The travel manager, a growing profession in the face of the globalization of Spanish companies
Spanish companies are increasingly present abroad and need to standardize their travel programs in the different markets they reach. This reality is revaluing a figure such as the travel manager, or business travel manager, whose mission is to get the most out of corporate travel and whose responsibility grows with globalization.
The evolution of the Spanish economy, with a growing need for internationalization, is reinforcing some functions within companies, and among them rises rapidly that of the travel manager. More than a hundred travel managers, gathered in Madrid by Forum Business Travel, have highlighted the crucial role that this profession is playing in the process.
“more and more Spanish travel managers of large companies are undertaking globalization programs of their travel policies in the delegations of other countries where they are present,”, Irene Manrique, from the Travel and Events Management Department of BBVA, an entity that in the last four years has implemented the travel policy of its headquarters in 17 countries where it has offices.
This globalization is enabling many companies to rationalize their travel expenses, improve conditions for employees who have to travel in search of business or to participate in international projects, and better meet expansion objectives.
But new needs also bring new demands: “Today the travel manager has to demonstrate much more professional training, more strategic vision in tune with the business model of his company and a great power of internal communication to implement the travel program”, Manrique underlinedó.
In the same line, Óscar García, founding partner of Forum Business Travel, has pointed out in the same session that, in addition to this strategic role, “the travel manager is becoming a key figure to improve the quality of the travel program; becoming a key figure in improving collaboration between departments such as Human Resources, Purchasing, Finance, Administration and Technology, as they are all involved in travel and its optimization.
“Considering that corporate travel is among the top three lines of expenditure in most companies, the travel manager must be increasingly strategic and global, not only for the achievement of savings, but also in all aspects of travel management;
The company's travel program has been designed to be more strategic and global, not only for achieving savings, but also for everything related to expense control, traveler security, application, approval and accounting processes, purchase routing and implementation of the travel program in all the markets in which the company operates, José Luis Giraldez, Head of Customers for American Express Barceló Viajes.
According to Marcos Franco, director of Marketing at Transhotel, the travel manager has to put his experience at the service of the company and, in addition, give visibility to the added value he offers through his work. To do this, it is essential that he masters tools that allow him to find the best solutions for the travel of professionals and, on the same platform, to maintain strict administrative and financial control of his activity.”