Changing Technologies Shift the Role of Travel Managers

It’s no secret that technology is an integral part of a Travel Manager’s role and will become increasingly more important in the future as travel managers seek to take a more strategic position within their organizations. A new study out recently from the GBTA Foundation, sponsored by Sabre, sought to better understand key responsibilities of travel managers, how technology has changed their role today and how technology is expected to further change their role in the future.

Here are five key takeaways you should know:

• Due to technological advances, the vast majority (84 percent) of Travel Managers foresee their role becoming more strategic in the next three to five years than it is today with mobile technology, virtual payments and data collection and analysis all predicted to be a much higher priority in the near future.

• Sixty-one percent of Travel Managers currently think that evaluating and applying technology solutions is “very important” to their role and 75 percent expect it to be “very important” in the near future.
• A large majority – 86 percent – of Travel Managers reported having responsibilities related to selecting or implementing technology, such as online booking tools, mobile solutions or other travel technology software.
• Travel Managers report that they place a great deal of value on having accurate, holistic travel data, which helps them to more easily demonstrate the value their program brings to the company. Seventy percent of Travel Managers currently say they consider leveraging and analyzing travel data to be “very important,” while a larger proportion – 82 percent – say it will be “very important” in the near future.
• When discussing the travel technology solutions that will take on a larger priority in the future, Travel Managers frequently mentioned solutions related to mobility, especially apps for booking on mobile devices. Mobile technology may also play a greater role in duty of care, where mobility can help with communications and traveler tracking.