What are the needs of medium and long-term travelers?

MONTSE DÍAZ ORTEGA
Management and Services to the Own Equipment at the UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA (UOC)

 

When some of our travelers must make a trip of medium or long duration, i.e., more than one month, we must take into account different factors that can make differences in some points of the Travel Policy.

The most important factors are: the destination, the nationality of the person who must travel, the duration of the trip and the legal and health requirements that must be met depending on the country.

For national destinations, the only difference we can apply to the general Travel Policy is the accommodation. The hotel is usually disregarded because of the cost, and instead, people opt for apartments or other types of more economical accommodation.

For international destinations, especially when outside Europe, the traveler is an important part of defining travel needs. There are factors, such as your personal and family situation, your nationality and some other factors that can make travel management more complex.

In addition, in the case of the UOC, travel is usually linked to some kind of research project, whose funding can sometimes be partial or total;This funding may sometimes be partially or totally external, so that indications specified in the regulatory bases must be applied, which need not necessarily coincide with the Travel Policy.

As regards the transportation, as a general rule there is an exact start and end date of the stay, so the complete trip is booked (round trip).

Another important issue is that of the insurance, both travel and health. When the duration of the trip is less than 60 days, in principle it is already included in the travel coverage offered by the means of payment through the credit card. If it is higher, an extension can be requested to the same insurance company linked to the credit card, or if the traveler requests it for particular needs.

On the other hand, the processing of the visa is a complex issue in some countries. Normally, if the person is of Spanish nationality, it can be processed by the agency itself, but in some cases it must be done by the traveler himself because it may require a personal interview at the embassy and other requirements.