Top 10 Do’s and Don’ts to Manage International Business Travel

Managing global business travel comes with unique challenges, from logistical to cultural considerations. Travel managers must adhere to best practices to ensure a smooth and successful experience for travelers and the organization. 

This blog explains the top 10 do’s and don’ts to manage international business travel. We offer insights and strategies to help travel managers navigate the complexities of global travel management effectively.

Do’s

1. Develop Clear Policies

Clear policies are essential for international travel because they provide employee guidelines and expectations. It ensures consistency, efficiency, and compliance with company standards and legal requirements. 

Without clear policies, employees may struggle to manage international business travel and what is expected of them. This leads to confusion, inefficiency, and potential non-compliance with company regulations or international laws. Travel managers are crucial in ensuring travel policy compliance by establishing comprehensive travel policies that outline procedures.

Some important policies include:

• Travel Booking Policy: Specifies guidelines for booking flights, accommodations, and transportation, outlining preferred vendors, booking channels, and approval processes. This will optimize cost-efficiency and traveler convenience.
• Expense Reimbursement Policy: Outlines procedures for submitting, approving, and reimbursing travel expenses. It also includes allowable expenditures and documentation requirements.
• Health and Safety Policy: Establishes protocols for assessing and mitigating health and safety risks during international travel. It will include vaccination requirements, medical insurance coverage, and emergency procedures.

2. Monitor Travel Metrics

Monitoring travel metrics involves tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) related to global business travel. This is to gain insights into the travel management program’s efficiency, effectiveness, and overall performance. Some major metrics include:

Travel Spend: This KPI provides valuable insights into the organization’s travel budget utilization, cost-saving opportunities, and potential areas for expense optimization.

Booking Patterns: Manage international business travel booking patterns involves examining trends in travel reservations, such as booking lead times, preferred booking channels, booking class distributions, and seasonality

Traveler Satisfaction: Assessing traveler satisfaction entails collecting feedback from employees who have traveled internationally, gauging their experiences, preferences, and satisfaction levels with various aspects of the travel process.

3. Leverage Travel Management Software

Travel management software is essential for efficiently managing international travel, offering a range of features tailored to streamline processes, enhance organization, and improve communication. Some benefits include:

• Booking Integration: Seamlessly book flights, accommodations, and transportation within a centralized platform, ensuring convenience and efficiency for travelers.
• Policy Compliance Checks: Automatically enforce corporate travel policies during booking processes, ensuring adherence to company guidelines and cost-saving measures.
• Expense Tracking: Capture and categorize expenses in real time, facilitating accurate reporting and streamlined reimbursement processes.
• Itinerary Management: Manage international business travel is to consolidate travel itineraries, including flights, hotel reservations, and meetings, providing travelers with a comprehensive trip overview.
• Communication Tools: Enable instant communication between travel managers and travelers, providing updates, alerts, and support throughout the journey.
• Mobile Accessibility: Access travel management tools and information on mobile devices, allowing travelers to manage bookings and expenses.

4. Provide 24/7 Travel Support

International travel often involves crossing multiple time zones, making it challenging for travelers to access assistance during regular business hours. Understanding global business travel 24/7 support ensures that travelers can receive assistance regardless of location or the time of day, minimizing disruptions and delays.

Moreover, flight delays and cancellations are common occurrences in international travel, disrupting travel plans and leaving travelers stranded. 24/7 support allows travelers to promptly rebook flights, arrange alternative accommodations, or seek assistance with connecting flights, reducing stress and inconvenience.

Some other problems that international travelers need help with are visa and immigration, lost or stolen documents and belongings, travel disruptions, and other emergencies. Access to round-the-clock support enables travelers to quickly seek assistance and guidance in critical situations, ensuring their safety and well-being.

5. Facilitate Risk Management

International travel exposes travelers to various risks, including health hazards, security threats, natural disasters, and transportation accidents. Implementing risk management strategies helps mitigate these risks, ensuring the safety and well-being of travelers.

Conduct a comprehensive pre-trip risk assessment to identify potential hazards, threats, and vulnerabilities associated with the destination. Assessing global business travel factors such as the destination’s current geopolitical situation, weather conditions, infrastructure, and local regulations enables travel managers to evaluate the level of risk that travelers may face.

