What will 2024 hold in store for travel management?
Sabah Kahoul - The year was marked by a particular focus on sustainable development and reducing CO2 emissions. There is a real awareness in all companies, whatever their size or activity. There's also a real awareness that we mustn't fall prey to the greenwashing. So we're taking it one step at a time, perhaps groping our way a little too much, but companies are extremely vigilant about methodology and internal communicationwith tangible results. A great deal of effort has also been put into digitalising business travel. Online booking tools are improving, with more integrated artificial intelligence to facilitate the work of the travel manager and the user experience. Overall, this is very positive.
The highlight of 2024 is also the redemption of CWT by Amex GBT of course. The market is consolidating. So there's going to be a place up for grabs in 2025 for all the challengers. There is already an appetite for agile, digital players who integrate the new technologies.artificial intelligence to all their processes, from travel bookings to the management of their customers. expense reports. Buyers and travel managers want to reduce the number of suppliers they deal with in order to reduce their workload. They expect agile tools, an improved traveller experience, and the ability to put in place tools that enable them to make the best decisions, in terms of both budget and CO2, with turnkey reporting. So we're still in a phase of consolidating TMCs, and we're going to look for a global offer, as global as possible, to have an optimised and standardised process in all our subsidiaries.
Aren't you worried about your choice narrowing down?
Sabah Kahoul - Yes, completely. Not good news for the buyer. When a market consolidates, there is of course less competition. And the work of finding new entrants is important, in a context where some of them still have to prove themselves, they often don't have enough history, or are not completely global, or their payment methods are not aligned with the buyer's expectations... Companies have few resources to devote to Travel. I'm seeing more and more travel manager posts being abolished or reduced. Travel buyers are being asked to take on other categories. There is still a lot of work to be done to make the role of travel manager more strategic and indispensable in the eyes of companies.
Is MICE one of the categories that travel buyers are now responsible for?
Sabah Kahoul - There can be the MICE in fact, there can be vehicle fleetBut there is mainly indirect purchasing. The position of travel manager depends on the level of expenditure. A company that wants to reduce its travel budget often imagines that the buyer will have less work. However, this is not always the case and there is a need for people who continue to travel. Contracts need to be renegotiated, and we need to keep an eye on this market, which is extremely dynamic, with many new entrants. The scope is also increasing with new mobility. HR departments, which often manage mobility on behalf of the company - with the mobility credit scheme in France, for example - need the support of a buyer and his or her recommendations. I also think thattravel buyers and travel managers have an important role to play in managing these new forms of mobility. I think the business can develop on this new mobility.
Do you think we're now back to pre-Covid 'norms', or is the health crisis still having an impact on travel volumes and behaviour?
Sabah Kahoul - No, based on all the companies I've met, we're still below the pre-crisis travel volumes of around 20%.
Will the shortfall be made up this year?
Sabah Kahoul - I don't think we'll be back there in 2025, given the global economic situation. In Francewe know that there is likely to be a certain amount of wait and see I think that 2025 will probably be a tighter year for travel budgets. I've already had some feedback along these lines. In terms of costs, I think we're going to see a fairly moderate increase, with increased vigilance over duty of careThe safety of travellers, as a result of the events we are all aware of.
How can business travel be reconciled with sustainable development, and at what cost?
Sabah Kahoul - Unfortunately, sustainable travel often costs more. This sometimes includes travelling by train... But train travel has become a standard feature of travel policies, even for longer journey times: I now see companies pushing for train travel of up to six hours. Travellers are being encouraged to group their meetings together, to take advantage of their trip to meet as many people as possible and carry out as many projects as possible on the spot. So we agree to pay more for accommodation, since there will be more overnight stays, but we believe that this will increase the traveller's productivity. And employees are playing the game because they are more and more committed. There is also more long-haul travel in economy class, which is more economical in terms of CO2 emissions. And the bleisure is now a major trend. It is becoming a standard. Allowing employees to extend their stay, or even to work from anywhere, is also becoming a corporate necessity. Even if, at the same time, some employers are calling for a massive return to the office.
What are the trends to watch out for in 2025?
Sabah Kahoul - There is always a need to review the travel policyto update it in line with best practice. In 2025, I also intend to take a broader view of CSR, incorporating the challenges associated with diversity and inclusion. Of course, CO2 emissions remain crucial, but we need to go further. CSR is not just about ecology and sustainable development. There are different types of passenger, with different needs, and we need to respond to them. It's a subject that I think we need to develop in 2025, and one that will play an increasingly important role in the managerial agenda.
You are also involved in training travel managers: is the profession becoming more attractive to the younger generation?
Sabah Kahoul - I'm doing everything I can to find the next generation! We suffered a lot during Covid, we lost a lot of TMC agents, people left business travel, people left the hotel business. Many of the students are still very attracted to tourism and the tourism professions, which are changing enormously, and most of them are discovering business travel. My greatest satisfaction is to find students on business trips with suppliers that I approach.
Is there any change in their training?
Sabah Kahoul - We need to make business travel attractive. It's often seen as a very technical sector. So students with an appetite for digital technology and new technologies often switch to business travel. They're interested in online booking tools, platforms, etc. So I focus on these subjects, but at the same time give them an insight into the role of a travel manager, what he or she brings to the company, and the strategic aspect. I also highlight the interactions between the corporate world and the supplier ecosystem. There are more and more people involved in business travel, so I'm hopeful that more students will pursue careers in this field.
What do you think will define a good travel manager in 2025?
Sabah Kahoul - It's someone who's constantly on the lookout because this is a field that's evolving enormously, with lots of new standards, as NDC is still demonstrating... So for me, a good travel manager is on the lookout, in constant contact with his ecosystem, and above all completely in line with his company's culture. This means being in constant contact with management to fully understand the company's objectives and ambitions, and to put in place a quality travel programme that enables the company to achieve its development objectives. I put a lot of emphasis on the company's culture, its ambitions and its development, in order to match the right suppliers with the right services.
