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ACTE PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
ACTE Calls for High State of Preparedness
Singapore, 16 March - The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) made the state of preparedness the central theme at its recent executive forum on 10 March in Singapore.
Business travel managers and procurement specialists rank the health, safety, and security of travellers as their primary concern, according to a statement issued by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE). 2004 incidents, including the recent Asian tsunami disaster, have heightened concerns related to risk aversion, crisis management and business continuity among these executives. The topic of risk management was addressed by Grant Brown, Security Operations Manager, Asia-Pacific for International SOS's worldwide headquarters situated here in Singapore. Among his recommendations was the call to recognize some of the latest advancements in mobile telecommunications and integrate these into their risk management strategies. Companies today need to look at multiple channels to maintain communications with their travelling employees
Grant also presented other recommendations:
- Making reviews of current crisis management plans to assess how "actionable" such procedures are in actual situations of crisis.
- Recognizing all stakeholders (families, company's employees, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, etc) and having a well-constructed process of communicating with each.
- A thorough examination of a travel vendor's security & safety capabilities in the vendor selection process.
Finally, Grant discussed the readiness of organizations to cope with multiple crises. Whilst he acknowledged that it would be rare for an organization to have to deal with more than one major crisis at a time, he noted that companies with exposure in multiple markets could quite easily be subjected to a range of simultaneous contingencies.
In a separate session still focussing on a state of preparedness the forum looked at the state of the airline industry, specifically the next direction airfares will take. Pascal Bordat, Director Associate Partner of Corporate Value Associates looked at some of the macro pressures that would likely influence airfares. He cited the following as items to monitor:
- Disintermediation - GDS segment fee charges are coming under close scrutiny by airlines.
- A deregulated distribution environment is likely to promote the emergence of new generation distribution platforms.
- Infrastructure - Privatization of airports and the cost relationship with airline operators.
- Open sky agreements will create level playing fields for an increase of services and competition in the region, putting pressure on airfares.
- New entrants - The entry of low cost carriers (LCCs) have altered the shape of the industry..
In the final analysis the hot question that requires to be answered is where airfares are likely to be heading? Pascal Bordat offered his view, "The combined effects of these trends on the reduction of the cost of doing business, the increase of transparency in the airline distribution value chain and the fostering of more competition will result in overall airfare reductions."
ACTE will hold its next executive forum in Sydney on 14 April and these two topics will once again take centre stage. Australia's participation in fighting terrorism and its active role in recent natural disasters in markets where many Australian corporations have a deployment of employees makes it a relevant topic for discussion, The looming possibility of an open skies agreement may produce some alterations in Australia's domestic and international airfares which will be of interest to corporations, travel management companies and other airlines. To find out more about the Sydney executive forum click on http://www.acte.org/events/sydney_041405/teaser.shtml
The executive forum series in Asia-Pacific is made possible through the support of global sponsors AirPlus International, Orbitz, TravelPORT and regional sponsors Business Travel International, Cathay Pacific, MasterCard International and Raffles International Hotels & Resorts.
Contact ACTE Asia-Pacific
Kenneth Phua
Regional Director, Asia-Pacific
Tel: 65 -6336 4341
Email: [email protected]
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