon-offset programs, so the enterprise can better prioritise sustainability.

Still, travelling for business is advantageous

If companies find the balance between managing the risks and making the most out of opportunities, then corporate travel is worth the challenges. If done right, it can:

• Lower employee turnover by establishing valuable internal relationships;
• Enhance ROI based on the post-trip increase in productivity and engagement;
• Benefit teams with improved well-being and loyalty;

Most importantly, brands that value proper business travel have a competitive advantage in forging collaborations with other companies looking to expand their customer base. We can recall some of the most unexpected yet successful partnerships, such as Red Bull and GoPro, Nike and Apple, and Puma and Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty brand.

Managing corporate travel for maximum benefits

Businesses must adopt a structured approach towards sending employees or teams travelling to support brand awareness. There are multiple aspects to consider, including accommodation and transport plans, as well as the benefits employees can access to manage stress.

However, these are the most pressing matters:

• Your company’s travel policies will be tailored to include preferred suppliers, duty-of-care procedures, and the approvals process for out-of-policy bookings. Make sure to keep it simple but comprehensive;
• The travel risk management solutions should include a real-time monitoring feature to prevent challenges and minimise their impact. Numerous platforms are available for companies to mitigate risks associated with employee mobility;
• The support for travelling services is an additional security feature necessary in case of emergencies, real-time alerts, and self-service tools for every type of potential problem

Understanding how financial waste happens

Besides poor planning and poor responsibility, companies tend to waste a lot of resources on missed opportunities and ineffective business travel strategies. According to Statista, business travelers spend about 1.4 trillion U.S. dollars worldwide, mostly in the United States and Canada. At the same time, the rate of business travel worldwide has increased recently, largely due to rising living costs and companies’ need to find new ways to grow.

Before the pandemic, when online business meetings and work weren’t that popular and corporate travel was thriving, it was found that numerous financial resources went to waste, whether in meetings or recreational spending. Without an agenda, teams often participate in poorly organised meetings where employees don’t contribute, or prolonged inactivity makes these meetings inefficient. Therefore, the biggest challenge was to be involved and know how to communicate.

Where preparation and communication meet

Although they are underrated, effective communication and organisation are key to business success. In meetings, combining both can be efficient when setting a clear agenda and defining the desired outcomes. This makes it easy to pursue the goal and strive for productivity. Employees can prepare their talking points, but the meeting leader must give everyone a chance to take the lead and contribute to the discussion. A talented person can also encourage ideals and solutions while being mindful of the time available. Overall, finding the right people to collaborate with should be met with a prepared team.

Conclusion

Travelling for work has its ups and downs, starting from the many benefits for employees to the risks they’re exposed to. Unexpected events, such as extreme weather, can affect the quality of the trip and employees’ well-being, but with the right planning and predictive tools, this activity can still strive for a positive outcome for the company. Starting with analysing where waste occurs and continuing with balancing risks, benefits, and strategies, these are the necessary steps for supporting sustainable and efficient corporate travel. For instance, developing communication and meeting layouts can improve employees’ abilities and help them bring valuable insights from business trips.