BELFAST-based corporate travel management company, Beyond Business Travel, has set out its path for future growth, following an increase in demand for corporate travel that has seen the company’s turnover return to £16 million.
Beyond Business Travel was founded in 2010 by Edel Doherty who, with over 35 years of experience, has seen a myriad of changes across the sector and is adamant that the future of corporate travel will continue to grow, but notes that there have been changes.
Edel said, “I’m delighted to see the company return to £16 million turnover, and the projections for 2024 are looking very good indeed. We may have weathered many challenges in the last decade, but through it all Beyond Business Travel has remained agile and responsive to the marketplace; it has continued to grow and evolve its offering to its corporate clients.
“We are looking at the next one to three years and the overall business strategy, which involves adding to our experienced team and working with clients right across the island of Ireland. We are positioning Beyond Business Travel for a period of continual and substantial growth.”
With a client base of over 100 businesses across a range of sectors including tech, manufacturing, FMCG, and film and media, the company provides a corporate travel management service from its offices in Belfast and Dublin.
Two key things are extremely important to Edel as the company returns to a growth period. Edel continued; “We have been very fortunate to work alongside some great clients but having a great team, coupled with the right technology, has allowed Beyond Business Travel to not only service its clients’ needs but to remain profitable.”
Beyond Business Travel uses dashboard analytics for self-booking and global traveller tracking, that ensures clients’ needs are met, if not exceeded.
Shauna Burns, Managing Director of Beyond Business Travel said, “Having joined Beyond in 2016 and been a director since 2020, it is very reassuring to see how the demand for business travel is continuing to grow. We are confident that the market will continue to strengthen as we move through 2024 with the likes of in-person and corporate industry events.”
This substantial growth is also endorsed by a recent report by Deloitte’s 2023 Travel Outlook, stating that business travel was expected to rebound in the past twelve months with a projected increase of 60% compared to 2022.
Shauna continued, “The technology that we use is essential to any corporate company. We recognise that travel budgets are increasing due to air fare costs, car rental costs, and inflationary pressures, but what we bring to our clients and our offering is data to help them make better decisions. We help them be more strategic with how they travel, when they travel, how often they travel, and where they stay. Basically, driving more value out of their travel budget and less accepting that it is a spend that cannot be managed. That return on investment can be calculated with the right information, which we are able to provide.”
“While tech is key to bookings across the board, technology must be people-centric and designed to improve the overall process. I am very proud of our dedicated and experienced staff who are on hand to deal with all client enquiries and ensure they receive the best business travel solutions they are looking for.
“Of note, a new trend we are seeing is that companies are travelling less but their trips are for longer. This has been termed ‘travelling with purpose’ – clients are conscious about sustainable travel with many companies adopting sustainable travel policies and practices and so, by making less trips but staying for longer, it helps offset this. The value of face-to-face meetings is undeniable, but business travel is becoming more balanced with social and environmental considerations. We offer that effective solution.”
Edel concluded; “It has been a testing few years for the travel industry with staffing, fuel costs, inflation and geopolitical issues facing us all, but given that business travel is most definitely on the up, we will be focussed on continuing to drive that growth in 2024, recruiting key personnel to add to our valued and skilled team and being at the forefront of sustainable business travel.”
Beyond Business Travel operates as an extension of a company’s team, creating bespoke packages according to its budget. The travel experts combine strategic thinking, in-depth industry knowledge and decades of practical experience in the corporate travel industry to get results. Whether you’re a small business or a manager taking care of thousands of employees, Beyond Business Travel helps create unique and innovative experiences.
