As globalization continues to break down barriers between countries, more people are traveling than ever before. This presents incredible opportunities to explore the world, experience new cultures and gain a fresh perspective; but travel can also present challenges, especially for potentially vulnerable groups such as women, minorities, the disabled and LGBTQ+ travelers. These people may face unique obstacles that can impact their sense of security, accessibility, and overall enjoyment while traveling. In an increasingly interconnected world, technology can play a vital role in enhancing our travel experiences. For these travelers, having access to technologies that provide information and insights regarding safety considerations has been a game-changer; helping travelers make informed decisions and securely navigate unfamiliar destinations with greater confidence.

Understanding Safety Concerns

Safety is a primary concern for every traveler, but it is amplified for particular groups. Some women, for example, may face harassment or assault while traveling, particularly if they’re traveling alone. Others may fear they’ll be targets of discrimination or harassment in unfamiliar destinations. It is crucial that the travel industry address these concerns by raising awareness, promoting safety measures, and advocating for inclusive policies. Supporting initiatives can take many forms, such as safe accommodation options, comprehensive travel insurance, and easy access to reliable safety resources.

“… having access to technologies that provide information and insights regarding safety considerations has been a game-changer”

 

Ensuring secure accommodations is a crucial component of safe travel. To reduce risk, some suppliers have taken steps to ensure travelers feel supported and welcomed. This might include training staff to recognize and respond to safety concerns, offering emergency resources to travelers, and partnering with local organizations to provide support and assistance in case of an emergency. Thoroughly researching and reading reviews about different hotels and accommodation options can help travelers make informed decisions. Opting for establishments with positive reputations and familiar locations, or those well-reviewed by fellow travelers, minimizes the likelihood of encountering compromising situations while away from home.

The Role of Technology in Travel Safety

Travel technology providers are also taking significant steps to ensure safer travels for everyone. For example, MMGY Global has recently unveiled its Travel Safety Barometer, a sentiment-tracking tool designed to gauge American travelers’ perceptions of safety by offering real-time insights into travelers’ comfort levels according to various travel behaviors. As of the most recent polling in May 2023, the barometer reveals that domestic leisure travel within the U.S. is showing signs of recovery before business and international travel although overall confidence in travel safety remains relatively low.

Planning for safer travels begins in the sourcing process. Hotel sourcing platform, Vindow, Inc., offers travel buyers access to their proprietary Vindow Score, a tool which lets them see how hotels rank when independently compared by location, amenities, health and safety ratings, and more. The score is derived by analyzing millions of actual guest reviews on online travel and hotel booking sites using Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing. In addition to the aggregate score (a numerical rating out of 5) included with every hotel listing, buyers can also drill down into the granular details of the Vindow Score, to obtain specific information about each property to inform the best possible choice. Vindow has also partnered with GeoSure to incorporate their hyperlocal Neighborhood Composite Scores into the platform. GeoSure reports in real-time on safety, accessibility, and logistical factors in the form of a percentage (100% being the best), making it easy for buyers to determine if a hotel is in a safe, easily accessible area. Their ratings are specifically categorized by Nighttime, Physical, Women’s and LGBTQ Safety, Theft, Health and Medical, and Basic Freedoms.

In Conclusion

As travel becomes more accessible and diverse populations embark on journeys around the world, it is crucial to address the unique challenges and safety concerns faced by vulnerable individuals. Technology has emerged as a powerful tool in empowering travelers and promoting safer experiences. By embracing cutting-edge technology and prioritizing safety measures, we can elevate the travel experience for individuals, while simultaneously fostering a more interconnected and compassionate world. Together, let’s take an active role in guaranteeing that every traveler can embark on their explorations with confidence.

As the global fight against climate change intensifies, businesses of all sizes have a crucial role to play in achieving sustainability goals. While eco-friendly measures were once a mere bonus, they are now a necessity for companies that hope to thrive in the long run. Among industries that have a pivotal role to play in mitigating environmental harm, travel and hospitality companies stand out. More and more hotels and corporate travel buyers are stepping up to the challenge, understanding that sustainability is vital both for the planet and their bottom line. Let’s look at what sustainability means for the business travel community and some of the actions being taken achieve it.

