Social networking trend for business travel
Social networking tools aimed at business travelers are still in an early stage of development but are expected to come on strong in the next few years, reports the International Herald Tribune.
They are “in the very, very early stages” of development, said Jean-Pierre Remy, president of Egencia, the new name of Expedia Corporate Travel. He said that while the lines between leisure travelers and first-time business travelers were blurring, frequent business travelers heading to the same places on each trip had very different needs.
For them, “it’s about how to repeat the trip and be more efficient in planning and booking,” Mr Remy said.
Egencia, which is one of the largest corporate travel companies in the world, counts Starbucks and Washington Mutual among its clients.
Cindy Estis Green, author of “Travel Marketers’ Guide to Social Media and Social Networks,” said she thought the surge of interest in social networking was mainly due to the time saving.
“Some people ask me, ‘Who has time for this? Aren’t we busy?’†she said. “But when you need information about a job or a trip to China, it opens up tools that weren’t available to put a message out. Somebody will come back to you. It’s a utility and it saves you time.”
American Express Business Travel said it would team up with the corporate booking company, Sabre Travel Networks, which has been developing its own social networking system called Cubeless. The idea is to help clients’ employees share their travel knowledge with each other and potentially generate cost savings, said the newspaper.
American Express officials said that they were also creating a social community for buyers in business travel management, but they declined to give further details.
Report by David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026