Travel buyers will rely more on their TMC partners to provide updated information and documentation and to help them navigate the complicated processes involved in bookings for travel in the post-COVID-19 world. This will change the working relationship between the parties, says Madren Pitsi, Africa and Middle East travel analyst at Cummins Africa and Middle East.
“Our South African TMC is quite proactive in informing us about what is happening during this challenging time,” says Madren. She suggests that now, TMCs need to understand their corporate clients more and make sure that the travel information relating to COVID-19 is specific and in line with the client’s needs.
“When it comes to providing the right documentation or forms, it would be arduous for a corporate company to do that for close to 700 travellers. It would be helpful, for instance, if the TMC or travel agent included the relevant forms or permits required for travel along with all the other documentation sent after a reservation is made,” says Madren.
Madren says Cummins’ South African TMC has introduced a website that provides live sources of information for different countries. It is a dynamic travel briefing platform that gives travellers and travel managers a single source for all the information they need before, during and after a business trip. The know-before-you-go tool shows travel restrictions for specific locations, while also identifying Covid-19 infection rate spikes and hot spots. "This is the type of value-add that TMCs should be providing,” she says.
“TMCs need to understand their customer well enough that they provide the right travel solutions. They need to be reliable enough to let clients have peace of mind, so they can focus on their core business,” says Madren.
