Travel Manager

The person responsible for a company's travel programme: policy, suppliers, budget and control. They typically own the travel policy, lead supplier negotiations and RFPs, and are accountable for keeping travel spend within budget. In smaller companies this role may be combined with a broader finance, HR or procurement function.

A travel manager's responsibilities typically include designing and updating the travel policy, selecting and managing suppliers such as TMCs, airlines and hotels, negotiating corporate rates, monitoring spend and compliance, reporting to finance and management, ensuring duty of care for travellers and handling escalations. The role requires a mix of procurement, finance, data analysis and people skills, as well as a good understanding of how the travel industry works.

The travel manager sits at the intersection of several interests: finance wants lower costs, travellers want comfort and flexibility, HR is concerned with wellbeing and safety, and management expects productivity. Balancing these requires good data, clear communication and the right tools. In recent years, the role has also expanded to include sustainability reporting and risk management, making it more strategic than purely administrative.

Tumodo gives travel managers the tools to run the programme from one place. Travel policies and approval schemes are configured in the platform and applied automatically, bookings for all services go through one channel, and real-time analytics show spend, compliance and CO2 emissions. A dedicated key account manager helps set up the platform and reviews travel activity every six months, while 24/7 support takes care of travellers' day-to-day requests.