Why bigger isn’t always better in business travel management
As global business travel surges - projected to reach £1.2 trillion in spending by 2026 - companies face a critical decision: entrust their travel needs to a large, global travel management company (TMC) or partner with an agile, SME-sized provider like Global Travel Management.
For travel bookers, business travellers, finance teams and HR professionals, the choice of TMC shapes not only the efficiency of travel operations but also the experience of employees on the move.
While large TMCs may appear to offer unmatched scale and resources, their size often comes with significant drawbacks that can undermine the needs of modern businesses. In contrast, SME-sized TMCs deliver personalised, flexible, and locally informed solutions that align with today’s dynamic corporate landscape. Here’s why smaller, more agile TMCs are increasingly the smarter choice.
The Hidden Costs of Choosing Large TMCs
Lack of Personal Service Amid Industry Consolidation
One of the most glaring disadvantages of large TMCs is their struggle to provide personalised service, particularly when mergers and acquisitions disrupt established client relationships.
As Paul Baker, Global Travel Management’s Sales Director has observed,
“Mergers in the business travel industry often lead to a fractured client experience, with travellers and bookers left navigating unfamiliar teams and impersonal processes.”
Recent consolidations, such as American Express GBT’s proposed acquisition of CWT, highlight this issue.
When large TMCs merge, dedicated account managers are frequently reassigned and clients find themselves dealing with new teams unfamiliar with their preferences or business priorities.
For travel bookers, this can mean delayed responses to urgent requests, while business travellers face frustration when their specific needs - such as preferred airlines, seating arrangements, or accommodation types - are overlooked. HR teams, tasked with ensuring employee satisfaction, are left grappling with complaints about inconsistent service, while finance teams may face unexpected costs due to misaligned travel plans.
This lack of personalisation stems from the sheer scale of large TMCs, which often prioritise operational efficiency over client relationships. Standardised processes may streamline internal workflows, but they leave little room for the tailored support that businesses increasingly demand.
For example, a travel booker arranging a complex multi-city itinerary for a senior executive may find their requests lost in a bureaucratic maze, leading to delays and suboptimal arrangements. In an era where employee experience is a top priority, this disconnect can erode trust and hinder business outcomes.
Limited Local Expertise and Disconnected Support
Another significant drawback of large TMCs is their reliance on centralised, often overseas, call centres to manage global operations. This approach frequently results in a disconnected customer experience that lacks the nuance of local knowledge.
A finance team in Manchester needing to adjust a traveller’s itinerary in Singapore may find themselves speaking to an agent in a different time zone, unfamiliar with local airline schedules, cultural preferences, or regional regulations. This can lead to suboptimal booking decisions, such as selecting less convenient flight times or overlooking cost-effective local suppliers. For business travellers, the absence of local expertise can translate into logistical hiccups - missed connections, unsuitable hotels, or even language barriers - that disrupt their productivity and wellbeing.
Moreover, large TMCs’ one-size-fits-all approach often fails to account for the unique needs of different markets. A London-based HR manager arranging travel for a team in Dubai may require specific cultural considerations, such as halal dining options or gender-specific accommodations, which a distant call centre agent may not fully grasp. These oversights not only frustrate travellers but also create inefficiencies that inflate costs for finance teams. In contrast, businesses today need partners who can deliver global reach without sacrificing the local insights that make travel seamless and effective.
The SME Advantage: Agility, Personalisation, and Local Expertise
Agility and Personalised Service
SME-sized TMCs like Global Travel Management excel where larger players fall short: agility and personalisation.
By maintaining smaller, dedicated teams, we ensure that clients - whether travel bookers, business travellers or HR professionals - receive hands-on support from team members who know them by name. This personal connection fosters trust and efficiency, allowing us to tailor travel solutions to each client’s unique needs.
For instance, a finance team seeking detailed cost reporting benefits from our ability to provide customised data dashboards, while an HR manager focused on employee wellbeing can rely on us to prioritise traveller comfort, such as selecting hotels with wellness facilities or arranging flexible travel schedules for hybrid workers.
Our agility also enables rapid responses to unexpected challenges. Whether it’s a last-minute flight change due to a cancelled meeting or a sudden shift in corporate travel policy, our team can adapt quickly, ensuring minimal disruption. This responsiveness is particularly valuable in today’s unpredictable business environment, where flexibility is a competitive advantage.
Unlike large TMCs, where requests can get bogged down in layers of bureaucracy, SME-sized providers offer a direct line to decision-makers, ensuring swift, effective solutions.
Go Global, Stay Local
At Global Travel Management, our “go global, stay local” philosophy delivers the best of both worlds: global reach paired with local expertise.
Through partnerships with trusted local TMCs in over 80 countries, we provide region-specific knowledge and high-quality service tailored to each destination.
Whether a traveller is booking a flight in Tokyo, a hotel in São Paulo, or ground transport in Nairobi, our network ensures that local nuances - such as preferred airlines, cultural customs or regional regulations - are seamlessly integrated into the travel experience.
For travel bookers, this means confidence that arrangements will meet both corporate standards and local expectations. For business travellers, it translates into smoother journeys with fewer logistical surprises.
Equally important, our consolidated booking platform provides finance teams with a unified view of all travel data, regardless of which local TMC handles the booking.
This transparency simplifies budgeting, reporting and compliance, enabling finance teams to optimise travel spend without sacrificing quality. By blending global consistency with local precision, we empower businesses to navigate complex travel needs with ease and confidence.
Industry Trends Driving the Shift to Agile TMCs
The business travel landscape is undergoing significant transformation, underscoring the limitations of large TMCs and the advantages of agile providers. As highlighted in The Business Travel Magazine, ongoing consolidation through mergers and acquisitions reduces competition and often leads to a homogenised, less personalised service model.
These mergers prioritise scale and cost efficiencies over client-centric innovation, leaving businesses with fewer choices and less tailored support.
Simultaneously, companies are increasingly demanding technology-driven solutions that retain a human touch. Modern travel bookers expect intuitive digital platforms for seamless booking, while business travellers value real-time support from knowledgeable agents. SME-sized TMCs are well-positioned to meet these expectations, offering user-friendly technology backed by dedicated teams who understand their clients’ priorities. Additionally, the rise of hybrid work models and sustainability concerns is reshaping travel management. Businesses now require flexible policies that accommodate remote workers’ sporadic travel needs or prioritise eco-friendly options like carbon-offset flights or sustainable accommodations. Agile TMCs can pivot quickly to implement such policies, ensuring alignment with evolving corporate goals.
Choosing a TMC That Puts Your Business First
For travel bookers, business travellers, finance teams and HR professionals, the right TMC is more than a service provider - it’s a strategic partner that enhances efficiency, employee satisfaction and cost control.
While large TMCs may boast extensive networks, their lack of personal service, reliance on distant call centres, and inflexibility in the face of industry trends often leave clients underserved.
In contrast, SME-sized TMCs like Global Travel Management Ltd offer agility, personalisation, and a global-local approach that delivers measurable value.
If your business is ready to rethink travel management, we invite you to reach out to Global Travel Management to explore how our tailored solutions can support your unique needs. Let’s work together to create a travel experience that drives success for your organisation.