Understanding the Need for Sustainability
At its most basic level, sustainable practices involve maintaining a balance between economic prosperity, environmental protection, and social responsibility. The travel industry has long struggled with emissions from energy consumption and extensive operational waste.

In order to move towards a more sustainable future, it is essential that both suppliers and buyers within the travel sector embrace sustainability concepts at all levels of operations, and there are significant benefits for doing so. Organizations that prioritize sustainability are less likely to face regulatory hurdles and negative media attention. For an industry that is heavily reliant on fossil-fuels, turning to renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, whenever feasible, can bring down costs in the long run. More significantly, reducing supply chain waste and emissions can also lead to substantial operational efficiencies.

 

“Studies have repeatedly shown that travelers are more likely to trust, and buy from, airlines, hotels and other suppliers that have a sustainable reputation.”

 

Studies have repeatedly shown that travelers are more likely to trust, and buy from, airlines, hotels and other suppliers that have a sustainable reputation. In the end, industry suppliers will benefit from utilizing sustainable practices as it helps them stand out in an increasingly competitive market and puts them ahead of their competition.

Strategies for Achieving Sustainability
There are some very basic strategies that any organization can use to move towards sustainability goals. The first is adopting a circular economy model, which focuses on designing for, and committing to, recycling, repurposing, and regeneration. The second strategy involves creating energy efficiency programs and adopting renewable energy sources. Third is choosing production and supply chain partners that share their sustainability objectives and, lastly, is adopting a policy of transparency around energy, water use, emissions, and waste management.

In the context of corporate travel programs hotels, buyers and travelers have all been conscientiously shifting towards more sustainable practices in order to protect the environment, local communities, and cultures by using renewable energy sources, investing in green technologies, and implementing eco-friendly practices. Additionally, many travel-related companies are focusing on responsible tourism initiatives such as developing sustainable tourism destinations and supporting local communities by providing job opportunities for locals and promoting cultural appreciation. By doing so, suppliers can reduce their environmental footprint while still providing travelers with unique and memorable experiences.

Current Best Practices in Travel & Tourism Sustainability
Formalizing policy around sustainable practices has become increasingly important in the travel industry, especially with growing awareness among travelers who want to exercise their personal choice to lessen their environmental impact. In support of their customers, some of the industry’s leading service providers, like Vindow, have become members of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC) ,whose mission is to establish and manage global standards for sustainable travel and tourism. GSTC has developed the GSTC Criteria, which includes Destination Criteria for public policy-makers and destination managers, and Industry Criteria for hotels and tour operators. They are part of a worldwide effort to develop a common language about sustainability in travel and tourism.

Another major way in which travel technology providers, including Vindow, are being more energy efficient and lowering their carbon footprint, is building their cloud-based SaaS systems on the Amazon AWS platform. Amazon’s data centers are designed to be highly energy-efficient, lowering carbon emissions by 88%, when compared to surveyed enterprise data centers. This translates to a significant reduction in the environmental footprint of businesses that leverage AWS services. With higher server utilization rates and energy efficiencies, cloud providers like AWS significantly reduce the energy consumption per unit of computing output. Additionally, AWS’s scalability allows businesses to match their IT resources with demand, avoiding energy wastage from over-provisioning.

By building on AWS’ infrastructure, Vindow can be shown to be 3.6 times more energy efficient than the median of U.S. enterprise data centers surveyed and up to five times more energy efficient than the average in Europe, lowering customers’ workload carbon footprints by nearly 80% compared to surveyed enterprise data centers. This strategy makes it possible for Vindow to have a robust, secure, scalable architecture that is also environmentally conscious.

