Middle East Travel Update

In a perfect world, business travel plans would unfold exactly as they’re supposed to. Reality, however, is far less predictable and crises such as natural disasters, political unrest, or sudden logistical changes can flip a business trip on its head. In this article, we speak to James Challis, Operations Manager at Gray Dawes, about the importance of keeping travellers informed, the benefits of having a well-oiled response strategy, and the power of our TripSure app in keeping travellers safe.

Planning a business trip to São Paulo? This comprehensive guide introduces you to Brazil’s financial capital. From navigating its major airports and tackling world-famous traffic to understanding business etiquette and staying safe, this guide equips you with everything you need for a successful trip. You’ll also discover how to get around efficiently, where business travellers typically stay and meet, and the top experiences worth fitting into a busy schedule, including iconic landmarks, world-class art, and vibrant neighbourhoods.

In an age of video calls and digital collaboration, is business travel still worth it? The data says yes. From closing 37% more deals to building stronger client relationships, face-to-face meetings continue to deliver measurable value that virtual interactions simply can’t match. Here’s why in-person engagement remains one of the most powerful tools in business.

Business travellers are demanding – and expecting – much more personalised travel experiences. We’re joined by United Airlines to examine how the industry is evolving in order to deliver unique services and experiences for corporate travellers, based on their individual preferences, selections and destinations.

Business travel is often viewed as a cost to manage, especially in uncertain economic times, but when approached with clear intent, it becomes a powerful driver of business success. Purpose-driven travel strengthens relationships, accelerates revenue opportunities, and enables collaboration in ways that virtual interactions cannot fully replicate. By focusing on value rather than volume, organisations can unlock long-term growth, improve operational efficiency, and ensure every trip contributes meaningfully to strategic objectives.

Preventing leakage is a vitally important step in ensuring your travel policy works effectively and stands the test of time. In this article, we take a closer look into the causes of leakage and give practical advice on what you can do to prevent it.

Travel and expense management remains a persistent challenge for many organisations. Traveller leakage, policy non-compliance, and fragmented expense processes often create unnecessary costs, administrative burden, and limited visibility over travel spend. These issues not only affect financial control but also increase risk and reduce the overall effectiveness of a managed travel programme.

This guide explores the most common problems businesses encounter when managing corporate travel and expenses and explains how a proactive partnership with a Travel Management Company (TMC) can help solve them. From encouraging adoption of centralised booking tools and enforcing travel policy to integrating modern expense management platforms and improving reporting, the right approach can transform the way your organisation travels – delivering stronger cost control, better data insights, and improved duty of care for your travellers.

From the moment you step off the plane, Tokyo announces itself as somewhere unlike anywhere else on earth. From trains that arrive to the second and immaculate streets to a unique business culture built on hierarchy and respect, the capital of Japan is an iconic business travel destination. It is also a city of contrasts. Ancient Shinto shrines stand in the shadows of gleaming skyscrapers, and centuries-old tea ceremonies take place just streets from the Tokyo Stock Exchange. In this comprehensive guide for business travellers, we help you navigate Tokyo’s unique business ecosystem, share practical tips for getting around, and highlight our top 3 things to see or do to make your trip unforgettable.

n the movies and on TV, a hotel is rarely just a place to sleep — it’s a stage for drama, comedy, fear, romance and unforgettable encounters. In the BBC Radio 4 feature Seven of the most memorable hotels in film and TV, hosts Ellen E. Jones and Mark Kermode unpack why hotels make such rich settings for storytelling, acting as hermetically sealed worlds where lives collide, secrets simmer and anything can happen.

Procurement portals are now a common way to run Travel Management Company RFPs, offering structure and consistency for procurement teams. But when portals are poorly configured, they can unintentionally limit supplier responses, create unnecessary friction, and make it harder to assess what truly differentiates one TMC from another.

Based on extensive experience responding to portal-based RFPs, this guide from Gray Dawes Travel shares nine practical ways travel managers and procurement leads can attract higher-quality responses, improve evaluation, and achieve better outcomes from the process.