Next, develop a comprehensive travel risk management plan that should include clear objectives, roles and responsibilities, communication protocols, escalation procedures, and contingency plans for various scenarios.

You must also ensure that travelers are adequately covered by travel insurance policies that provide comprehensive coverage for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, evacuation and repatriation, and other travel-related incidents. 

Don’ts 

6. Don’t Skip Pre-Trip Preparation

Avoid rushing through pre-trip preparations or neglecting essential tasks such as visa applications, health screenings, or travel insurance arrangements. Proper way to manage international business travel planning is key to managing international business travel successfully.

• Rushing through visa applications or neglecting to apply well in advance can lead to entry delays or denial.
• Neglecting health screenings and vaccinations increases health risks during international travel.
• Failing to secure adequate travel insurance leaves travelers vulnerable to unforeseen events.
• Skipping a thorough review of travel documents can result in complications during travel.
• Overlooking currency exchange arrangements may lead to difficulty accessing funds abroad.

7. Don’t Forget to Inform Travelers About Local Laws and Regulations

Each country has specific customs regulations governing the import and export of goods, including currency, food, alcohol, medications, and electronics. Failure to comply with customs regulations can result in fines, confiscation of items, or even legal consequences. Proper communication with travelers about customs requirements ensures they know of any restrictions or declarations needed for items they plan to bring or purchase abroad.

Violating local laws or regulations, intentionally or unintentionally, can have serious legal consequences for travelers, including arrest, detention, or deportation. Travel managers must emphasize the importance of understanding and respecting local laws to mitigate the risk of legal issues during international travel. 

8. Don’t Neglect Cybersecurity Measures

Travelers’ electronic devices, such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets, contain sensitive information and may be targeted by thieves or cyber criminals. Travel managers should manage international business travel to advise travelers to secure their devices with strong passwords or biometric authentication, enable encryption for data storage, and install security software, such as antivirus programs and firewalls, to protect against malware and cyber threats.

Further, many travelers rely on public Wi-Fi networks in hotels, airports, cafes, and other public spaces while traveling. However, these networks are often unsecured, making them vulnerable to hackers who can intercept sensitive information, such as login credentials, credit card numbers, or personal data. 

It’s essential to advise travelers to avoid accessing sensitive accounts or conducting financial transactions over unsecured Wi-Fi networks and to use virtual private networks (VPNs) for added security.

9. Don’t Ignore Expense Management

Manage international business travel by not overlooking expense management or allowing frivolous spending. Implement robust expense tracking systems and enforce spending limits to control costs and ensure accountability.

Deploying robust expense tracking systems is crucial for accurately monitoring and managing travel expenditures. These systems enable travel managers to capture and categorize expenses in real time, providing visibility into travel-related costs and facilitating accurate budgeting and financial reporting.

Implementing streamlined approval processes for travel expenses expedites decision-making and reduces administrative burdens. Travel managers can accelerate expense reimbursement cycles and improve traveler satisfaction by automating approval workflows and empowering designated approvers to review and authorize expenses efficiently.

10.Don’t Ignore Traveler Feedback

Don’t dismiss traveler feedback or fail to address concerns. Actively solicit feedback from travelers through various channels, including post-trip surveys, feedback forms, one-on-one discussions, or online platforms. 

Manage international business travel to encourage travelers to provide honest and constructive feedback about their travel experiences, including accommodations, transportation, customer service, and overall satisfaction.

Pay close attention to traveler feedback to identify recurring issues, pain points, or areas for improvement in the travel management process. Analyze feedback data to pinpoint challenges or deficiencies that may impact the travel experience and hinder traveler satisfaction.

Manage International Business Travel With Ease

Are you tired of the complexities and challenges of managing global business travel? Look no further – ITILITE corporate travel management tool is here to revolutionize how you handle your corporate travel needs. 

With ITILITE, manage international business travel and navigating the intricacies of global travel becomes a breeze, allowing you to streamline processes, optimize costs, and enhance traveler satisfaction like never before.

With ITILITE, compliance is no longer a headache. Our platform ensures adherence to corporate policies, regulatory requirements, and duty of care obligations, keeping your travelers safe and your organization protected.

To know more, book a demo with us today.