5 ways COVID changed travel policies
When there’s a huge event like a pandemic, companies find themselves shifting their tactics. Travel is one of the areas that has to change; it was forced to in 2020 by the amount of border restrictions and temporary closures.
When there’s been a seismic shift like that in the travel industry, your usual travel policy doesn’t cut it. Many companies switched their travel policies during COVID. Some found that their priorities have changed forevermore, while others switched it up temporarily.
Moving forward, reviewing your travel policy regularly is generally good practice anyway. Business doesn’t stay put for too long so your travel requirements need to adapt too.
As our Head of Account Management James McIlvenna says, “Always have travel procedures and business objectives at the front of your mind. When you feel that the situation has changed enough to make your policies out of date – that’s the time to get them changed.”
Here’s five ways COVID changed travel policies.
1. Flexibility
With rules changing rapidly during the pandemic it was clear that policies and the travel industry needed to be flexible. Flexibility can be worked into your policy; it builds trust and confidence in your employees. Try our free interim travel policy template to get started.
2. Health and safety processes
A big one when it comes to a pandemic and likely an area we’ll all keep on top of. It’s important to check and communicate what employees should be doing. Many of those looking after travel were reviewing what airlines, hotels and other travel providers were doing, particularly when it comes to cleanliness, using resources such as our Travel Hub.
3. Re-evaluating travel expectations
We said this earlier; large events like pandemics change your travel plans. Some measures amended during this time might become permanent changes. If your business is going to change what travel is allowed, you need to establish what that means in practice for your travellers. Your TMC can help.
4. Information sources and communication
In the case of COVID, border and entry rules will continue to change for the foreseeable future. It’s crucial to have a reliable information source to limit the risk of travellers getting stuck. And it’s just as crucial to communicate that all to them clearly. If it’s not been as smooth as you wanted during COVID, you may need some tweaks.
Did you know: Our Travel Hub has an interactive map to help you assess a destination’s risk and you can ask a chatbot any further questions.
5. Travel tech in the spotlight
Safety is a big deal now. And tech has it part to play. Many companies dramatically shifted their attention to safety and risk; it’ll continue to be a big part of business travel. Some gravitate to dashboards that pinpoint which city a traveller is in. Others look for simple approval processes before travellers book. So much is possible now.
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