How did Corporate Traveller’s Risk Management Tool assist customers in 2020?
For most of us, our turbulent 2020 will be remembered for bushfires, lockdowns and an unprecedented pandemic. Business travellers faced cancellations and quarantines, as hotels closed and airlines collapsed. Yet for Corporate Traveller, 2020 was the year we added value in more ways than ever before. From timely crisis communications to emergency repatriations, Duty of Care was our primary priority.
2020 Travel: Crisis Comms and Global Care
In early January, in what would be the first signs of the turbulence ahead for the travel industry, announcements of commercial airlines collapsing starting trickling in.
For Corporate Traveller customers, these notifications were just one of many in store. Our Travel Managers received emergency communications in relation to border and movement restrictions in Wuhan, China. The alert served as a warning as the virus spread to South Korea, Iran, Italy, and then eventually the rest of the world.
COVID-19 was just one of many obstacles that travellers faced. In Australia, airports were forced to delay and cancel flights due to unprecedented bushfires that impacted 80% of its population either directly or indirectly. Corporate Traveller was there to help customers assess whether their flight had been affected and pledged to be by their side from the start of their journey to the finish.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Corporate Traveller’s people and technology worked to help customers locate, communicate and repatriate travellers all around the world using our reporting and analytics solution, our mobile travel assistant, our travel alerts by e-mail, and through our crisis communications
That same message played a big role when in January 2020, regulatory bodies issued an emergency notice to airmen over the Persian Gulf flight corridor as the United States and Iran exchanged hostilities. As airlines reworked their flight paths, Corporate Traveller’s Duty of Care solutions again were there to help keep customers informed about the situation and its impact on their travel programs.
2020 Technology: Information & Innovation
Following the rapid global spread of COVID-19, Corporate Traveller continued to innovate through the introduction of the Flight Centre Travel Group Travel News Hub. This invaluable tool allows travellers to access the latest updates on border changes, quarantine rules and visa restrictions, as well as tracking travel routes via the COVID-19 Travel Map. Though COVID-19 stood as number one on most organisations’ agendas, Corporate Traveller continued to pro-actively monitor all global incidents.
2020 also saw immense advancements in technology in airports, hotels, and rideshare vehicles; all with a focus on traveller health and safety. The year saw a renewed emphasis on curbing CO2 emissions, reducing traveller stress, and putting traveller wellness at the heart of travel risk management policies. Communication planning also leapt to the forefront of business continuity strategies as organisations faced the challenges of Brexit, Real ID, and security obstacles around the globe.
2021: Ready for Business Travel
Through our people, our products, and our relationships, Corporate Traveller will always remain by the side of our customers. Our dedication to the health and safety of travellers and to the recovery of the travel industry as a whole will be at the core of our foundational approach to travel and travel risk management. As we embark on a 2021 filled with tentative hope, we are ready to support you with all your future travels.