4 | BCD Travel

T0624BCD_350 [Credit: BCD]
2024 sales: $22.9 billion
Previous ranking: 4
Employees: 15,000 full-time

Europalaan 300 3526 KS
Utrecht, Netherlands
U.S. headquarters:
2060 Mount Paran Road NW, Suite 210
Atlanta, GA 30327
Phone: (678) 441-5200
Website

Executives

GLOBAL CEO, BCD TRAVEL: Stephan Baars
GLOBAL CFO, BCD TRAVEL: Cees Batenburg
GLOBAL CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER, BCD TRAVEL: Mike Janssen

COMPANY FACTS

* Privately held B2B travel management company reaching more than 170 countries.

* BCD Group is the owner.

* Owns BCD Meetings & Events and corporate travel consultancy Advito.

DEVELOPMENTS

* Renewed focus, investment and resources to the ERM (energy, resources and marine) vertical: appointed John Vawter as senior vice president of marine; launched TripPlanner, an online booking and management tool tailored for ERM, and three 24/7 dedicated support centers.

* Grew BCD Marketplace, third-party tech partners that connect to clients across 12 categories.

* Migrated to the Genesys Cloud contact center with enhanced core functionalities for voice, email and chat. It also enables AI integration to improve agent efficiency.

* Its TripSource and AgentSource platform is connected to NDC content and represents most airlines with an NDC offering. 

* Launched Advito's Hotel Boost, self-service consulting for small-to-midsize enterprises to help this traditionally underserved market segment achieve more savings and satisfaction in their hotel programs.

* BCD Meetings & Events launched a video production and filmmaking house.

* Integrated rail services into its booking and trip management platform for select markets.

LOOKING AHEAD

* Further investing in TripSource; building on its digital spend-management solution; and leveraging AI for traveler service and support.

* Expanding access to content by enabling NDC for eligible airlines and enhancing customer programs through BCD Marketplace.

* Boosting segment-specific solutions for small-to-midsize enterprise customers, including the expansion of Get-
Going Travel & Expense, its all-in-one solution in a single digital platform.

* Driving program success with value-added consulting and meetings and events solutions; expanding Advito's data sources to improve insights.

* Elevating its clients' hotel programs by focused investment in payment, merchandising, analytics, invoicing and inventory, and growing the BCD Great Rates program and Hotel Booking Agency volume.

* Developing products and services to support clients in embedding sustainability into more aspects of their travel and meetings programs.

* Among the trends the company is seeing: Airlines are adopting NDC only when the time is right. Many small carriers have yet to identify a sufficient return from the cost of investing in NDC solutions, leading to delayed adoption.

* Anticipating that wider NDC adoption will accelerate among online booking tools and TMCs. The company's proprietary travel commerce platform gives it control over development priorities. With an AI-enabled policy engine and workflows, the platform combines multi-source content from GDSs, leading aggregators and direct connects. Progress continues to accelerate, but "a long tail" of IATA's 300 member airlines have not yet released their NDC solutions.

* Expecting new reporting requirements to push companies to improve their sustainability data and goals; transparency of their annual progress; and action. The emphasis must shift to meaningful travel, where low emissions, positive local impact, traveler wellness and business success all go hand in hand.


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