3.
Food and Beverage (F&B) -   this sector primarily
caters to the basic needs of travelers, through the
provision of food and drink services. However, it is
essential to understand that businesses and
services in this category go beyond this primary
purpose.
Why do you think so? Primarily because a huge
part of the food and beverage sector is also based
on providing travelers with places to go to relax,
enjoy themselves, and/or socialize with other
people.  Some examples are  negotiate more prices for future travel, decreasing
 4. Entertainment - this sector plays an interesting
and complex role in the travel industry. After all,
entertainment sites can sometimes be the single
biggest factor attracting travelers to a particular
part of the world. On the other hand, businesses in
this category can also play a smaller, more
supplementary role, helping to keep travelers
entertained during their trip, even if entertainment
was not the intended purpose of their trip.
5. Connected Industries - here are a range of
industries or sub-sectors which are broadly linked
to the travel industry. These related industries may
offer products or services to travelers before they
actually depart on their travels, or may operate to
try to promote or improve the travel industry itself.
They include both online and offline services, with
some of the most significant related industries are
listed below:  want to create a travel management solution that
        a. Financial Services  most from their travel management partner. This
        b. Tourism Organizations  may include flexibility in their travel arrangements,
        c. Educational Institutions
Factors to Consider When Searching for the Right
Travel Management Partners
Choosing a travel management company is a big
step for a business. You want to be sure that you
select a travel management company that will
meet all of your business's needs. As you are
searching for a travel management partner, make
sure that you take these key factors into
consideration.
FACTOR #1: CLEAR DATA REPORTING
It's critical to know what travelers are spending
when they're out on company time. You want to
know where the money is being spent, what it's
being spent on, and who is doing the spending.
Ideally, you want a travel management partner
with a system that will increase visibility, making it
easier to see exactly what your employees are
spending. This data should then be used to
overall company expenses.
FACTOR #2: EASY TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
You're looking for a travel management company
that will make travel arrangements simple for your
employees, not one that will leave you struggling to
navigate the paperwork associated with travel.
Take into consideration the type of online booking
options, which will allow you to send your
employees straight to one easy location. Having a
simple process that benefits your employees is key
when implementing a new booking system.
FACTOR #3: SUPPORTS YOUR COMPANY TRAVEL
GOALS
Take the time to survey your employees, especially
the ones who travel on a regular basis. You don't
no one uses. Ask those employees what they want
a company that makes planning travel easier, or
support when they travel to help prevent potential
issues while they're on the road.
FACTOR #4: FITS WITH YOUR COMPANY CULTURE
You've put a lot of effort into building a solid
company culture: an environment where your
employees feel supported and know that they're
important. You need a travel management partner
that will support your overall company culture and
fit in with your existing plans for your company.
While your travel management policies may shift to
include your new travel management partner, you
want a partner that will stand alongside your
company, not one that will cause problems for your
employees.
FACTOR #5: HAS THE TOOLS WHEN SOMETHING
GOES WRONG
Who should your employees call if things go wrong
while they're working out of town? From a flight
that's been rescheduled or canceled to natural
disasters or terrorism in the area, there are a lot of
things that can go wrong when your employees are
traveling. Your employees need to know that they
will be supported through that process, especially if
things go badly out of control.
You want a travel management partner that will be
available to employees 24/7 and will provide them
with the support they need no matter what goes
wrong. Having a specialty in Duty of Care for your
employees will help keep your employees safer
when they're out on the road—ensuring that they
always have a point of contact they can trust in an
emergency.
FACTOR #6: HANDLES THE DETAILS
There are a lot of little details that go into
corporate travel and you want a travel
management company that will provide your
employees with all of the important details, freeing
them up to focus on your clients. Look for a partner
that will handle things like:
 Booking event or entertainment tickets,
whether for your employees or for your
employees and your clients
 Making restaurant reservations
 Arranging for ground travel once they arrive
at their destination, whether that means
making sure that a cab will be waiting for
them or that there will be a rental car on
hand
 Identifying attractions and activities that are
of interest to your employees
FACTOR #7: KNOWS YOUR PREFERENCES AND
HANDLES YOUR KIND OF TRAVEL
What suppliers do you prefer to book with? Do you
have an arrangement that will allow you to get a
better deal with a specific service provider, like a
hotel or airline? Do you get rewards points for
certain services? More importantly, are there
specific providers that have been known to provide
better services for your employees?
