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Dave

Two awards for Global Travel Management

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Global Travel Management received two prestigious awards last week, awarded by the Advantage Travel Partnership. 

The annual Big Celebration Lunch is the spectacular annual gathering of suppliers and partners to Advantage, which is the third-largest travel consortium in Europe.  

Marketing win: the Advantage trophy for Best Marketing Initiative/Campaign

Hosted by television presenter Mark Durden-Smith and opened by Advantage CEO Julia Lo Bue-Said, the 2023 event took place at the London Hilton Bankside and marked the return to the face-to-face celebration for the first time since the pandemic. 

Global Travel Management’s first award of the event was the “Marketing Campaign/Initiative 2023”, for GTM’s Sales and Marketing Teams.  

Mark Wilson, Global Travel Management’s Marketing Director said, 

This award celebrated the work we do to engage with businesses around the UK.  Our weekly email newsletters have proved a very popular way to provide news updates to business travellers, travel bookers and individuals for whom corporate travel plays an important part in their day-to-day business.  Not everyone can expect to spend the time keeping up to date on the ever-changing business travel landscape, so a weekly digest has proven to be a well-read, much appreciated resource.

Individual subscribers to the newsletter can find out all they need to know about business travel from the weekly newsletter.  And, if they need more information, they can reach out to our team. 

The biggest award of the event, however, was the final announcement of the day.  

Spotlight Award: Scott Pawley with the 2023 Advantage Spotlight Winner’s trophy

The Advantage Spotlight Award is reserved for the individual who has demonstrated a positive contribution to the industry. 

Scott Pawley, Managing Director of Global Travel Management was named as the 2023 winner. 

Scott was described as having gone above and beyond throughout the course of 2023. 

The dedication went on to say Scott “has led his business with ambition and dynamism” and recognised Scott’s “drive to fully maximise the use of technology to drive a first-class service to his corporate customers”.  

Scott said, after the event, 

I am delighted to receive this award. And I am particularly pleased that it has been presented for the way in which Global Travel Management has been able to deliver a first class service to every customer, by combining state of the art travel technology products and a team of experienced professional travel consultants with unrivalled experience in the business travel sector. 

The dedication for Scott’s award also highlighted other areas of Global Travel Management’s business.  

Scott added 

We have worked hard to neutralise the environmental impact of doing business with Global Travel Management.  That’s why we have devoted so much time and expense in ensuring that we go beyond net zero by expanding the forest of trees planted by Global Travel Management and our customers to sequester all the carbon created by everything we do, every day. 

You can find more about the GTM Carbon Offset Programme here.  And, if you would like to subscribe – free of charge – to the weekly Global Travel Management business travel newsletter, drop us an email to sayhello@gtm.uk.com.

Dave

More than two-thirds of business travellers want to increase their use of lower carbon modes of transport

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New research by rail booking company Trainline has revealed more than two-thirds (72%) of UK business travellers surveyed would like to take a higher proportion of trips in 2023 by lower carbon modes of transport, such as rail.

More than six in ten business travellers also expressed concern as to their carbon footprint from business travel in 2022.

Champa Magesh:
“Business travellers are increasingly thinking about their carbon footprint”

More than half (53%) of the respondents stated their volume of business trips in 2022 was either similar to, or higher than, the number they took annually pre-pandemic.

In 2023, sustainability will ultimately be an important consideration for more than three-quarters (78%) of business travellers.

Trainline states that the survey results demonstrate the potential for changing behaviours when it comes to business travel, with clear support for using alternative travel options.

The research of 1,004 UK employees who travel for business (not commuting) was conducted by independent research company Censuswide in January 2023.

Champa Magesh, President at Trainline Partner Solutions, said,

We’re seeing a societal shift in the increasing importance people place on sustainability, which is naturally crossing over into their working lives. As this survey shows, this means business travellers are increasingly thinking about their carbon footprint, and likewise businesses are examining how travel contributes to their carbon disclosures. The good news is rail provides a natural answer to these challenges, offering a sustainable option to travellers and businesses alike.

Global Travel Management offers a full travel management service, including domestic and international rail.

Scott Pawley, Managing Director of GTM, said,

It’s great to see more travellers looking to increase their use of lower carbon transport like rail.  We’re happy to support all our customers by helping to plan, book, amend and service bookings on their domestic UK rail journeys as well as high speed, international rail trips across Europe and beyond. 

