How corporations can reduce social media influence on straying travelers

Carlson Wagonlit Travel has figured out a way to limit the influence of social media which, as one of the world's largest travel management companies, it says  "is often blamed for luring travelers away from the managed travel program."

If employees of CWT's corporate clients are swayed by hotel reviews about properties that aren't part of the corporation's mandated hotel program, then the solution is fairly easy: Just don't give these employees a forum to review these sometimes-enticing, albeit out-of-program hotels.

That what the CWT Hotel Intel platform does. Corporations can use CWT Hotel Intel, configure it for their own purposes, and then only permit employees to review properties where there are negotiated deals.

"Because only company-preferred properties are able to be reviewed and listed in the hotel directory within the platform, the managed hotel program is reinforced," CWT states in a recently released publication, CWT Vision - Q1 2013. "And, the organization gains constructive feedback on its suppliers, which can be used in future negotiations."

In other words, if a road warrior wants to inform colleagues about a non-preferred hotel that the employee actually prefers because it has better Wi-Fi, a more scrumptious breakfast, and is perhaps closer to a meeting location, then make sure the employee can't review that hotel and inform colleagues through CWT Hotel Intel.

Nasty social media, keep out.

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