You want a travel management company that will
get to know your preferences and take them into
consideration when they're booking travel for your
employees. They should also cover the areas where
you'll plan to travel. Be sure that you're looking at a
travel management provider that can handle your
kind of travel. You don't want a travel management
company whose duties stop when you cross
international borders, especially if your employees
travel out of the country on a regular basis. Make
sure that your travel management company will:
 Handle both ground transportation and
flight scheduling
 Take care of both international and
domestic travel arrangements
 Accommodate special requests for ground
travel, from limousines to luxury rental
vehicles
 Takes care of any necessary travel once
employees arrive at their destinations
FACTOR #8: PROVIDES A CLEAR OUTLINE OF
WHAT TO EXPECT
Your service-level agreement should provide a
clear outline of what to expect when you're dealing
with your travel management company. How long
do they have to respond when you contact them?
What are your expectations, and what are the
penalties if the company fails to follow through?
This outline will help you better understand what
to expect any time you book travel arrangements.
FACTOR #9: GOES BEYOND TRAVEL
There are plenty of times when employee travel is
about more than just heading off to a different
destination to meet with clients. You may also find
that you need to coordinate receptions and events
in cities that are unfamiliar to your employees.
Take a look at the travel management company
you're considering. Do they have the resources to
help coordinate events, receptions, and parties?
Will they provide you with adequate support
throughout the process, whether that means
recommending a provider or offering to coordinate
those services themselves?
FACTOR #10: HAS A STRONG MANAGEMENT
TEAM
Your travel management company needs a strong
management team that will help identify the
opportunities within a company and produces
actionable results. You want a company that will
partner with your business and provides you with
a better understanding of how you can save money
on your travel arrangements.
Choosing a travel management company is a big
decision. Make sure that you select the right one
for your business by carefully considering these
important factors before you move forward with
your decision. You want a travel management
company that will fit with your company culture,
stay within the confines of your budget, and
provide the services that you want most for your
employees.
Take the stress out of travel management by
choosing a travel management partner that will
make employees' lives easier when they're on the
road.
Making Travel Arrangements
There are many factors that go into making
business travel arrangements. Administrative
assistants and meeting planners are generally in
charge of coordinating travel plans for managers or
executives. Therefore, they learn quickly the
importance of planning every detail and how
stressful it can be. When done correctly, a travel
itinerary can become the most essential part of an
executive’s trip. When you are well-prepared and
organized, traveling can go seamlessly. Above all, it
is important to gather information and ask the right
questions before making a single reservation.
Preparation is everything. Projects and operations
stand or fall by the planning that precedes them. It
is no wonder we say that thought and
preparation go into our actions. In a sense this is
true. Good planning goes into a
project, possesses it, gives it life, and drives it
forward towards its goal. Quite simply, the more
thought and planning that goes into an endeavor,
the more likely it is to succeed.
“Action without planning is the cause of every
failure.” Peter Drucker
Leaders do not always have time to plan. Wise
leaders are aware of this and seek out dedicated
assistants to do their planning for them. They know
how valuable a skilled assistant can be. They
understand that in order to reach maximum
productivity and effectiveness, they will need the
help of a reliable assistant, the kind that is always
a few chess moves ahead, clearing away the clutter
and taking any necessary preemptive or proactive
steps.
Making travel arrangements for an executive is a
perfect example of the kind of task that requires
thorough planning, and it is a task classically
entrusted to a personal/executive assistant. What
follows is the first of three posts aimed at helping
professional assistants make out-of-this-world
travel plans and arrangements for their executive
leaders.
Break It Into Stages
The CEO has a business trip coming up and you, the
ever-loyal executive assistant, have been entrusted
with the task of making travel arrangements.
Where to begin?
Start by dividing your actions into three stages:
1. The Gathering Stage. Gather information
about the executive's destinations,
schedule, travel preferences, etc.
 2. The Finalizing Stage. Make the reservations
and buy the tickets, i.e., construct a
complete travel plan that coincides as
closely as possible with the executive's
schedule and preferences.
3. The "Be Prepared" Stage. Ensure that the
executive is completely prepared for the
trip, and for any unexpected scenarios or
changes of plans.
 “By failing to plan you are planning to fail.”
Benjamin Franklin
Here is a list of 14 pointers to consider before
finalizing the plans:
1. Clarify Objectives
Truly professional assistants always start with the
end in mind. Inquire about the larger picture and
purpose the trip. Try to find out what would have
to happen in order for this trip to be considered
"successful" from the executive's point of view.
