Different countries, different travel policies

In a global economy, employees regularly fly to other parts of the world on corporate trips. So it makes sense to take a global view when fine-tuning your travel program. It’s best not to uniformly cap corporate hotel rates, airport transportation and other variable travel costs.

A better idea is to create different travel policies that reflect the language, culture and per diem costs of each country. Depending on the exchange rate, you may find travelers faced with few options for spending the night, eating at restaurants or even taking a taxi. The per diem rates need to reflect the actual cost of doing business.

For example, a traveler on a corporate trip to the U.K. may need to spend more on hotels than one who visits Mexico, Italy or India. A differentiated travel policy gives global travelers the confidence to conduct business in a cost-effective but not overly restrictive manner. Because if corporate travelers are worried about pinching every penny, they’re not paying full attention to why they traveled in the first place: to conduct business.