The Travel Industry is at a Critical Juncture
Implementing sustainable practices is increasingly important for the business travel community. Companies like Vindow are showing that responsible sustainability practices can be good for both the planet and business, by fostering innovation and increasing efficiency. Through investment in green technologies, adhering to responsible tourism initiatives, and focusing on responsible travel practices, the business travel industry can reduce their overall carbon footprint and create a more sustainable future and Vindow intend to lead the way.

Business Travel Tech Trends presents
10-Minutes Only:
Conversations with Travel Leaders
Today’s Guest: Ken Shanley, Founder of Vindow, Inc.

Business Travel Tech Trends: Frustrations are boiling over as corporate travel buyers conclude one of the most exasperating RFP seasons ever. What’s causing this frustration and what can be done about it?
Ken Shanley, Vindow: Corporate travel buyers are tired of conforming their internal processes to software providers who are unwilling to invest in developing new technologies and they’ve lost patience with empty promises from status quo providers. For example, new AI-enabled sourcing technologies have the potential to revolutionize the hotel procurement process and Vindow is on the cutting edge of that development.

Business Travel Tech Trends: What are some of the key issues for corporate travel managers right now?
Ken Shanley, Vindow: For the last couple of years, hotel companies have been working to recoup lost revenue from the pandemic. Fortunately for them, pent up demand among leisure travelers helped greatly. But business travel is recovering much more slowly, with some predicting that levels will never return to their 2019 peak.
This has created a lot of opposing problems for corporate travel buyers. While overall traveler numbers may be down; hotel rates are way up. Their internal leadership may want to see reductions in business travel spend, but hotels are increasingly inflexible when it comes to negotiating discounted rates and availability terms. Likewise, their travelers care deeply about sustainability and duty of care initiatives, but trying to implement new standards is complicating an already tough situation. This is the environment in which travel managers operate today.
Our mission is to resolve challenges and make hotel sourcing faster and easier for all parties. The Vindow platform was designed to be exceptionally flexible to handle the multiple, sometimes conflicting, priorities of corporate travel buyers. Our RFP sourcing tool can accommodate any kind of negotiated rate business – from annual contracts to groups or meetings & events. And, we make it easy for hotels to quote fixed, dynamic and hybrid rates. Vindow is designed, from the ground up, to provide a level playing field where both buyers and sellers can make smart, informed, data-driven decisions.

Business Travel Tech Trends: What should corporate travel managers know about Vindow?
Ken Shanley, Vindow: There’s so much I could say about our product and technology, but the thing I’m most proud of is our people. Our team has an amazing depth of experience in the hospitality industry. Our CEO, Vic Pynn, is an absolute legend and collectively our team members have decades of experience in hotel sourcing and travel technology, with the most recognizable names in the business. Working collaboratively gives us access to an incredible knowledge base of real-world, practical insights that inspire innovation. In addition, fully two-thirds of our people work in product development and IT, representing our commitment to deliver the most practical, technologically advanced tools in the industry.

TIMES UP!
Our thanks to Ken Shanley, Founder of Vindow, Inc. for your sharing time with us.

Business travel is entering a new era. Three years on from the start of the pandemic, a variety of factors – a distributed US workforce with people working from virtual offices, concern about employee engagement and retention, and the call for more corporate social responsibility – are flipping the script on how we view business travel.  Organizations are now weighing both the costs and the benefits of their corporate travel program in a more holistic fashion that takes into consideration the monetary costs of travel, as well as the impact on employees when determining travel programs and policies.

Business travel isn’t going away. Whether it is for client meetings, conferences, or sales pitches, travel is a key component of an organization’s success. Conferences and trade shows can build brand awareness, expose your products to new audiences, and provide a vehicle for sharing ideas and information between colleagues. Face-to-face meetings are often essential to forming meaningful connections between clients and suppliers. But business  travel that has become rote or habitual – travel for the sake of travel – is expensive and can lead to missed opportunities, unproductive meetings, and wasted resources.

 

“Intentional or purposeful business travel ensures that every trip aligns with the organization’s business objectives.”

 

What Does it Mean to Travel with Intention?

