TRAVEL MANAGEMENT

Frequent Flyer Travel Paris is taking on a new dimension in the hotel business by joining the prestigious Virtuoso network, which is repositioning the business travel agency in the upmarket segment.

Additional charges allow travellers to improve the comfort of their journeys by opting for à la carte services. By constantly adding little extras to their offers, suppliers are challenging companies and travel agencies to keep pace and keep spending under control.

The DGAC has published the 2014 - 2015 annual results of its "National Air Passenger Survey": an instructive document, which provides a clearer picture of the profile of travellers departing from French airports.

On Wednesday, Concur announced that AccorHotels has joined the TripLink ecosystem as a major new partner.

An assistance provider like International SOS has its own repatriation capabilities. Ebola and coronavirus recently, SARS further away: epidemics...

"Large companies have put in place comprehensive security procedures".

"We are very vigilant about preparing for crises".

Social unrest, epidemics, kidnappings, terrorist attacks... At a time when the safety of their employees is one of the top priorities for companies, the resources deployed to avoid risks in certain 'sensitive' countries enhance the peace of mind of both travellers and their managers.

To coincide with the global conference organised by ACTE in Paris this week, the association, in partnership with American Express Business Travel, is publishing a study dedicated to the evolution of travel policies, from the perspective of a "global vision of the future". The survey, conducted on a global scale, highlights the main trends that are changing the way business travel is managed, with a greater focus on the business traveller.

"The market is still looking for the right structure".

Slowly but surely, the policies governing meetings and events and those governing business travel are moving towards integration. As companies seek to rationalise their overall expenditure, business travel agencies are seeking to respond to this new challenge.

American Express is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Elyes Mrad will shortly be celebrating his first year with the business travel agency, which he joined as Managing Director for the EMEA region. He talks about TMC's new ambitions since the creation of the joint venture, and the role of France in this strategy. Interview.

The organisers of the 2015 show, which took place in Hall 1 at Porte de Versailles, have drawn a positive balance sheet.

Avexia and Concomitance have co-signed a new white paper entitled "In search of lost expenditure": an instructive document on the loss of data in business travel, particularly in the SME-SMI segment. 

On Thursday, in the hushed atmosphere of the Shangri-La Hotel, Amadeus unveiled some of the new products that will be on show at the end of the month at the IFTM Top Resa trade fair. These include the launch of Amadeus Cytric Travel & Expense, an end-to-end solution that definitively marks the arrival of the technology giant in the corporate travel management segment.

On Thursday, FCm Travel Solutions and 3mundi finalised a merger that was agreed in January and will make the French business travel agency the Australian giant's exclusive partner in the French and Swiss markets from 1 October. The Flight Centre group's business travel arm is aiming to raise its profile in France, while 3mundi is opening the door to international business and attractive growth prospects.

The second Concur Fusion Exchange Paris was held on 8 September at the Cinémathèque française. It was an opportunity for Concur to take stock of the latest developments in its business travel offering, starting with the integration of new partners: Capitaine Train, Citybird and Business Table join Airbnb and Uber, which were integrated into the TripLink platform ecosystem last year.

The 37th IFTM Top Resa trade fair opens on 29 September in Hall 1 at Porte de Versailles. A must-attend event for all those involved in the travel industry in general - and business travel in particular - this year it will be paying particular attention to the start-ups that are transforming the sector's landscape.

BCD Travel is launching TripSource Hotels with the aim of simplifying hotel bookings for both business travellers and travel agents. The aim is to encourage business travellers to 'stay on track' with their company's recommended travel policy. 

AirPlus celebrated the 10th anniversary of its summer university, Univ'AirPlus, at the OECD headquarters on Thursday. This was an opportunity for the French business travel market to take stock of the major trends of the autumn, and to look ahead to the future of the sector to better anticipate 'Travelution'.