Then ask yourself: What can I do to help make this
happen? This question should be like a motif
running through the entire planning process.
2. Know the Budget
Determine what sort of budget exists for the trip.
This will serve as a useful reference point
throughout the planning process. It is also helpful
to break the global budget down into ingredients
such as airfare, transportation, accommodations,
etc. Some assistants will have to determine the
budget themselves; others will need to ask the
executive or the accounting department.
3. Go to the Archives
If possible, contact any assistants or staff members
who were responsible or involved in the executive's
travel arrangements on prior trips to see what sort
of insights can be gleaned from their experiences.
They may have already done much of the fact-
finding labor for you, and they may have made
blunders you will want to avoid.
4. Traveler's Details
Gather the details necessary for making
reservations and booking flights. These should
include the traveler's:
1. Full name (as it appears on drivers license
or ID)
2. Email address
3. ID/drivers license number
4. Phone number (necessary in cases of
cancellation or delay)
5. Credit card number and expiration date
6. Address
Have these on hand (legible and organized) when it
comes time to make the actual reservations and
bookings. If you are asked to provide any additional
details, make a note of this for the next trip.
5. Permission Granted
Make sure the executive's passport is valid and will
not be expiring in the near future. Certain countries
require vaccination forms and Visas, so these
matters should also be taken into account and
dealt with if necessary, as should travel insurance.
If the executive will be attending a conference,
make sure to reserve his seat as early as possible.
6. Tea for Two
Find out if the traveler will be joined by colleagues,
staff, or family at any point during the trip.
Consider what steps should be taken to
accommodate these people. Ask if there is anybody
the executive would like to sit next to on the plane.
7. To and From the Airport
Don't forget to take this important detail into
consideration. Will the executive be driving his own
vehicle to the airport (and leaving it in long term
airport parking), or will somebody else be driving
him? Will he use a car/limousine service, Uber, taxi,
public transportation? How much luggage will the
executive be taking, and must any of it be checked?
8. The Schedule
This may be the most important part of the
preparations. Make a list of exact dates and times
the traveler needs or desires to be at each 12. Hotel Preferences
destination, from the beginning of the trip to the
When it comes to choosing a hotel, find out where
end, including when she needs or desires to reach
her priorities lie: proximity to business
home. Accuracy is critical here, so make sure to
engagements, proximity to airport, comfort and
double check every detail.
quality, a particular hotel or hotel chain, etc. In the
Know the exact location, time, and nature of each case of a conference, check the option of booking a
meeting, engagement, or event the traveler will be room in the hotel hosting the conference. Of
attending. This information will become crucial course you'll want to inquire about preferences
when it comes time to deal with transportation and such as room (single, double, twin, or suite), bed
hotel reservations. The more information you can size, meals, gym, spa, Wi-Fi, etc.
gather, the more effective you can be.
13. Travel Agent
“Before anything else, preparation is the key to
And of course, find out if the traveler prefers to
success.” Alexander Graham Bell 
work with a particular travel agent or agency, or if
9. The Frequent Flyer your company has an internal travel department
that handles travel arrangements.
Find out if the traveler has any existing frequent
flyer accounts, credit card airline rewards, hotel 14. Research and Return
loyalty programs, etc., and what priority should be
After gathering all of the above information, do not
given to using these.
run to the phone or computer to start booking
10. Flight Preferences flights and making reservations. First, do some
added research (unless you've got a reliable agent
Make a list of the traveler's airline, airport, and
doing the research for you). It could be that while
travel class preferences. Standard travel classes
the traveler said he would like to stay in Hotel A, he
are: first, business, and economy. (Keep in mind
is not aware of a great deal at Hotel B, or the ideal
that differences between first and business classes
location of Hotel C. Go back over each of the above
are not standard, so you'll have to do some
thirteen boxes, this time thinking outside the box a
research). Be sure to inquire about the traveler's
bit. Record your findings and sit down with the
seating preferences within the preferred class:
executive for a second time to present him with
aisle, window, front or back of plane, exit row,
any thoughts or suggestions.
bulkhead seat, etc. Also, does the traveler have
meal preferences or restrictions? Will the he need
Wi-Fi or a power connection in order to work while
in the air?
11. Transportation Preferences
Determine what sort of transportation the
executive will want use during the trip:
car/limousine service, Uber, rental, taxi, or public.
Some companies get car rental discounts, so find
out if your company has such an arrangement. In
the case of car rental, you will of course need to
inquire about the type of car.