Companies operating in the business travel space have been some of the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, though some have also seen innovation blossom out of the crisis: Spotnana, for example, launched with $41 million in funding, and companies including TravelPerk and TripActions have managed major acquisitions and funding.
With more than 30 years in the travel industry, AmTrav
co-founder and CEO Jeff Klee says the corporate travel sector is due for more
innovation as “the gap is growing between modern booking tools and the ones
that haven’t been updated in quite some time.”
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Speaking in the PhocusWire Studio at The Phocuswright
Conference in Florida, Klee says “rebellion” is growing as more business
travelers demand simple, omnichannel solutions to manage their trips.
The holdup,
he argues, is not about the technology but about resistance from legacy travel
management companies that want to hold on to the status quo.
Klee explains some of the latest updates his now 10-year-old
company, AmTrav, is making to address the demands of modern business travelers,
including tools for group travel and more self-service capabilities.
He also
offers advice for travel industry entrepreneurs, including a tip on what they
should – and shouldn’t – focus on.
Watch the full interview with PhocusWire’s Mitra Sorrells
below.
Amtrav on what's spurring - and stopping - business travel innovation