Intentional or purposeful business travel ensures that every trip aligns with the organization’s business objectives. Having a clear understanding of what the business hopes to achieve in advance of  booking a trip, allows travelers to plan and prepare accordingly to ensure that the trip is worthwhile. Going on a trip without a clear objective or forethought can squander both  time and resources. Intentionality in business travel can lead to more productive meetings. When travelers are focused on what they hope to achieve through the trip, they are better prepared to capture opportunities.

Understanding why their people travel can help travel managers institute travel policies and guidelines that align with the corporate culture and business objectives. Additionally, it can lead to better time management, ensuring that all meetings and activities are scheduled and executed effectively. Ultimately, this can lead to better relationships with clients and partners and improved business outcomes.

 

The Care and Feeding of Business Travelers

Companies are recognizing that their employees’ mental, physical, and emotional well-being must be an  integral part of an organization’s travel operations. Intentionality in business travel can have a positive impact on employee well-being. Business travel can be stressful, and without clear objectives or plans, employees can feel overwhelmed, leading to burnout and decreased productivity. By having a clear understanding of what they hope to achieve through a business trip, employees can plan more proactively, including getting sufficient rest, scheduling downtime, and ensuring they have the necessary resources to complete their tasks. Ultimately, this approach can improve work-life balance and job satisfaction, which can positively impact the organization’s overall productivity and success.

More and more corporate travel managers are looking for ways to measure and mitigate the adverse impact of business travel on employees. For example, travel giants, Egencia and TripActions have debuted online dashboards that collect and analyze data relative to traveler wellbeing.  John Sturino, Senior Vice President of Product and Engineering at American Express GBT, was quoted in a recent article on purposeful travel in  Phocuswire as saying: “Before the pandemic there were certain things that weren’t thought of as part of the travel manager’s job, and I think wellness was one of them. Once you get into a position as a general manager where you don’t see people every day, a lot of those signals you used to have to say whether your folks are doing okay, went away.”

 

Purposeful Travel is More Cost Effective

Intentionality in business travel leads to cost savings. Travel managers implementing wellness metrics report seeing direct links between traveler well-being and successful business outcomes, with measurable return on investment of time, money, and effort. When employees have a clear understanding of what they hope to achieve through the trip, they can choose the most cost-effective travel options and accommodations.

Additionally, having clear objectives can help prioritize travel expenses, ensuring that travelers spend only on what is necessary to achieve the company’s goals. Ultimately, these cost savings can be reinvested in other areas of the business. As  travel managers evolve better ways to measure and assess the overall impact of business travel, they can be more effect in implementing ways to help their travelers continually improve both their wellness and their business results.

 

Intentionality is Good for the Planet

Intentionality in business travel can also have a positive impact on the environment. Global business travel leaves a significant carbon footprint, which contributes to climate change. At the “Purposeful Travel Summit” hosted by Microsoft last year, attendees, comprised of a broad swath of industry professionals including buyers and suppliers,  concluded that it is imperative that business travel management in the future incorporate sustainability goals and endeavor to have “higher impact, lower footprint and greater inclusivity” including minimal impact on traveler health.

Objective, purposeful travel policies let employees schedule their trips more effectively and choose the most environmentally friendly travel options. Additionally, assessing intentionality in business travel decisions can lead to more virtual meetings, reducing the need for travel and decreasing the organization’s total carbon footprint.

 

In Conclusion

Business travel is essential for the success of an organization. In the past, business travel management was limited to simply logistical and cost considerations. Incorporating the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of business travel into an overarching travel philosophy can result in more positive business outcomes with minimal adverse impact.

Today’s travel managers have a unique opportunity to expand their scope and contribute towards a more successful, productive, and sustainable organization. Purposeful  travel policies improve productivity, ensure employee well-being, deliver measurable cost savings, and can have a positive impact on the environment. As such, travel managers should encourage employees to plan their trips with intentionality; setting clear objectives, preparing effectively for meetings, prioritizing expenses, and choosing the most environmentally friendly travel options.