Business travelers spent over 740 billion dollars around the world. Chinese tourists are said to be the biggest business travel spenders. If you are in the middle of your corporate travel planning, you might want to know the fastest way to plan your trips. 

What is Your Top Priority When Planning for Corporate Travel? 

Before anything, make sure that you take out travel insurance. Traveling is risky. Hence, whoever is traveling for business in your company, make sure that the person is well-covered. 

When finding a policy, opt for coverage that pays for cancellations, flight delays, stolen luggage, medical care, and emergency cover for evacuation. 

You may consider ARAG travel insurance. Check out our review.

Make sure that the policy includes a vehicle. That is if you are hiring a vehicle for your travel. 

It should also include a 24/7 helpline. In that way, you can find help no matter the time of day. 

You should re-read the policy to know the things that are not included. Most travel insurance policies don’t include the following: 

• Pre-existing health conditions
• Terrorism
• Extreme sports
• Civil unrest
• Unspecified personal items

When it comes to the cost of the policy, it will vary depending on the state or country you are traveling to and how long you’re going to stay.

If you travel frequently, opt for a policy that offers discounted rates for yearly trips. You may also consider group rates to cover various people. 

Make Arrangements for all Travels

Planning your business travel thoroughly is vital. As a travel manager, you should familiarize yourself with the company’s travel policy. 

Keep in mind that it’s not personal or short-break. Rather, it’s a business trip. Thus, the travel arrangements must be compliant with the policy. 

Once you have made travel arrangements, the next thing you have to do is to book your travel. It involves traveling by rail, car, air, or boat. 

When booking your travel, consider the travel times against cost and convenience. Think about the time it takes to move from the airport to the railway station. 

Use comparison sites so you can find the best deals. But make sure that you choose the deals that meet the company’s budget restraints. 

Signup for Loyalty Programs 

Doing so will help your company save a lot of money. Corporate travel experts swear by this strategy. 

However, if you are a casual traveler, loyalty programs may not be too attractive to you. However, if you are a repeat business travel customer, the program can help you save a lot of money. 

You can join programs for airlines, hotel chains, gas stations, restaurants, etc. 

Save Information of the Travelers

If you travel regularly or you’re booking another colleague, saving the person’s traveler information will make planning faster and easier. 

That means that you have to keep a record of your date of birth, copies of your travel documents, and loyalty program numbers. 

Choose the Right Accommodation 

Preparing for the trip is half the battle. Picking the right accommodation for your requirements is vital. 

If you only have one meeting place, ensure that you book a hotel nearest to that location. 

Don’t opt for a more luxurious option but you have to deal with a 45-minute journey. You may use maps on your phone to know the distance from the station to your hotel. 

You should also be aware of the amenities at the hotel. If you rely on the breakfast it serves, make sure that you know when it’s going to be. It can be too late for your meetings. 

As a corporate travel manager, make sure to opt for accommodation that offers free Wi-Fi. Travelers would want that. Also, choose a 24-hour room service. 

You may use hotel reviews to know these details. 

Plan a Detailed Itinerary 

The trip itinerary is vital for the traveler to ensure a successful trip. You may use it to ensure that you are in control of each detail. 

Opt for having extra time on your blueprint for relaxing, overrun meeting, and busy traffic. You may use some apps to sync your itinerary with work calendars. This will allow the traveler to share the information with colleagues. 

Know the Destination 

Corporate travels involve going to places that you’re not familiar with or the traveler isn’t familiar with. If the traveler is entering unknown or unchartered territory. Make sure to research the essentials. 

This will avoid unnecessary risks. 

For instance, if your colleagues are traveling to cities that are known for pickpockets, you should warn them. Provide some tips to help them avoid those risks. 

It is also vital to warn them about the current political situation at the destination. 

Traveling to a country with a different culture requires the traveler to know what the culture is like. In that way, he/she can avoid looking like a fool. The person can also avoid offending. 

Note the etiquette on tipping if the traveler is meeting with a client for a meal in a restaurant. Find out when it is the best time to share business cards. 

Most of all, suggest to the traveler about learning a few common phrases if the destination is a country where English isn’t the first language. 

Prepare the Travel Documents

No matter how long you prepare and research for the business trips of your colleagues, everything will be for naught if they forget their travel documents. 

In that case, you should prepare them and hand them over days before the trip. These would include their passports, travel tickets, and a visa. 

And if the person has no visa yet, make sure that you arrange it. Some embassies can take days or weeks to issue visas. 

The traveler may also need to present their photo IDs even if they are not traveling to a different country.  

A driving license and passport are the best options. In that case, you should make sure that the travelers know how to keep them safe at all times. 

Use Tools 

Various tools can help your colleagues’ business trips be a breeze. Thus, advise them to download and install some of these. 

For instance, they can try Expensify. It’s a tool that automates the travel expense process. They just have to scan the recipes to prompt the app to generate a report and submit it on their behalf. 

It has a feature to capture travel-related transactions to track the overall cost of the trip. 

Get Ready for the Trip 

Corporate travels are necessary for any business. That’s why as a travel manager, you should follow a corporate travel planning guide to ensure that your colleagues’ trip is a success.

If you're in your 20s, here are the best places to travel without breaking the bank.