The main focus for travel managers is cost control, according to the Travel Management Priorities Report 2012 just released by Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT). Driving air and ground transport savings, improving travel compliance, optimizing hotel spend and online adoption are travel managers’ top priorities.

To achieve these objectives, travel managers use a wide range of measures, including improving communications on travel policy and compliance (previous CWT research shows that only 50 percent of travelers are familiar with their company’s travel policy), helping employees to better understand online booking processes, and mandating the use of preferred suppliers. Communication on preferred suppliers and booking channels will be particularly important as travelers use mobile applications more and more.

There are regional variations. For example, North American travel managers cite traveler compliance -- an ongoing challenge -- as the number one priority.

Travel managers in Asia Pacific place a greater focus on optimizing hotel spend compared to other regions, reflecting the challenges they face with particularly high occupancy rates in this market. With the number one priority for Europe, Middle East and Africa being air and ground transport savings, one of the measures travel managers are planning is managing the trade-offs between air and rail as high-speed rail networks expand. Travel managers in Latin America also accord the highest importance to driving air and ground savings.

“In 2012, moderate price increases are expected on the whole, with some stronger variations between countries and travel categories,” said Christophe Renard, vice president, CWT Strategic Marketing and Business Intelligence. “This cautious market context is reflected in travel managers’ priorities, which focus largely on cost control in all regions.”