For businesses looking to reduce their environmental impact, GTM provides a comprehensive programme of reporting as well as the ability to plant trees which sequester carbon from the atmosphere. The GTM Carbon Offset Programme was introduced to enable business travellers to monitor and offset carbon emissions from flights. It has now been enhanced to include rail travel as well as car hire and hotel rooms.

Scott Pawley added,

Our customers are becoming more aware of their carbon footprint.  And many are determined to take the necessary action to address their carbon emissions and reduce their impact.  So we’re delighted that the GTM Carbon Offset Programme now enables business travellers to offset the carbon emissions from rail travel, as well as flights.  

You can learn more about the GTM Carbon Offset Programme in the article below.

We plant trees to offset carbon dioxide
Dave

GTM strengthens board

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Global Travel Management has announced the appointment of its first Marketing Director.   

Mark Wilson has joined the board to steer and oversee all marketing campaigns and external communications for the award-winning travel management company.   

Speaking ahead of the appointment, Scott Pawley, GTM’s Managing Director said,  

We have known Mark for a number of years and I am delighted he will be joining our board to provide a fresh perspective on the way we communicate with clients and the wider industry.

Like GTM, Mark has been involved in the travel industry for more than two decades.  But he also brings marketing and journalism skills which will help us get our message across.  

Mark Wilson said,  

I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to tell GTM’s story.  The company has negotiated the pandemic, increased its customer-base, won new business and developed its portfolio of products.  So now is a great time to share what sets us apart from the crowd.   

GTM has a reputation of being innovative and responsive, and never being afraid to do new things.  This will continue as we look to launch more industry-firsts and industry-bests.  And I am looking forward to telling people all about the work we do that makes GTM the perfect fit for its customers and suppliers.   

Dave

Trees4Travel announces partnership with Eurostar

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Eurostar, the high-speed rail service linking the UK and mainland Europe, is launching a new partnership with Trees4Travel which offers passengers the opportunity to plant a tree when they book their journey via the Eurostar for Business platform.

The new initiative comes after growing demand from Eurostar business travellers to further support sustainable travel initiatives. Passengers can now choose to plant a tree when booking on the Eurostar for Business platform at a cost of £3 or €3.50 per tree and Eurostar has pledged to match each tree purchased.

Launched in September 2020, the Eurostar for Business platform offers organisations of any size a seamless start to their travel experience with all bookings easily accessible in one place, as well as access to promotional fares.

“Planet and people positive”: Trees4Travel always seeks to create partnerships that go further than simply neutralising carbon.

Trees4Travel will facilitate the activation for Eurostar, undertaking reforestation projects in developing countries to restore eco-systems, biodiversity and in support of indigenous communities through the dignity of employment.

Furthermore, Trees4Travel also assigns each tree planted with a share of an investment into a United Nations Certified Emissions Reduction renewable energy programme, which, they explain, is suitable for corporate mandatory reporting.

Nico Nicholas Co-founder and Chief Eco Officer at Trees4Travel said,

We are so delighted to be working with this most sustainability forward-thinking transport provider.

This Eurostar initiative will not only draw down more than double the carbon created by any of the journeys it represents, but also should inspire other carriers to recognize that so much can be done, if we only work together on climate action.

Eurostar’s Head of Indirect Sales & Distribution, Paul Brindley, said

We are proud to be the greener way to go between the UK and the continent and we are committed to reducing our own impact on the environment. We know that sustainability is at the heart of business travel policies and we are always looking for more ways we can help our business travellers to be part of creating a more sustainable future.

We are pleased to partner with Trees4Travel to bring this to the Eurostar for Business platform and look forward to growing our relationship and many trees on behalf of our travellers.

Scott Pawley, Managing Director of Global Travel Management, said

Trees4Travel and Eurostar working together demonstrates how joined-up thinking and a passion for the environment can lead to positive actions.

We’re proud that Global Travel Management was the first UK travel management company to partner with Trees4Travel when we launched the GTM Carbon Offset Programme. So, to have Eurostar also involved with Trees4Travel is a further vindication of the decision we made.

Many of our customers take pride in the virtual forests they are investing in. And the great news is that we’re adding more trees – and offsetting more carbon – every single month.

