Travelstart eyes corporates

TRAVELSTART launched
Travelstart.BIZ, an
online corporate travel
management solution aimed
at small and medium-sized
companies and government
departments, on September 1.
Stephan Ekbergh, ceo
of Travelstart, says he was
prompted to develop an online
corporate travel management
solution after determining
that 30% of Travelstart’s
customers are corporate
travellers and receiving
requests from corporations
to develop such a product.
Marcelle Ross, marketing
and communications manager
of Travelstart, says it was
a natural step, because
corporate travellers are
increasingly expecting the
platforms they use for their
business trips to match the
experiences of consumerfacing
travel platforms.
Marcelle says Travelstart.BIZ
offers corporate travellers key
benefits such as budget and
policy management, profile
management, real-time BI,
travel insurance, duty of care,
expense management and
bleisure options.
Industry authorities differ
on how the new offering
will disrupt the corporate
market. Siobhan Nel, ITC of
Travel Counsellors, feels that
Travelstart.BIZ is “just another
booking tool”. “Corporates
want someone... who deals
with last-minute changes and
cancellations. Look at how
many corporates start using
an online booing tool and a
year later are tendering for
another in-house agent that is
available 24-7. Travel buyers
aren’t travel agents.”
However, Marco
Tomasicchio, gm of XL
International Travels, says,
judging by Travelstart’s move
into the leisure market, its
venture into the corporate
space is likely to be a huge
success. “That said, you
can either fear competition
or embrace it. We are doing
the latter by being proactive
and staying ahead of that
curve. One should also
never discount the personal,
professional relationships fullservice,
highly proactive TMCs
have with corporate clientele.”
Kagiso Dumasi, commercial
manager for Africa of BCD
Travel, agrees but says
Travelstart.BIZ is likely to
primarily capture SMEs. “For
this reason, it will probably
have a bigger effect on ITCs
whose SME clients will no
longer need them than on
global TMCs who have proved
themselves to big corporate
clients.”
Monique Swart, founder of
Abta, says more companies
are questioning whether the
traditional way of managing
and booking travel must
change. “This, coupled with
an increasing need to become
more traveller-centric and give
travellers more choice and
control of how they travel, is
becoming a driving force for
change in the industry.” She
says, with access to various
online booking tools that allow
companies to do this while still
operating within a corporate
travel policy framework,
this shift is starting to gain
momentum. Monique says
online booking tools are not
at industry disruption status
but a trend that is pushing
companies to look at how they
are using technologies within
their travel programmes.
Maureen Masuku, head of
travel and marketing sourcing
of Rand Merchant Bank, says:
“Most technology solutions
are offered by traditional travel
agencies. It usually takes an
outsider to change things
– and I have no doubt that
Travelstart has some smart
people in its team. Companies
want faster quotes and better
control. Plus, the three-quote
system is outdated. They want
to see all their options – and it
is impossible for agents to do
this at the same speed.”