3 Themes Corporate Travel Managers Need to Focus On During 2021

Coronavirus, obviously, is front of mind as we dive into a new year, but dig a little deeper and there are other pressing matters that travel managers, and their agencies, will be facing. Some are new, such as the impact of remote working, while others have been bubbling away for some time, like travel’s environmental impact — a hot topic until the pandemic struck. Skift talked to some of the sector’s movers and shakers for their take of what’s in store. Grasping New Technology, Reinventing a Role The pace at which new technologies and platforms were adopted in 2020 was unnerving. It's more than people switching to Zoom, because the lull in business travel and meetings freed up time for many travel tech startups to innovate. Overall, technology is designed to drive efficiency, and make lives easier, but at the same time it worries some travel managers. Are they going to be replaced by robots? "The responsibilities of a corporate travel manager will become fewer — even by 50 percent — because companies know employees are able to communicate efficiently online now," said Hansang Lee, purchasing manager at Continental, at a recent CAPA Centre for Aviation event when quizzed on technology's impact. "They've learned lessons from the Covid situation. Unfortunately the role will be less important, but we have to find out another way to (elevate) this job." However, the role of the travel manager has in some ways been escalated. "Yes, before they’d be talking to