You can find out about the GTM Carbon Offset Programme and see the latest data on numbers of trees planted and amounts of greenhouse gas sequestered in the following article:

We plant trees to offset carbon dioxide
Dave

Your Concierge – the AI-based business travel essential

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Global Travel Management has launched an artificial intelligence traveller companion service that provides bespoke travel advice and information, delivered directly to business travellers in real time, as they need it.

Your Concierge is an artificial intelligence-based business travel essential.
Business travellers are provided with bespoke, on-demand information and assistance pre-trip and en route. Your Concierge is available for all GTM customers’ travel bookings.

Your Concierge is a service that provides on-the-move travel service information from the time a business trip is booked to the moment it ends.

Created in conjunction with travel tech start-up company ReTravel, Your Concierge delivers bespoke trip information to any business traveller or travel booker.

Scott Pawley, Managing Director of GTM explained

Your Concierge is a concept we created in order to ensure every GTM customer has all the information they need to hand with them at every part of the trip. But Your Concierge only provides useful information, timed perfectly for when the traveller needs it.

Scott gave an example of how it works

If you book a flight from, say, London to Chicago, Your Concierge will send you a message to remind you to check-in online. It will provide you a link and take you straight to the right page so you can do it straight away, whether that’s on your phone, laptop, PC or whatever works best for you. And the machine learning built into Your Concierge will mean that the message is sent to you at exactly the right time – Your Concierge learns how and when to send the message to you.

But there are other services built into Your Concierge, which Scott explained

The link you get will take you straight to the check-in page. But it will also offer you the chance to look at other information relevant to your trip, like the Covid status of the destination, what vaccination and testing requirements are currently in place, a link to book a test. So you will know that you have all the information and all the testing you need, in place, as you approach the day and time of your flight.

And the information is always provided in real time. This means if, for example, the Covid information on a specific destination is updated after the traveller receives the link, they will still see the most up to date information when they click it. It’s the right, reliable information at exactly the right time.

But that’s not all:

Your Concierge will also give you the chance to book parking at the airport you’re leaving from; book hotel accommodation. Of course, if you have already booked these, then Your Concierge will know, and not offer you the service. But if Your Concierge knows you need it, Your Concierge will give you the info you need to take care of everything on your trip.

Your Concierge also takes care of some of the other items you may have on your wish-list for your trip

Say it’s your first trip to Chicago. You have a spare afternoon. What should you do? Your Concierge will give you a run-down on where to go and what’s on. You can even book tickets to events through Your Concierge.

Scott explained that further additions to Your Concierge are in planning. For example, a restaurant booking service:

Stuck for somewhere to eat on your trip to Chicago? But you also want to try out French-style, Asian inspired food, suitable for vegans? Your Concierge will be at your service and you may soon be enjoying your reservation in the splendour of Le Colonial in Oak Street.

Your Concierge is available to GTM customers on every business travel booking. Contact your Account Manager for more details.

Dave

GTM supports the Travel Day of Action

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Global Travel Management is supporting the industry-wide campaign, Travel Day of Action on 23 June.

The event takes place following the Government’s review of the traffic light system – in which countries were moved from green to amber and amber to red, while none was moved in the opposite direction – and its failure to extend sector-specific support for the travel and aviation industries.

The day of action will be calling on the UK Government to

  • Allow international travel to return safely and in a risk managed way by properly implementing the Global Travel Taskforce’s plan; and to
  • Bring forward a package of tailored financial support to recognise that the unlocking of international travel, and hence businesses’ ability to trade and generate income, will be much slower than first anticipated, and more gradual than for businesses in the domestic economy. 
Scott Pawley made a plea to the Prime Minister to meet the Travel Day of Action’s demands

All parts of the travel industry have been invited to participate, including travel management companies, leisure travel agents, airlines, airports, tour operators, suppliers and partners.

The day will be all about putting forward a positive plan for the Government. Scott Pawley, Managing Director of Global Travel Management explained that:

London, the world’s number one most connected city in 2019, saw an 88% decline in connectivity between April 2019 and April 2021. UK residents travelling overseas generate over £53 billion in domestic spending – but with borders being closed and travel to many countries being made illegal for most individuals, hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost, and many more remain at great risk.

The next weeks will be critical for the travel industry, as we look ahead to the next review on 28 June when the Government is expected to announce another review of both the traffic light list and also the requirements and measures in place for international travel. The Travel Day of Action is a campaign we are happy to support, as it carries two, important messages.

