29 September 2008

UK SMEs losing Ã&#pound;175m by not using a TMC

Small businesses are believed to be losing Ã&#pound;175 million each year by not using a travel agent to book their business travel.

According to a study by Advantage Travel Centres, companies can save 25% on their travel spend just by enlisting the services of an Advantage member agent.

ââ¬ÅâœItââ¬â¢s absolutely crazy for companies to not manage their travel budget effectively,ââ¬~ said Advantage director of business travel Norman Gage.

ââ¬ÅâœThe level of wastage revealed in our calculations is simply astonishing. Any small business that is still letting its own staff book flights and hotels themselves on the internet needs to think again. Hopefully these figures will be a wake-up call to SMEs across the country.ââ¬~

The ââ¬Ëœwastageââ¬â¢ was calculated by taking the total amount that ââ¬Ëœlargerââ¬â¢ companies (those with more than five staff) in the UKââ¬â¢s SME sector currently spend on travel but not through a TMC - Ã&#pound;700 million.

Advantage then applied the typical percentage saving that its members make for their clients ââ¬' 25%, with flights alone around 40% cheaper.

By Bev Fearis

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