«Travel manager» educational program: learning from professionals

Another «Travel manager» educational program of the Russian Association of Business Travel ended on September, 24th. 28 academic hours were devoted to getting acquainted with the latest knowledge and experience in the business travel industry, to curious case studies, as well as to new information management systems and business process optimization.

All educational sessions held by ABT are conducted in small groups in the form of business communication. The participants can stop the presentation any moment and ask questions they have on the subject. A form of education like that is not only psychologically comfortable, but also allows the participants to get the maximum effect of the information.

«Questions, comments and involvement in the process are the key components of successful acquisition of the educational program. All the participants are aware that they can raise their hand and ask clarifying questions any moment. Thus, every participant influences the process to some extent and guides the teacher to the topic that is of greater interest to him. The main thing is to turn a lecture into a dialogue and not to let it be a monologue», ABT deputy executive Ekaterina Aleksandrova noted.

Her view was endorsed by Irina Kostyukova, Head of Business Travel in Kaspersky Lab and one of the speakers of the «Travel manager» course: «Professional literature and events like that are the right way to keep up with the latest trends. If a company sends its travel operator to attend an educational course like that, after its completion he or she may well grow into a travel manager. Of course, it is not a law, but every participant may make great progress if he or she has the right attitude to study and the intention. The educational program gives you a broader view of corporate travel and allows you to give a lot of things a second thought».

People with a completely different level of professional knowledge attend the «Travel manager» course. According to Ms Kostyukova, it is explained by the fact that the idea of a travel manager’s job duties is very vague in Russia now. Sometimes a travel manager is considered to be just a coordinator who makes bookings, offers consultations and performs operational and service procedures. For some a travel manager is an executive who is able to make a travel program and to analyze its profitability. Our students mainly belong to the first type, but they all have different goals. Some have an intention to grow professionally in this area and are interested in particular aspects of operational work, for some it is not enough already and they soak up information about tenders, contracts, talks like a sponge and are more interested in fundamental knowledge that allows them to comprehend the process as a complex of all its components«.

Thus, Olga Tatarenkova, travel coordinator of the European Media Group, who took this position not long ago, said that it was due to this program that she obtained practical knowledge she could put into practice during her work.

«The sphere of media is a special world with its own laws. Many processes take place spontaneously in our field, and the business trip schedule depends on news events directly. That is why many strategies based on long-term planning just do not work in our case, — Ms Tatarenkova says. — It was very important for me to get a broader view of a travel manager’s job duties, to discuss controversial issues with colleagues and to set my own priorities that would help me grow professionally in the future. The goals I set for myself at the beginning of the course have now been achieved!»

Travel manager of «Sportmaster» group of companies Maria Zueva was also satisfied with practical and theoretical knowledge she got during the «Travel manager» educational program.

«When I came to the first session, I thought I knew everything. But after I heard the presentation by Maria Sergeeva and Luba Gulbina, I understood that there was always room for perfection. Now I use professional terms and abbreviations quite confidently, which is very important in the business circles. You move to a new level and you are treated differently right away. Besides, professional communication with business travel experts is the best impulse to self-education».

Efficient work with travel agencies, document preparation, specific aspects of cooperation with airlines were the main topics of informal communication.

«There is a series of questions only experts can give answers to. For example, how to organize a special menu on board the plane? What actions should be documented and what needn’t? You won’t find this information in the Internet or in manuals, but it can be shared by the teachers of the „Travel manager“ educational program. Now I know who to turn for help to in any difficult situation», Olga Tatarenkova notes.

At the end of the session the teachers leave their contacts. Thus the students get new knowledge, as well as new useful acquaintances.

«All teachers of the program are practicing experts with many years of experience. They not only work in large companies, but are also active participants of various conferences, seminars and summits, so the „Travel manager“ educational program always includes the latest European trends and practices, — Ms Aleksandrova explains. — The last session always includes a questionnaire that lets us know an overall impression of the session, as well as allows us to introduce new programs that study certain topics more thoroughly».

All students were unanimous that the «Travel manager» educational program was invaluable experience that significantly raised your self-esteem and was a perfect launching pad for new professional achievements.

Sofya Dukorskaya