We want the Government to help the industry and businesses who need to travel by taking the two actions we are calling for. Allowing a risk-managed approach to opening up international travel; and providing travel industry support to help businesses cope with the on-going restrictions, now entering their sixteenth month.


The travel industry is calling on the UK Government to allow international travel to return safely in a risk-managed way and to bring forward a package of tailored financial support.

Scott has invited the MP for GTM’s Woking constituency, Jonathan Lord to the event, which takes place on College Green, outside the Palace of Westminster. Scott explained:

I have written to Jonathan Lord to put forward the campaign’s two, positive suggestions. I hope he will be able to join us on College Green immediately after Prime Minister’s Question Time, so that he can see the strength of the support behind the campaign. It’s a positive message and I hope we can get the message across.

Other countries are forging ahead with risk-based schemes that allow safe travel, most recently Germany, France and Spain. The UK is falling behind other nations in its travel restart plans and risks becoming an outlier, undermining our aspirations for Global Britain.

Scott also explained that, while some businesses in the travel industry have suffered greatly over the course of the pandemic response, it is important that the financially-stronger companies stand up. Scott said,

We have already seen airlines and travel agents succumb to the ravages of the pandemic response. So it’s important that financially sound travel management companies like us get behind this campaign. The travel industry needs competition – it’s vital we don’t lose any more names from the travel sector.

The campaign will attract travel industry members from across the UK, with events taking place around the country. And Sales Director Paul Baker pointed out that GTM clients will continue to receive the highest levels of service they expect during the day:

It’s a socially distanced, responsible campaign event, with attendance restricted to the hundreds of ticket holders who have pre-registered. We have several members of the GTM management team taking part in the event, including Kelly Packington, our Director of Operations. So, I have worked with Kelly to ensure all operational aspects of her – and her team’s – role will be covered.

All GTM clients travelling on 23 June will be fully supported, as usual.


We are calling on the UK Government to:
Allow international travel to return safely and in a risk managed way by properly implementing the Global Travel Taskforce’s plan for a traffic-light system, by expanding the Green list in line with the evidence and making restrictions more proportionate, whilst keeping a strong red list to guard against variants.
Bring forward a package of tailored financial support, including extension of furlough support, recognising that the travel sector’s ability to trade and generate income is much slower than first anticipated and more gradual than for businesses in the domestic economy.
Dave

Business travellers back the jab

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97% of business travellers say they will take – or have already taken – a coronavirus vaccine.

In a survey conducted by Scott Pawley, more than 19 out of twenty respondents said they will be taking the vaccine. Just 3% claimed they either will not or cannot be vaccinated.

Scott Pawley, managing director of Global Travel Management said

With the gradual return to more business travel, we expect more people will need to be able to show they have had a full dose of SARS-Cov2 vaccine. So it’s great to see such widespread support for the global vaccination programme.


In the survey, published through business social network LinkedIn, respondents were asked if they had taken one jab, a full dose, were waiting to be vaccinated, or were not going to be jabbed.

87% confirmed they had had at least one dose.

Pawley continued

For nearly nine in ten people, the vaccine is starting to protect them – and their friends, families, suppliers, customers and colleagues. The reach and speed of vaccine programmes in many countries is astonishing.

One in ten respondents said they are waiting for their first jab – a percentage that will reduce over time as the vaccine programmes gather pace and as younger age groups qualify for inclusion.

The results show that business travellers are more likely to have been vaccinated – with either one or two jabs – than the wider UK population. As of Friday, 11 June, 78% of the UK adult population had received their first dose and 55.9% had received their second dose.

Pawley added

Business travellers know better than most people how preparation is vital. That may be why so many have taken the precaution of getting vaccinated. It’s a great effort from everyone involved.

It’s great to see so many people taking it seriously.


The survey was self-selecting, among more than 150 users of LinkedIn. You can see the full survey, here.

Dave

How do you travel to a country that’s not on the green list?

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Global Travel Management managing director Scott Pawley has spelled out some examples of how business travellers can still visit – and return from – amber-listed countries.

  • Travel to green list countries is possible with few restrictions  
  • But what if the country you need to visit is outside the government’s green list?
  • And how do you navigate restrictions in destination countries? 
Business Travel Magazine includes an online version, a printed publication available in the UK and a weekly newsletter.

In the article, available here, Scott explains how Global Travel Management works with businesses to ensure that crucial business travel can take place, even to countries outside the green list.

