A way to go: get your corporate travel off the ground.

• Author: Whitesides, Hilary Ingoldsby
• Position: EntrepreneurEdge

So many places to go and people to see, but less money to do it with. While the global economy demands business travel, it also demands leaner travel budgets. Both demands seem more essential than ever to ensure business success, but how do you do more with less in the corporate travel department? Experts say avoid unnecessary costs, and be patient with the economic business cycles.

Inevitably, some businesses are cutting travel to save money. A recent survey by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) showed that at least 33 percent of business managers plan to reduce corporate travel expenditures during 2009.

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"There has been a sizable cutback in business travel during the recent economic downturn. We've seen many of our clients reduce their business travel budgets in the 20 to 25 percent range," Christopherson Business Travel President Mike Cameron says. "I've spoken to many of my associates who own travel management companies around the country. They're all seeing about the same percentage reductions."

Mike Davidson, vice president and general manager of Hess Corporate Travel manages Morris Travel's corporate customers and also says he has witnessed the same trend. Davidson says his company focus is on educating its clients about cost-effective travel and subsequently, has gained new clients despite economic troubles.

Both Cameron and Davidson say there are a few practices that are key in keeping corporate travel alive during times of financial trouble.

Many companies are practicing what Cameron calls "cost avoidance" by simply avoiding travel not deemed as essential. For example, many businesses are using Web conferencing to conduct meetings, thus, allowing employees to participate without traveling to a central location. Some are sending just one employee to a business meeting out of town, and having the employee brief the rest of the staff on the meeting upon their return. Others are taking shorter trips. Many are canceling incentive trips--a trend Cameron believes is linked to recent portrayals of incentive trips in the banking industry. But for many businesses, traveling less simply isn't a viable option.

Cost-savings Tips

While Cameron says corporate travel always takes an early hit in an economic downturn, there are ways businesses can travel and save money. Davidson...