Although they are gaining recognition, the majority of travel managers feel they have too many responsibilities and too few rights. They want more freedom and power to impose sanctions.

Which news about travel managers do you want first – the good or the bad?

Let’s start with the good news: companies are appreciating their travel managers more and more. One out of every two of the 1,500 travel managers surveyed in the latest AirPlus International Travel Management Study believes that their position will gain importance in the coming years. The reasons for this positive development are clear: travel costs may be rising, but so is the number of business trips. At the same time, cost-cutting measures are being implemented and business trips handled more individually. Around 80% of the respondents expressed the opinion that they are so well regarded as travel managers because they have to accomplish this ‘squaring of the circle’.

But there is another side to this issue, because the study also showed, in addition to a generally positive assessment, alarming trends in travel management:

• 42% of travel managers feel time pressure when planning business trips
• 36% feel restricted in their work due to a lack of empowerment
• 60% spend only a quarter of their working time on their actual tasks due to other responsibilities

Negative opinions such as these explain why most of the respondents are so disappointed that their guidelines receive so little consideration. ‘Good’ and effective travel management can only work when those responsible also have the freedom to waive guidelines and also enforce sanctions when they are broken. That is why 80% of all respondents wish they either had more time or more sanctioning abilities. A third of them are even asking for both.

A further problem is becoming even more urgent, according to the respondents: it is becoming more and more difficult, mostly because of cost reasons, to cater to the individual needs of business travelers – although it’s also becoming more and more important. That’s why over 80% of travel managers hope for more intensive and coordinated collaboration with the finance department.