The article discusses the United States’ work exemptions, routes avoiding countries with the greatest restrictions imposed on them, differences in self-isolation requirements and arranging Covid-19 testing at home and abroad.

Scott explained,

We have clients who need to travel to countries that are not – or not yet – on the UK government’s green list. The first thing we do is help them understand the testing requirements that currently exist. So, for an amber list county, it means pre-booking either three or four PCR tests before the trip takes place.

He also explained how each country’s restrictions must be taken into consideration

It’s crucial to ensure that regulations are being adhered to, but, equally, when travel to the United States is business-critical, we do what we can to ensure it can happen.

Scott contributed to the article to share some of the best practice required to ensure businesses that need to travel can do so with as little inconvenience as possible.

You can read the full article here.

Dave

Temporary emergency travel restrictions announced

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A new strain of coronavirus discovered in the south east of England, which is said to be up to 70% more transmissible has led to significant disruption to international travel.

Flights from the UK have been temporarily banned by a number of countries in Europe and across the world. And, in some cases, restrictions are being placed on travellers from the UK, or people who have visited the UK in the last two weeks.

The Netherlands was the first country to announce a ban on travel to and from the UK. Since then, a further two dozen countries have introduced restrictions – this number is expected to increase throughout today. 

Scott Pawley, managing director of Global Travel Management said:

We are in constant contact with airlines, hotels, other travel suppliers, industry bodies and UK government departments to make sure we are on top of the situation as it develops.

Scott also has advice for anyone travelling – or planning travel – over the next few days:

If you or your colleagues have booked travel over the coming days with Global Travel Management, we will be working hard to make sure your trip goes ahead; or to keep you informed of any changes that must take place.  We will be checking your flights regularly, so that we are aware of any forced changes.  We will be monitoring the situation with regards to further travel restrictions.  And, most important, we will let you know if the situation with your travel changes, as soon as we can.

If you have any travel plans in the coming days and weeks, let us know.  We will give you all the advice and help we can, as we always aim to do. 

Dave

GTM rolls out Testing for Travellers

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Global Travel Management has announced the roll-out of two Covid-19 testing services for customers planning international travel.

GTM has relationships with two suppliers, Confirm Testing and DiamondAir. Both organisations can test passengers pre-flight and provide negative test certificates by email, paving the way for unhindered progress through the airport and on to their destination country.

Scott Pawley, managing director of GTM said

There is a growing list of business destinations that require a negative test certificate from UK-based travellers. So we are pleased to have put together testing programmes from two industry leaders, so that our customers can get tested and can receive certificates prior to travel.

Any customer can now choose the most convenient method, suiting their requirements. Tests can be carried out at home, at Heathrow Airport, or in specific locations in London.

We can even arrange a hotel stay prior to departure, so customers can receive take the test a day prior to their fight, relax in the hotel overnight before receiving their negative certificate the following day and transfer quickly and easily to the airport.

GTM customers will have a choice of supplier to administer and carry out their testing. The two programmes work as follows:

Confirm Testing

The customer orders a test to be sent to their home address at least five days prior to departure by Royal Mail Tracked 24 hour delivery. The test can be stored at home until it is required. The customer follows the test instructions, takes the test sample and returns it using the Royal Mail Tracked 24 hour label and packaging, putting them into a designated priority post box.

The test sample is analysed and results provided to the customer in time for the flight.

DiamondAir

The customer is tested in person, choosing to be tested either at Heathrow Airport or at one of Diamond Air’s London facilities in Mayfair or Enfield. The result of the PCR swab test is provided within 4-24 hours.

Customers can choose from several levels of service, including:

  • Test – this is a straightforward test, with results emailed to the customer
  • Test and rest – this comprises a test and overnight hotel accommodation
  • Test and destress – a test, plus departure/arrival meet and assist service including car transfer to/from the test clinic/airport

Paul Baker explained the service further

Testing for Covid-19 is mandatory for a growing number of countries. So we have negotiated a discount for GTM customers with these providers, meaning that, not only will they get a fully professional, secure testing process, they will get it at a discounted rate.

Some countries demand that the test certificate is produced within a short time-frame of their planned arrival in the country. So our teams of travel consultants can help passengers decide which testing service best meets their needs.


If you are planning to travel on business to a country that requires a negative test, contact your GTM Account Manager.