If you doubt the importance of technology on the travel industry take a look at Carlson Wagonlit Travel's (CWT) new Business Travel Trends outlook for 2013. One conclusion is the increased level of consumer-influenced technology at the service of the business traveler. This type of technology is finding its way into corporate travel through services such as travel review sites and mobile apps specifically designed for business travelers, CWT says.
"Consumer technology is changing traveler behavior and expectations, and while companies are keeping a careful eye on cost optimization and the performance of their travel programs, they are also increasing their focus on how technology can better meet their travelers’ needs," CWT says.
With this in mind, CWT says it developed a series of traveler-focused tools based on "mobile", "social" and "local" principles, including CWT To Go, CWT's mobile app and CWT Hotel Intel, a private hotel review site for business travelers.
2013 will see CWT further reinforcing its mobile services and providing an even more personalized and relevant approach for travelers, CWT says. CWT will also leverage technology from its newly-acquired subsidiary, WorldMate and aggregate technology content from various sources.
"Our travelers want to plan, book and manage their business travel as easily as they do their leisure travel. For travelers, 2013 will be about developing instant, relevant and bookable services. For companies, it will be about gaining access to large amounts of data from multiple sources via real-time dashboards," Patrice Simon, CWT’s head of innovation noted.
"Access to multi-channel booking whether it is through web, smartphone, tablet or other channels will bring the traveler back to the heart of managed travel. WorldMate’s technology will help us capture data from all of these channels, " Simon said.
"The more data companies have about their travelers, the more visibility they gain over travel spend and behavior. This will allow companies to design better safety and security strategies and give travelers more personalized and relevant information. It’s a win-win situation for both parties," Simon said.
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